Financial Support Inclusion Officers(FISO)
FINANCIAL SUPPORT INCLUSION OFFICERS (FISO)
This service was introduced to support families who are impacted financially as a result of COVID or may be affected due to pre-existing pressures that have been compounded by COVID.
Our Advisers make proactive engagement and action to support household’s known to be financially at risk, including those who are waiting for Universal Credit that will help to reduce stress and the need for crisis support. Full income maximisation is carried out for all clients.
Our Advisers are fully conversant in Education Benefits such as Free School Meals (FSM), School Clothing Grants (SCG) & Educational Maintenance Allowance (EMA) as they work in partnership with GCC Education Grants Team in relation to individual cases.
This service is supported by an extensive co-ordinated marketing campaign in order to generate referrals, including mail drop and text updates to all households who have a Pupil at the relevant school. We provide regular individual client monitoring information to our Funder Glasgow City Council in order to measure impact against baseline information generated by Education Services.
The Service has been funded via the Scottish Government’s COVID Addressing Future Need to Support Individuals at Financial Risk Grant to Glasgow City Council.
The foundations of this project are based on listening to parents and community groups with lived experience of poverty and using data to identify need and service gaps. The aim is to look at new ways to tackle child poverty aimed at targeting the three main drivers of Child poverty, the cost of living, maximising entitlement to generate income from social security benefits and income from employment. The programme is education centered in that the advice by a named FISO is taken to the parents by the schools using the “support for families” booklet and engagement with the FISO and advice is encouraged using social media and group call facilities through the individual’s schools.
If you would like to see one of our FISO Advisers, and you have a child at one of the following schools:
Primary Schools: Anderson Primary, Oakgrove Primary, Our Lady of Peace Primary, Sandaig Primary, St Pauls Primary
Secondary Schools: Govan High, St Thomas Aquinas, Bannerman, Hillpark, Hillhead, Kings Park, Knightswood, Smithycroft, St Andrews.
Please ask a professional at your school to make a referral on your behalf or alternatively email us directly for a self-referral to: schools@moneymattersweb.co.uk or call 0141 648 2022.