Ukraine Resettlement Stakeholder Reference Group minutes: March 2023

Attendees and apologies

• Neil Gray MSP, Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development and Minister with special responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine, Scottish Government (Chair)
• Sabir Zazai, CEO, Scottish Refugee Council (SRC) and co-Chair
• Councillor Maureen Chalmers, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and co-Chair 
• Catherine Brown, Scottish Government
• Tanya Balanova, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain (AUGB) – Edinburgh branch
• Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk, AUGB – Edinburgh branch 
• Olha Maksymiak, AUGB – Glasgow branch 
• Elodie Mignard, SRC
• Andrii Nadych, SRC
• Anna Kitzberg, Help Ukraine Scotland
• Masha Allan, ScotsHosts
• Oleksandr Chernykh, Ukrainian Collective
• Oleksandra Novatska, Ukrainian Collective 
• Emma McCarthy, British Red Cross
• Kirsty-Louise Hunt, Barnardos
• Paul Wilson, Third Sector Interface (TSI) Edinburgh / Volunteer Edinburgh
• Bridie Ashrowan, TSI Edinburgh / Edinburgh Voluntary Organisations’ Council (EVOC)
• John Hawlyruk, TSI Edinburgh (EVOC)
• Bobby Curtis, Aberlour (Scottish Guardianship Service representative)

Presenters

• Mike Callaghan, COSLA
• Anna Kulish, Ukrainian Collective

Observers

• Katey Tabner, COSLA
• David Beauchamp, COSLA
• Will Tyler-Greig, Scottish Government
• Jack Taylor, Scottish Government
• Lorna Gilmour DWP, UK Government
• Nicolle Malcolm, DWP, UK Government
• Corinne Dunthorne, Scottish Government
• Pauli-Samantha Walker, Scottish Government
• Georgia de Courcy Wheeler, Scottish Government

Secretariat

• Terri O’Donnell, Scottish Government
• Paula Cassells, Scottish Government
• Jane Macfarlane, Scottish Government

Items and actions

Welcome

The Minister welcomed everyone to the meeting and thanked them for their attendance. He introduced co-Chairs Councillor Chalmers and Sabir Zazai from SRC.  

Terms of reference

The Minister highlighted:

• the group is not a decision-making group. It is to give voice to displaced people from Ukraine
• meetings will take place every two months, chair will rotate, meetings will last 90 minutes  
• a minimum of one of the three co-Chairs will always be in attendance

Outcome:

• Terms of reference were agreed

Context setting  

The co-Chairs outlined the roles of the Scottish Government and UK Government, COSLA and the Local Authorities (LAs) and third sector organisations.

Key points 

• more than 23,500 people have arrived in the UK with a Scottish visa 
• Scottish Super Sponsor scheme - running for just under a year and has been responsible for close to 19,000 visas of those arriving  
• the Super Sponsor scheme was paused last year due to pressures on temporary accommodation
• SZ introduced representatives from the Ukrainian Collective, made up by people from Ukraine across Scotland. The objective of the Collective is to bring together skilled displaced people, raise the challenges faced, hear and understand existing barriers, help them (and all those seeking sanctuary) to form and co-design and be part of practical solutions

Housing 

Presentations were given by Mike Callaghan of COSLA and then by Anna Kulish of the Ukrainian Collective.  

Key points raised - COSLA

• around 6,000 displaced people from Ukraine in emergency or temporary accommodation
• need to consider opportunities to maximise availability of housing, address construction costs and to replicate good practice
• need to work with partners so as not to displace those already in accommodation. We need communities with different housing options

Key points raised - Ukrainian Collective

• hosts and guests receive less support and information than those staying in other welcome accommodation
• a number of specific suggestions were made relating to interventions in the Scotland's support for displaced people from Ukraine: Super Sponsor Scheme review published 1 November 2022, namely:
• improved clarity in pre-arrival communications (intervention 1) and refined arrival script and communications (intervention 2), such as access to advice, information and practical support 
• Scotland call for volunteers (intervention 5), self-matching infrastructure (intervention 10) and approach to matching (intervention 14), such as networking, support for hosts and guests, and measures to mitigate risks when hosting arrangements end 
• private rental assistance (intervention 11), headlease scheme (intervention 15) and Warm Welcome Grant (intervention 10), such as support with credit history recognition, references, guarantors and deposits
• social housing (intervention 4) and other recommendations relating to the supply of longer term housing options
• in particular, Scottish Government, LAs and third sector round table discussions would be welcomed

Discussion points

Temporary housing

Help Ukraine Scotland, Anna Kitzberg (AK) and AUGB Glasgow, Olha Maksymiak (OM) - receiving reports from homeless Ukrainians living in Glasgow City Council (GCC) temporary emergency housing – who have been told rules have changed and they must vacate and go to the Edinburgh Hub to be placed in a hotel elsewhere in Scotland. The Edinburgh Hub has advised they do not work with GCC and that they cannot help. There is no price guide for this type of accommodation – which is very expensive - and people are getting into debt.

COSLA is aware of the cost of temporary emergency housing and will consider this and provide further clarity on the rules, what has changed and where these can be accessed.  

Actions:

• AK to send specific examples of experiences of Glasgow City Council referring people to the Edinburgh Hub to the Secretariat
• COSLA to pick up with LAs and collectives and to consider the cost of temporary accommodation

MS Ambition and MS Victoria

TSI Edinburgh (EVOC) (JH) - queried the withdrawal of both vessels and whether extending the contracts could be considered due to the lack of available housing. He requested an update regarding the use of modular housing to rehome people and the outcome of Palladium Group contract discussions. EVOC and other third sector wrote in in the summer to ask for a ministerial roundtable.

Action:

• SG officials to provide an update on Palladium Group contract following the meeting 

AUGB Edinburgh (TB) - matching events to highlight and sell other areas of Scotland (out with Glasgow and Edinburgh) would be useful. AUGB Edinburgh would be keen to host an event in the Ukrainian Club in Edinburgh.   

The Minister highlighted:

• the use of both ships was always temporary measure 
• MS Ambition - disembarkation plan is underway, and the ship is contracted elsewhere after 31 March 2023 
• MS Victoria - LAs from Edinburgh and the surround areas are being encouraged to come forward with bids for the £50m Long Term Resettlement Fund, which can be used to refurbish and repurpose void houses so they can be brought back into use

Action:

• COSLA to liaise with AUGB Edinburgh over offer to host an event promoting other parts of Scotland

Longer-term accommodation

AUGB Edinburgh (TB) - requested an update on Deposit Guarantee / Private Rented Sector (PRS). Employing Ukrainians with construction experience could help with houses requiring refurbishment. Many are working in the construction sector already.

AUGB Glasgow, Olha Maksymiak (OM) – reiterated the importance of clear information on housing options. The Scottish Government guide on private renting has received positive feedback.

The Minister highlighted:

• the deposit guarantee is part of the policy review and was still being worked through. Majority of councils in Scotland already provide assistance to people looking to move into PRS. More information on this could be provided
• COSLA are taking the lead on refurbishing properties

Actions:

• COSLA to provide information on councils providing support into private rent sector
• COSLA to note the suggestion re Ukrainians with construction experience

Visas

ScotsHosts (MA) - some families considering staying in Scotland permanently do not understand the process of how to do this or who to contact. There is no available list of contact list for the Resettlement Teams across all LAs.

Minister – decision-making on visas sits solely with the UK Government with whom he has raised the issue on many occasions with no response to date. He will continue to push for an answer.

Actions:

• COSLA to provide a contact list for all LA’s resettlement teams to the group
• The Minister to continue to raise the visas issue with the UK Government

Next steps

• the Secretariat will circulate today’s presentations
• meeting minutes and actions will be circulated to the group and published online in due course along with the agreed Terms of Reference
• outputs from this group will be reported to Delivery Board
• an issues log for the group to capture all actions arising will be maintained by the Secretariat which will be circulated amongst the members following each meeting 

Any other business 

No items raised.

Close

Thanks to all who attended. Next meeting is scheduled for May with suggested theme to be employability. 

List of actions

• AK to send specific examples of experiences of Glasgow City Council referring people to the Edinburgh Hub to the Secretariat
• COSLA to pick up with LAs and collectives and to consider the cost of temporary accommodation
• SG officials to provide an update on Palladium Group contract following the meeting
• COSLA to liaise with AUGB Edinburgh over offer to host an event promoting other parts of Scotland
• COSLA to provide information on councils providing support into private rent sector
• COSLA to note the suggestion re Ukrainians with construction experience
• COSLA to provide a contact list for all LA’s resettlement teams to the group
• The Minister to continue to raise the visas issue with the UK Government