Cheshire East residents have volunteered 79 properties to accommodate one or more Ukrainian refugees fleeing the invasion of their country by Russia.
Around 200 Ukrainians are so far registered to come to the borough under the “Homes for Ukraine” Government scheme.
It is anticipated that these numbers will continue to change as the scheme progresses.
Millions are fleeing from the Russian invasion of their country, with many thousands hoping to come to the UK.
Central government has issued guidance about local authority responsibilities under the scheme.
The first phase is a sponsorship route to allow Ukrainians, known to sponsors in the UK, to come into the country under a visa to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds for three years.
The sponsor will have committed to provide accommodation for a minimum of six months.
The council is working with partners to provide support to sponsor households, refugees and other organisations, who may be able to provide help under the scheme.
The council’s responsibilities under the scheme include:
● Providing ‘welcome’ information and ongoing information about the scheme to both refugee and sponsor
● Safeguarding checks on accommodation and individuals, including disclosure and barring service (DBS) checks
● Arranging payments related to the scheme to refugees and sponsor households
● Managing school and early-years placements for children of Ukrainian families
● Working with Cheshire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to make referrals to health services
● Managing data sharing across organisations
● Providing information about work and benefits
● Supporting integration into the community and signposting to community support
The council will contact sponsors and give them a point of contact for advice and support and to outline what happens next.
A DBS check will be required for all adults in the sponsor household.
An enhanced check will be required for households that will be welcoming children.
The housing team will check accommodation the sponsor is offering for safety and suitability.
Refugees will be contacted in the first days after their arrival to arrange an initial £200 payment to each refugee.
Once DBS and housing checks are fully processed, the council will arrange for payment of the optional monthly £350 ‘thank you’ payment to sponsors.
These payments are funded through the government scheme.
The council will also support families with children and schools and early-years providers through the application for school and childcare places.
Council support will include when placements end they will provide help to find alternative accommodation.
The council will receive £10,500 per individual, from government, to fund additional support and resources required.
Cllr Sam Corcoran, leader of Cheshire East Council, said: “The people of Cheshire East have, in the last few years, found it in their hearts to welcome people from overseas who are seeking to escape adversity.
“The council has played a key role through the asylum seeker dispersal programme, the Syrian vulnerable person resettlement programme and, most recently, the Afghan relocations and assistance policy.
“I know that the council and the people of Cheshire East will now provide a similar welcome and support to our Ukrainian friends escaping the violence in their homeland.”
A second phase of the scheme is planned which will match sponsors and Ukrainian refugees who are not known to each other.
The guidance around the matching process has yet to be released.
£350 a MONTH to take in a Ukrainian family OR OVER £300 A DAY to sign into the house of lords, something of an imbalance I feel.
All very well and good, but doesn’t it smell a little bit like how the government can pass over the moral duty to well-wishers, so they pick up the heavy end? I see problems kicking in after 6 months.