Ukraine - A Warm Scots Future: policy position

Annex

16 interventions to guide improvement set out in the November 2022 Super Sponsor Scheme Review

Intervention 1 – Improved Clarity in Pre-Arrival Communications

Timescale

Immediate

Status

Complete

Update

• Translated, and trauma-informed, communications have been issued to visa- holders to be clear about the pressures on accommodation and the need to prioritise more vulnerable individuals and families.
• Stakeholders have been provided with strengthened and accurate messaging to allow consistency of communications.
• On 6 April 2023, the Scottish Government published “Scotland for Ukrainians: a guide for displaced people.” A comprehensive guide for displaced people from Ukraine arriving under the Scottish super sponsor scheme, it provides clear information and signposts to trustworthy sources to empower displaced people to make informed decisions and stay safe. It covers areas such as visas, travel, accommodation, housing options, safety, and life in Scotland.

Intervention 2 – Refined Arrival Script and Communications

Timescale

Immediate

Status

Complete

Update

• A leaflet for use in welcome accommodation was introduced in September 2022. It sets out the housing options available to guests and information about the availability and location of welcome accommodation and private rental properties available to guests and is used by Scottish Government and COSLA matching teams. It was updated and expanded to separate leaflets on private rental and hosting, including a case study.
• Comprehensive communication plans to support the safe and orderly disembarkation of the passenger ships, MS Ambition and MS Victoria, was designed and fully implemented. A wide range of products were delivered (including leaflets focused on private rental and hosting options), and local authority/third sector engagement sessions were held to provide information and reinforce messages about securing longer-term accommodation.
• On 6 April 2023, the Scottish Government published “Scotland for Ukrainians: a guide for displaced people.” A comprehensive guide for displaced people from Ukraine arriving under the Scottish super sponsor scheme, it provides clear information and signposts to trustworthy sources to empower displaced people to make informed decisions and stay safe. It covers areas such as visas, travel, accommodation, housing options, safety, and life in Scotland, and reflects key messages of Intervention 1.
• It is accompanied by a stakeholder toolkit which contains three short explainer films and posters reinforcing key messages about accommodation and housing, life in Scotland and opportunities across the country, and rights and protections. The toolkit has been promoted widely across our stakeholder and delivery partner networks.

Intervention 3 – Strengthening of Matching

Timescale

Immediate

Status

Complete

Update

• Scottish Government worked with COSLA and local authorities to implement an offer of additional resource to boost local authority resettlement teams with Scottish Government contingency staff.
• Having consulted on the needs of local authorities, the Scottish Government recruited 24 staff to support this work, and a further four staff to the national matching service in COSLA. This offer was extended to all 32 local authorities.

Intervention 4 – Social Housing

Timescale

Immediate

Status

Complete

Update

• The Ukraine Longer-Term Resettlement Fund (ULTRF) of £50 million was announced by the former First Minister in September 2022. As of August 2023, around £23 million has been approved over financial years 2022-23 and 2023- 24. As a result, nearly 1200 homes across 14 projects are being delivered. As of August 2023, 671 of these homes have been completed, of which almost 472 are currently tenanted, providing 948 displaced people from Ukraine with settled accommodation.
• While the ULTRF is only for the refurbishment of void social housing, the Scottish Government has also widened the scope of the fund to allow different types of projects to come forward for consideration that could meet the eligibility criteria. For example, off-the-shelf purchasing, new build, site purchase and reprovisioning of properties not currently in use as social housing, where these are additional to the existing Affordable Housing Supply Programme operating in the area and can deliver homes in the timescale required.

Intervention 5 – Scotland Call for Volunteers

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• On 28 November 2022, the Scottish Government launched the new host campaign. A digital toolkit was developed, with videos being added showcasing the experience of hosting and being hosted.
• By the end of June 2023, a total of 665 prospective hosts had submitted offers to host to the Scottish Government.

Intervention 6 – Greater Emphasis on Employability

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• Third sector organisations and Department for Working Pensions (DWP) have provided employment advice and support in welcome accommodation.
• Job fairs have been held across Scotland, including in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
• An employability focus group has been established with representatives from the Scottish Government and partner organisations, local authorities and DWP. The group meets regularly and is reviewing what employment support is available and how this can be communicated to displaced Ukrainians in easy to digest ways.
• The Scottish Government, agencies and local government partners are working together to develop supplementary communications to inform displaced people from Ukraine in Scotland of the opportunities available to them. Skills seminars are being held in conjunction with Skills Development Scotland to help provide clearer routes into sustainable employment.
• Research published by the Scottish Government’s Office of the Chief Economic Adviser (OCEA) in March 2023 highlighted a number of sectors where displaced people from Ukraine could play a role in filling vacancies.
• The UK Government announced £11.5 million funding for intensive English language and employment support for up to 10,000 displaced people from Ukraine. The Scottish Government worked with the UK and Welsh Governments, and Northern Irish Executive to develop a one-year pilot project that will deliver this support across all four nations. Following a tender process, the contract was awarded to the World Jewish Relief and the project is being delivered in partnership with the British Council. Scottish Government officials continue to be involved with the project and sit on the Specialist Training and Employment Programme (STEP) Ukraine Project Board which monitors the project performance.

Intervention 7 – Local Welcome

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• On 22 November 2022, a Warm Scottish Gathering event took place in Edinburgh where councils and partners showcased communities, places and employment opportunities across Scotland. Event feedback showed 80% of attendees had a better understanding of Scotland’s cities, towns and villages.
• As part of the successful joint disembarkation strategies for MS Ambition and MS Victoria, a number of local authorities ran presentations and distributed materials to guests to familiarise them with the housing, employment, schooling and community opportunities in their areas.
• The Scottish Government and partners supported third sector partner EVOC to deliver ‘Resettling in Scotland: Ukrainian Stories’ on 21 June 2023, a virtual event aimed at guests in welcome accommodation across Scotland. Attendees heard first-hand stories from Ukrainians who have resettled somewhere new across Scotland.

Intervention 8 – National Approach to Re-Matching

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

In progress

Update

• As host arrangements come to a natural conclusion, or end due to changes in circumstances, guests are triaged and given help to agree alternative accommodation such as further host arrangements, support into private rental market, or entering short-term accommodation.

Intervention 9 – Refinement of Accommodation Offer

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

In progress

Update

• Hospitality provision was refined in December 2022 with the cessation of discretionary lunches.
• The Accommodation & Matching Working Group considered options to refine the welcome offer further, including a Move On Policy.
• Various options to further refine the accommodation offer are being considered by the Warm Scots Welcome Programme Board.

Intervention 10 – Warm Welcome Grant

Timescale

Short-Term

Status

Closed

Update

This has been subsumed into plans to enhance Private Rental Assistance and implementation plans are under consideration.

Intervention 11 – Private Rental Assistance

Timescale

Medium-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• Translated materials on private rental assistance were shared through Barnardo’s, the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain and ScotHosts in January 2023 with further advice being considered.
• Local authorities already have a variety of schemes in place to support people who have difficulties accessing private rented sector accommodation, including offering small grants. Eligibility criteria vary across different local authorities, sometimes including household income or time spent living in the local authority area, meaning that these grants would only be open to a proportion of Ukrainian households, and are not exclusive to Ukrainian households.
• Confirmation that the UK Government has allocated an additional £30 million to support Ukrainians into their own homes offers an opportunity to consider how private rental sector support may be delivered most effectively. As a result, an alternative route is being investigated to deliver support by supplementing existing local authority schemes which assist households in accessing private rental sector accommodation. These include deposit and furniture grants, advice, support, and working directly with landlords.

Intervention 12 – Self-Matching Infrastructure

Timescale

Medium-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• Events such as the Warm Scottish Gathering have been delivered which demonstrate the potential of in person matching.
• Ten Local Authorities have supported events and matching on board MS Ambition.
• A pilot is underway with Positive Action in Housing to support third sector matching (run to March 2024).
• Early stage work is ongoing on innovation in self-matching.

Intervention 13 – Modular Housing

Timescale

Medium-Term

Status

Complete

Update

• Exploration of longer-term modular construction opportunities has been undertaken with local authorities across Scotland. Subsequently a number of key challenges have been identified including: site availability, planning regulations, high unit costs, resource shortages, and poor delivery speed. Similarly, Ukraine- specific short-medium term pilot projects have not been found to deliver value for money when compared to other forms of Welcome Accommodation.
• Despite these challenges there remains a significant interest in non-traditional build methods across Scotland and an awareness that they may offer cost- effectiveness when delivered at scale. Developing a coordinated national approach is now under assessment by the Housing Review Group.

Intervention 14 – Approach to Matching

Timescale

Medium-Term

Status

In progress

Update

• Support for locally led teams is being delivered through the roll-out of the Warm Scottish Welcome digital application to all local authorities. Training and ongoing support is provided by the Operational Support Team. A verbal update on the roll-out and benefits of the tool was presented to the Warm Scottish Welcome Delivery Programme Board at the end of July 2023 highlighting the importance of secure and accurate data sharing to ensure effective and safe operations. The Warm Scottish Welcome Delivery Board agreed with further detailed recommendations outlined at their August 2023 board meeting.
• Governance and delivery arrangements have been widened to include third sector organisations.

Intervention 15 – Private Sector Leasing (Headlease Scheme)

Timescale

Longer-Term

Status

In progress

Update

• Discussions with local authorities are underway on the prospect of a new private sector rental support scheme to assist with Ukrainian resettlement including on the possible implications of implementing a narrowly targeted scheme. A key challenge remains how this could interact with the structure of local housing markets and residual tightness in housing availability.

Intervention 16 – Research and International Best Practice

Timescale

Ongoing

Status

Complete

Update

• The Ukraine Programme is increasingly established within a broader policy- making and academic network, especially as this moves beyond mass evacuation into integration. Our approach will align to the principles of New Scots: integration, rights-based, person-centred, inclusive and collaborative. The chair of New Scots is a member of the Ukraine Programme Board with Scottish Government Ukraine policy officials participating in the New Scots Core Group and associated governance landscape.