More accusations of waste aimed at Southwark chiefs – this time over free school meals report

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

Southwark council has been accused of ‘waste’ after burying a £60,000 report which criticised the value for money of a £1 million free school meals scheme for secondary school kids.

Labour-run Southwark council paid consultants to produce the document which only came to light following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

The 2024 report said the council’s implementation of means-tested free school meals for secondary school kids during the 2023/24 academic year had ‘serious issues which might cancel out the value for money achieved through targeting the right households.’

Councillor Victor Chamberlain, leader of Southwark’s Liberal Democrat opposition, said: “To shell out £60,000 on a consultant’s report it later buries because they ‘don’t like its tone’ is exactly the sort of Labour waste typical of Southwark council.

This is just one example of the millions they spent this year on consultants and agency staff instead of investing in long-term solutions.”

Before releasing the 132-page bundle in January this year following the FOI request, officials attached a note to the report claiming it contained ‘factual inaccuracies’, ‘inadequate context’ and ‘inappropriate language and tone’.

Cllr Jasmine Ali, deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for education, said that the report ‘demonstrated a limited understanding of the complexities’ of delivering the free meals scheme.

But she added: “The report offers some recommendations that will help guide the ongoing efforts of Southwark council, schools and our partners to address food insecurity and shape our school food system.”

In 2023, the council introduced free school meals for secondary school kids from families on Universal Credit but who aren’t eligible for government’s free school meals scheme.

The pilot was launched after Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced he would fund free primary schools across the capital from City Hall’s budget.

As a result of the mayor’s decision, some council cash set aside for providing free primary school meals in Southwark was reallocated to pay for the means-tested secondary school scheme. It was estimated between 900 and 950 kids had taken part in the pilot as of May 2024.

The report commissioned by the council praised officials for acting quickly to reallocate cash to address food insecurity among some residents. But it found a number of ‘serious issues’ with the implementation of the project, including uncertainty over whether pupils included in the scheme met the eligibility criteria due to errors in approving and turning down applications.

The report added: “These issues amount to unequal treatment in the implementation of the project, with some schools and participant households benefiting from the project to an extent they shouldn’t, and some others failing to participate.”

In January, figures revealed by Southwark Liberal Democrats showed the council spent £2 million on consultants since April 2024. Over the same period in 2023/24,  the council spent £1.7 million.

Pictured top: Cllr Jasmine Ali, deputy leader of Southwark council and cabinet member for education, said the report ‘demonstrated a limited understanding of the complexities’ of delivering the free meals scheme. Picture: Southwark council