By Cllr Nick Adams-King
**Homes for Ukraine - local update**
I’ve been contacted by many people asking for information about how the Homes for Ukraine scheme is working and most importantly how home checks are being arranged.
I’ve attended a briefing this morning by Hampshire County Council which I hope helps in providing some clarity around how the system will work.
The Council does not have a role in matching hosts with Ukrainian refugees. That is being organised entirely through non governmental organisations. I hope to have some links to post a little later today to point those still looking for help with offering sponsorship.
Home checks are being carried out by the County Council. They are only being carried out once Ukrainian refugees have arrived with their hosts. They are NOT being carried out ahead of time. The reason for this is that the checks need to reflect the needs of those using the accommodation and of course those needs aren’t known until people have arrived.
The County Council will contact the host once they have been advised Ukrainian refugees have arrived at the host accommodation.
Everyone over 16 in the host family or household will have to complete a DBS check. This applies even if the Ukrainian refugees being hosted are living in separate annexes or holiday accommodation. This process will be started at the time of the first visit.
Hampshire education are ready to accept all Ukrainian children arriving in the County into our local schools. Education Rules (for example impact on class sizes) will be waived for refugee children where necessary.
The information being received from Government about who the refugees are and when they are arriving with hosts is incomplete and sometimes unclear. So do please forgive HCC if they contact you thinking someone has arrived when they are not yet with you. Similarly. If you do not hear from HCC within a couple of working days of refugees arriving please contact the HCC team, their website is at https://www.hants.gov.uk/ukraine
So far I understand 45 families and 9 individuals are in Hampshire. Over 800 hosts have also been registered across the county with the numbers growing daily.
I hope that’s helpful. Do please share this post.
