SUBJECT: Update
on the response to humanitarian crisis in Ukraine
Report written and submitted by: Local Authority Leads
Author: Kath Peters, Caerphilly CCBC
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Areas
Affected |
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1.1 |
Gwent
– all local areas. |
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2 |
Purpose of
Report |
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2.1 |
To
present an update on activities by Gwent PSB member organisations in response
to the humanitarian crisis caused by the war in Ukraine the draft Gwent
Well-being Plan |
2.2 |
This
item is for PSB members’ information. |
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3 |
General information |
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The
Gwent Humanitarian Leadership Group has been meeting since the March PSB when
the request was made to consider the regional response to the crisis. The
group comprises the resettlement leads of the five local authorities, with
Wendy Warren- Head of Planning Civil Contingencies and is chaired by
Superintendent Mike Richards on behalf of Chief Superintendent Ian Roberts. The
group discusses the situational awareness and shares best practice on
problems encountered. Where possible, the group strives for a consistent
response across the region. However, the workload in each of the five local
authority areas varies considerably with 3 of the 5 hosting Welcome Centres
or hotel populations that have arrived through the Welsh Government Super
Sponsor route. It is worth noting that each local authority is managing the
tariff received independently and so the support offer will vary across the
five areas. |
4 |
Torfaen/Blaenau
Gwent |
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Welcome
Centre - Blaenau Gwent Changes
in the wrap around support for centres come into effect on the 9th
January. There will be full support for up to 5 weeks after arrival, while
benefits are being applied for, the expectation thereafter is that guests
will make a financial contribution, which will vary according to the
accommodation. Charges will include some meals, laundry, pets and essential
items. A
refusals pilot is being trailed in Blaenau Gwent (and Monmouthshire) to
encourage arrivals to move out to hosted accommodation. Where two offers are
made and refused a weekly administration charge will be applied until a
hosted/accommodation offer is accepted or the 6-months WG super sponsor
accommodation comes to an end, this charge will be £25 per week for a single
person. Homes
for Ukraine - hosts The
rate of new individual sponsors has slowed (as has been seen across Wales). The
focus remains on supporting existing hosts and guests including; orientating
new arrivals to their new community, mitigating any tensions between
hosts/guests, supporting moving into the Private Rented Sector and, in the
event of breakdowns (or where host have been unable to extend their offer of
accommodation (post 6 months) rematching with new hosts. All
hosts have been consulted regarding their longer-term intensions – all
current hosts remain committed to support until 12 months, relationships more
broadly remain strong. The focus for the LA over the next 4 months is to
secure longer term accommodation for each case– we are now engaging all
letting agencies on this point The
Local Authorities are now implementing a ‘top up’ of £250 per month (taking
the thank you payment to £600) to ease the impact on existing hosting
households and provide a cost-effective way of prolonging the arrangement.
This top up (£250) is being supported by the tariff for up to 12
months. Providing
a financial support package of £1,500 for Ukrainians entering the Private Rented
Sector (PRS) This
payment supports existing hosted households (per principle applicant) should
they wish to progress to securing a tenancy in the PRS, removing the financial
barriers with regards to bonds, first month’s rent, furnishings etc. This
grant remains available for guests to apply at any stage during their initial
12 months. This approach is having a significant benefit in supporting guests
to move into PRS. The
team is scoping the potential to support the deficit between LHA rate and
rental value of PRS accommodation, noting that the affordability of private
lettings remains the biggest barrier to move on. Number of
Arrivals · Torfaen – 87 have arrived via
this Scheme (not including arrivals via the Family Visa Scheme) · Blaenau Gwent – 47 have arrived
via this Scheme (including several cases that have been matched from
Welcome Centres - not including arrivals via the Family Visa Scheme) Letting
agents/Property owners The
team have been liaising with letting agency managers, but with little
optimism. The new Welsh housing legislation, effective from 1st
December, is causing additional barriers. Many property owners are now
looking to sell their properties due to rising interest rates and the new
legislation. Independent
letting agents can make a contract up as they go along. E.g. Some property
owners are asking for 3 months rent upfront and a guarantor even if on paper
the tenant can afford the rent. Some agents have a 30 x monthly rent policy
where the household needs to meet that requirement E.g. rent of £1000 per
month, plus the household needs to be earning 30K+ Property
owners see the possibility of Ukrainians returning home which is seen as a
risk. Most agents will not even accept an application form if the prospective
tenant isn’t employed in a permanent capacity (that is not working for an agency). The bigger agents require a holding
deposit which is 1 month rent upfront, with a Bond of the same amount and
credit checks by an external organisation. |
5 |
Monmouthshire
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Welcome Centre The Council Offices
adjacent to the hotel is now staffed in the evenings by two youth workers, to
provide additional space to minimise tensions and ensure people have access
to entertainment (gaming room, pool table, table tennis, cinema screen /
projector). A self-catering kitchen is due to be installed
mid-December. This should help ease tensions over the quality and supply of
food, increased number of staff working shifts and not at the hotel for meal
times and the basic human desire to cook and prepare their own food We are conscious of the need to increase the rate
of people move-on from the Welcome Centre. The approach is to fund one month’s
rent and a bond, subject to affordability checks and guided by local housing
allowance. However, MCC will soon have taken its allocation of Welcome Centre
arrivals and will need to prioritise moving more people onto other counties. MCC is currently accommodating 210 people Homes for Ukraine -
hosts MCC is adding a further £250 per month
discretionary funding between October and March to the existing £350 host
payment to recognise goodwill of hosts and increased cost of living. This is
set for six months because it covers fuel over the winter period and can then
be reviewed. This has been well-received and majority of hosts are
continuing. MCC currently have 100 active hosts. The availability of move-on accommodation remains
a challenge with a shortage of private rented accommodation and social
housing in the county. |
6 |
Newport |
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Welcome Centre There are still 2 separate initial accommodation
centres in the city, supporting guests through the WG Super Sponsor scheme.
Currently there are 57 guests at two hotels. Guidance and awareness around
the change in support for guests through this scheme (see above), from
January 9th has been circulated, with local authorities liaising with hotels
to shape the offer moving forward and communicate this clearly to guests. Homes for Ukraine -
hosts Newport has 50 active hosts across the city,
accommodating 101 guests. The majority of hosts are moving, or have already
reached, the 6-month stage of support and the continuation of hosting
arrangements after this point have been mixed. A large number of sponsors
have ended their support at the 6 month point, as well as a high number of
withdrawals from the expression of interest list held for potential sponsors.
A recurring reason for this is the rise in living costs and how this will
increase further through the coming months. Currently, ‘thank you’ payments are in line with
the standard £350 per month but Newport are revisiting and exploring how
support for all stakeholders can be developed moving forward. This includes
further options around supporting the move-on phase, for those in a position
to do so, into the PRS for guests and mitigating against some of the barriers
faced in doing so. |
7 |
Caerphilly |
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Home for Ukraine-
hosts In common with other local authorities the
available unmatched host numbers are becoming stretched by the push to get
people out of the network of Welsh Government Welcome Centres. However, in
partnership with Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly have been successfully able to
settle families across the border from the Welcome Centres there. A media campaign has been released, with the
support of the Cabinet member, to encourage more local families to come on
board as hosts. An amount of spare capacity is needed to be able to manage
hosted arrangements coming to and end and the potential for arrivals to end
up in temporary accommodation. The efforts of WG over the next few months is
to get as many people out of the Welcome Centres as possible due to the escalating
cost, a factor which is driving the new payment and refusals policies in
Welcome Centres from the 9th of January. Rationalisation and
closure of Welcome Centres will place additional burdens on the hosting
capacity. Caerphilly are currently supporting 104 arrived
guests across 58 sponsors and are actively seeking more hosts to alleviate
the pressure in the Welcome Centres and support neighbouring authorities. The focus going forward is to support and sustain the
hosted arrangements as far as it is possible. A £250 to up to the UK Government
thank-you payment was implemented in September and hosts have reported that
this is enabling them to sustain the arrangement through the current cost-of-living
crisis. This additional amount is in place until the end of March 23 and will
be reviewed in line with budget considerations. Movement to the PRS is extremely problematic for
the same reasons described by Blaenau Gwent and Torfaen. The competition for
PRS properties is intense in a rapidly decreasing market. Many guests would
like to sustain their own tenancies but are unable to, given the restrictions
that landlords and letting agents are imposing. A support package of
rent/bond of approx. £1500, on a case-by case basis, has been agreed but this
may not be enough to circumvent the problems. At the same time as the local authority is seeking
PRS properties for Ukrainian arrivals to move-on from hosted arrangements,
support is still requested for Afghan and UK Resettlement Scheme arrivals. In
addition, the Home Office are actively and aggressively seeking hotel and PRS
accommodation for asylum seekers. At the current time, fortunately, no displaced people
arrivals are in temporary accommodation. However, this may alter as available
hosts lessen, Welcome Centres close, the PRS availability shrinks, and the
cost-of-living crisis increases local populations at risk of homelessness. |
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8 |
ABUHB |
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Health services continue to undertake initial
medical assessments, the blue book assessment for refugees, medical
screening, vaccination support and GP registration for any new arrivals.
Ongoing health conditions are supported through normal channels. Transport support from the constituent local
authorities was out in place following the last PSB meeting. However, with
arrivals slowing, the capacity has met the current need. |
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9 |
Recommendation to the PSB |
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The
Gwent PSB is asked to note the information in this paper. |
Draft
date: 9/12/2022