Agenda item

Beth Dormer, Buckinghamshire Council.

Beth Dormer (Sponsor Liaison Area Lead Officer) gave an update to the Community Board detailing the work undertaken in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly regarding the local support given to the Ukrainian refugees settling in the community board area. The following key points were made in the update:

• Support for Ukrainian guests continued across the county.  There were 695 sponsors and 1433 guests across Buckinghamshire, with 35 sponsors and 82 guests in the community board area.
• Guests were still arriving from Ukraine, but the numbers arriving had dropped significantly and therefore the majority of guests had now been in Buckinghamshire for a while.
• A key area being tackled by the team was housing, as many of the guests were coming up to the end of the initial 6-month housing arrangements with sponsors.   Options being considered included:
  • Extend with sponsor - Sponsors could apply to extend the existing living arrangements for a further six-month period. Payments of £350 per month to the sponsor would continue to be made during this time.  The Council was still waiting to find out what financial support might be available after this period.  Sponsors could set up a rent a room scheme after their guests had been living with them for one year.

The Council had introduced a discretionary payment of £500 if sponsors agree to host their guests to the end of December.  

• • Rematch with a new sponsor - However, there was a short supply of sponsors in the area, so this would not be an option for every guest. Members of the Community Board were encouraged to let Beth know if they knew anyone who might be interested in becoming a sponsor.
  • Private rental - Guests could look to rent privately if they could afford this. Some guests might be eligible for a Local Housing Allowance to help meet rental costs. Guests who pass an affordability assessment carried out by the Private Rent Team would be eligible for one month’s rent upfront and a deposit guarantee.
  • Social housing – All guests were eligible to register with Bucks Home Choice for social housing. However, there was a high demand for social housing in Buckinghamshire so some guests might be on the waiting list for a long time.
• Beth thanked Winslow and District Community Bus for all their help with setting up day trips for the guests.

In the discussion which followed, Beth advised that the Council was working hard to help guests access work, for example by helping them with their CVs.  The team also signposted guests to voluntary sector organisations who were able to help such as ‘Smart Works’, which was a charity that helps give women the confidence they need to secure employment.

In response to a question regarding whether there was any funding available for an ipad for a Ukrainian pupil, Beth advised that schools were eligible to receive funding for Ukrainian pupils and therefore it was important to make sure that the school were in receipt of this funding.  Beth explained that she would follow this up with the school. (ACTION: Beth Dormer)

The Community Board thanked Beth and her team for the work they had done to support those displaced by the war.