Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant Director Housing and Social Care Commissioning

Purpose of report

To provide an update on Cherwell District Council’s participation in the Government’s Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme (VPRS) and agree to participate in the new global scheme by resettling a further 6 families from April 2020 onwards.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1     To support Cherwell District Council’s participation in the new global scheme which begins in April 2020.

1.2           To accept a further 6 families for resettlement under the new scheme.

Resolved

(1)      That Cherwell District Council’s participation in the new global scheme which begins in April 2020 be supported.

(2)      That a further 6 families for resettlement under the new scheme be accepted.

The Assistant Director Housing and Social Care Commissioning submitted a report to provide an update on Cherwell District Council’s participation in the Government’s Vulnerable Person’s Relocation Scheme (VPRS) and agree to participate in the new global scheme by resettling a further 6 families from April 2020 onwards.

Resolved

(1)        That Cherwell District Council’s participation in the new global scheme which begins in April 2020 be supported.

(2)        That a further 6 families for resettlement under the new scheme be accepted.

Reasons

CDC is on track to meet the pledge of resettling 12 VPRS families by March 2020.

The number of people resettled in Britain since the start of the scheme is 17,051 (Refugee Council). According to the most recently published statistics, in the South East 1,599 people have been resettled.

The support provided to arriving families under the new scheme will need to be flexible according to the nationalities of arriving families. We currently provide a resettlement service to Arabic speaking refugees only. The new service will need to reflect the diversity of the families accepted and respond to diverse cultural needs. The Home Office will work closely with Strategic Migration Partnerships (SMPs) and local authorities to match refugees to areas that have the appropriate resources to support those resettled.

CDC is in a good position to accept 6 more families under the new scheme, given our ability to source accommodation and appropriate support services. There are established support networks and partnerships across the county all well placed to support additional families as they move in to private rented sector accommodation.

Alternative options

Option 1: To not participate in the scheme. If this option is chosen there could be negative criticism from local residents who have been largely supportive of CDC’s participation to date and negative media coverage could result. More importantly fewer vulnerable families would be helped to resettle in a safe environment that supports their recovery from conflict and trauma.

Option 2: To increase the number of refugee families to more than the 6 recommended. Cherwell is in a good position to accept a further 6 families based on the availability of private rented sector accommodation and the infrastructure we have in place to support refugees. This number can always be reviewed in future.