Agenda item

(To receive a report by Semantha Neal, Assistant Director of Prevention and Early Intervention, which provides the Committee with assurance on the progress of arrangements established by Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire’s District Councils, and multi-agency partners to deliver the government requirements in relation to the Ukraine humanitarian crisis)

The Committee considered a report from Semantha Neal, Assistant Director of Prevention and Early Intervention, which provided assurance on the progress of arrangements established by Lincolnshire County Council, Lincolnshire’s District Councils, and multi-agency partners to deliver the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme ‘Homes for Ukraine’ (HfU) in line with government requirements.

The Chairman invited Semantha Neal, Assistant Director of Prevention and Early Intervention and Lauren Grosvenor, Service Manager – ICS to present the item to the Committee.

The Committee commended the depth and success of the HfU scheme, and praised the work of officers, agencies and sponsors who had engaged in the resettlement programme.

During consideration of the report, the following was noted:

• Members supported the work of the Lincolnshire Community Foundation for aiding sponsors to purchase push-bikes as a means of transport for Ukrainian guests. The Assistant Director of Prevention and Early Intervention informed the Committee that Active Lincolnshire had also identified the potential for a larger-scale bike programme to complement the HfU scheme, and to support all refugees in Lincolnshire. A part-time project officer was leading the project alongside the Council’s Sustainability Team, and consideration was being given to using the hire bike scheme to supplement this;
• Some Councillors questioned whether LCC helped to fund Ukrainian guests staying in privately rented accommodation. The Committee was advised that some individuals had organised these arrangements independently but was assured that support was given where it was needed.  It was noted that information had been circulated to hosts and guests regarding social housing availability.In addition, work was being undertaken in collaboration with District Councils to formulate a personal housing plan and offer budgeting advice. This included providing a top-up for deposit and rent payments on a case-by-case basis. It was noted this support was not exclusive to the HfU scheme but was based on District Council statutory homelessness duties;
• Members considered why Lincolnshire had the 17th highest number of HfU visa applications nationally and was second in the region. The Assistant Director explained that this was the result of individuals freely volunteering to host Ukrainian guests and expressed that they were a credit to the county;
• Questions were raised regarding the 12% of hosting arrangements cited to have broken down in the report. The Assistant Director noted that the reasons behind break downs were complex but suggested that more stable arrangements exist where open and frank conversations were had initially between both parties to manage expectations. It was noted further that a range of support was available including through the Wellbeing Service which offered mediation, and a fortnightly newsletter circulated to guests and sponsors offering advice. Hosts were also encouraged to establish relationships with their guests before the arrangement progressed;
• Members questioned the criteria for suitable accommodation, and they were informed that it was developed alongside District Councils and housing standard experts. Homes were assessed through pre-arrival visits and would advise any sensible changes that could be made. The Assistant Director disclosed that over 600 homes had been inspected to date, and less than ten had been deemed unsuitable;

·       It was considered how LCC tracks guests who return to Ukraine, and Members received assurance that contact was maintained in cases where a host was notified.It was also noted that there was currently little clarity received from central government concerning when the duty of Local Authorities and hosts ended; the scheme had been designed to last 12 months, but many hosts and guests had informed LCC that they wished to continue beyond the scheme;

• The Committee was assured that there were no instances of Ukrainians experiencing homelessness in Lincolnshire. Members were informed that there were two operational managers responsible for tracking and mitigating homelessness, and LCC tracked all Ukrainian guests entering and leaving the country. The Assistant Director gave the Committee assurance that the location of all Ukrainian guests arriving in Lincolnshire were known.  The Committee was advised that the council had been contacted by the Strategic Migration Partnership of East Midlands to assist other authorities implement the HfU scheme;

·       The Committee was advised that the council was not aware of any hosts citing the cost of living crisis as contributing towards a breakdown of an arrangement but accepted that it could add strain on the sponsors. It was noted that it could be possible to increase the payment hosts received to incentivise people to extend arrangements past the six-month timeframe, however a response was anticipated from central government regarding costs, and the Committee would be informed once a response was received;

• Members were assured that a dedicated Communication Officer at North Kesteven District Council was working closely with the press to help spread messages regarding the HfU scheme. Councillors were urged by the Assistant Director to promote the scheme to potential new hosts where suitable, and to potentially support a campaign to aid Ukrainian guests to find employment in the future; and
• The Committee requested that a further update on the HfU scheme and other resettlement schemes should be brought to the Committee in January 2023.

The Chairman on Behalf of the Committee extended his thanks to the presenters.

RESOLVED

1.      That the report be endorsed and the comments raised by the Committee be noted.

2.      That an update report be received by the Committee at the 19 January 2023 meeting.