New guidance has been published in Scotland on how to deal with families’ school meals debt.
Local authorities’ body Cosla says the guidance is not only for council staff but also headteachers and other school staff.
The advice - which can be read here - has been published after research showing that the families of around 25,000 pupils in Scotland owe money for school meals because they cannot afford to feed their children.
More than £1 million is owed in school meals debt across Scotland, the 2022 research by children’s charity Aberlour shows. However, because most secondary schools use a cashless payment system, the new guidance stresses that “it is difficult for debt to accrue” and therefore hard to determine the scale of “hidden hunger” across the country.
Guidance on school meals debt
Key advice in the guidance - which Cosla produced with partners including education directors’ body ADES - includes:
- There should be more awareness that all councils have the power to provide free school meals to pupils who do not meet the national eligibility criteria.
- The full range of ways to support families or clear debts -“within the flexibilities and discretion afforded to local authorities and headteachers - should be explored. For example: using school hardship funds or Pupil Equity Fund (PEF) money for discretionary meal provision or debt clearance in some cases.
- Local authorities’ approaches to school meal debt should be “compassionate, proportionate and seek to minimise as far as possible the stigmatisation of children, young people and their families”.
- School meal debt management processes should be as clear and accessible as possible, and support should be provided where there are barriers such as families’ finding difficulty in navigating online systems.
- Councils should consider setting a threshold at which unpaid sums will formally become “debt” (around one month’s worth of meals is suggested, given that some families choose to clear debt after each monthly pay day).
- Families should be given “the right information, at the right time, in an accessible manner, from the most suitable person”.
- Efforts should be made to promote free school meals and “address any barriers to take-up of free school meals” (as well as other support, such as the school clothing grant and free bus travel for under-22s). For example, some local authorities have auto-award systems whereby free school meals are automatically allocated to families who receive other benefits.
- When staff become aware that a household is facing financial or other difficulties, the family should be signposted to appropriate support, which could include: financial advice and support services; employability support; social work or care support; support for unpaid carers.
Tony Buchanan, Cosla children and young people spokesperson, said: “Cosla recognises that school meal debt is an emotive issue, but one that is complex. We’ve worked closely with colleagues in the third sector in response to the research they’ve highlighted, and have developed an agreed set of principles for councils to consider when making decisions on local policy and practice.”
Martin Canavan, head of policy and participation at Aberlour children’s charity, said: “The level of school meal debt in Scotland is concerning and has been rising due to the cost-of-living crisis. Low-income families not eligible for free school meals are struggling to feed their children, and many are accruing school meal debt as a result.
“We need to respond better, with compassion and empathy, to those families and make sure that no child will go hungry at school or is stigmatised by the processes in place for any child to access a meal in school.”
Mr Canavan added: “We welcome these school meal debt good practice principles that Cosla has published. These can help councils and schools respond to the issue of school meal debt consistently, sensitively and in a way that recognises the financial pressures and anxiety that low-income families face.”
