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Supporting families leaving Ukraine

Supporting families leaving Ukraine

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Updated: 23 February 2023

As a borough, we have a proud history of helping the government deliver support for refugees looking to start a new life away from conflict and violence.

The council is committed to ensuring the borough plays its part in assisting the government’s plans to support families coming to the UK from Ukraine. We have a well-established network of key partners we are helping to coordinate our support locally.

As we reach the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, 189 households have been sponsored by residents of the borough. Many of these sponsorship arrangements are ongoing. We would like to thank hosts for their continued support and generosity.

Government guidance

The government has published guidance around people coming to the UK from Ukraine, including:

View Gov.UK webpage about A Homes for Ukraine campaign and frequently asked questions document.

Hampshire County Council role

Hampshire County Council has confirmed that it is leading on the response to the Ukrainian families coming to the area to escape the conflict, under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme, using government funding. This includes:

checking sponsorship arrangements
doing home visits
inspections around safeguarding and fire safety
DBS safeguarding and criminal record checks
providing initial financial support
assisting with school places
arranging fostering
wellbeing checks.

Community support

Basingstoke Voluntary Action (BVA) has continued to host the Ukraine Community Caseworker role and have been providing the welfare wrap around support for Ukrainians across the borough. During this time, BVA have worked closely with families and individuals to provide 1-1 tailored welfare support, supporting access to local support initiatives. Further details on the support BVA provides and how to get in touch can be found on BVA website.

BVA are hosting a series of drop-in sessions for hosts and guests. This is an opportunity to meet with BVA’s Ukraine Community Caseworker to discuss housing, health, benefits, education, and life in the UK.

These sessions will be held at The Orchard, White Hart Lane, Basingstoke, RG21 4AF from 10am to 12:00 noon on Friday 3 March, Friday 5 May and Wednesday 7 June 2023.

National charity Barnardo’s has set up The Ukrainian Support Helpline to provide support to anyone fleeing the conflict in Ukraine.

The free helpline, available by calling 0800 148 8586, is staffed by English, Ukrainian and Russian speakers, to offer support to children and families arriving in the UK from Ukraine.

The helpline is open Monday to Friday between 10am and 8pm and Saturday between 10am and 3pm. Callers will be able to get help and advice on a range of topics.

More information is available on the Barnardo’s website.

Our role

As a council, we are supporting in any way we can. This may include key roles around homelessness and housing standards, ensuring that sponsors’ properties Ukrainian families and people are coming to are suitable if concerns are raised by Hampshire County Council as part of their safeguarding inspections. We are supporting BVA in community liaison work and are also engaging with all partners to coordinate and share information about the situation and changes as quickly as possible to keep them informed and engaged and to keep residents and communities updated.

Basingstoke and Deane is working in partnership with Hampshire County Council to try and ensure that where existing arrangements between refugees and Homes for Ukraine Scheme sponsors are proving to be unsustainable, that refugees can be matched with alternative hosts in this area or assisted in to longer term accommodation in the private sector.

The Housing and Environmental Health Teams are carrying out 6 month checks on sponsorship arrangements on behalf of Hampshire County Council. The purpose of the checks is to ensure that the accommodation and sponsorship arrangements remain safe and suitable for all parties and to discuss future plans.

If you are a guest or host in the borough looking for housing advice and support, please contact ukraineenquiries@basingstoke,gov.uk

To deliver an effective re-matching service, we would ask any residents who wish to become sponsors to provide information about the type and size of household they may be seeking to accommodate and the type of accommodation they are looking to offer through the scheme.

Further details on becoming a sponsor can be found on the GOV.UK website.

If you would like to become a sponsor under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, please complete the survey below.

Expression of interest to be a host for Ukrainian refugees

If you are a landlord and would like to rent your property to a family or individual from the Ukraine, please contact our Landlord Liaison team at privaterent@basingstoke.gov.uk.

Ukrainian guests and hosts information event

The borough council hosted an information and support event for Ukrainian guests and hosts on Thursday 27 October 2022 at the council offices in London Road.

The drop-in event was well attended and gave visitors the opportunity to meet with a range of agencies providing support and information including employment advice, education opportunities, housing advice and health advice. The event was also an opportunity for hosts and people interested in hosting to find out more information and receive advice.