NCF-led webinar looking at cohesive care sector employment and housing offer to Ukrainian refugees | 22-March-2022
Brief notes from Eddy McDowall, OACP – CAA
General intro
- Relevant to all displaced refugees not just Ukrainian. CPA statement to be amended. Asked for CAA to be included/ referenced.
- Employment offer via database / map / employment opps – see pic right
- Matched outside of UK so they can see what jobs are available in the locality
- Cohesion website – using same GSI tech as care association mapping by Jasmine
- Any org can raise a profile and post jobs.
- Previous addresses and employer references a real challenge.
- Need to guard against modern slavery
- Ongoing support to employers
- Hestia Modern Slavery Response -https://www.hestia.org/modernslaveryresponse
- Gangmaster investigation department – https://www.gla.gov.uk/
- Bring a sample of differently-sized employers together to discuss processes and options.LGA / ADASS
- LGA offer in development: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils#role-of-councils
- Most LAs will want to have a local support offer may not be consistent across UK.
- Employment opps important, but wellbeing is top priority. Past and ongoing trauma – focus of Refugee Council. Care Workers’ Charity looking tohelp here.
- Syrian and Afghan refugees not given same level of support as Ukrainians.
- Workforce challenges in LA as in wider social care.
- Trying to reach out to Government – will there be a coordinated jobs and skills offer? How does NCF database fit with DoE jobs database?
- How can we help Government to make use of Adult and Community Education which is funded through top-tier/ unitary LA?
CQC
- DBS checks may difficult. Discussions about volunteers and potential Afghani workforce.
- Regulations set out guidance to protect everyone
- Schedule 3: ‘wriggle room’ for reasonable and practicable information. Challenges validating but schedule 3 says reasonable checks – risk + mitigatewith supervision
- Qualifications – self-declaration will be ok
- DBS most tricky, but checks are only made against UK register – refugees often come from countries in no state to provide a reliable service. CQClooking at this.
- Covid-19 interim arrangements have been helpful. DBS in place of withdrawing this advice – CQC looking at whether this could be extended forthese refugees circumstances.
- Anchor proposal ‘sensible’
- ‘Vanishingly unlikely that CQC will take action against provider employing refugee where all necessary checks are not in place. Have you tried to dothat?
- Skills for Care – safe recruitment of ex-offenders. Small section on overseas recruitment.
- https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers
- From https://www.gov.uk/guidance/dbs-check-requests-guidance-for-employers: DBS is unable to access criminal records held overseas, so a DBScheck may not provide a complete view of an applicant’s criminal record, if they have lived outside of the UK. Employers should ensure that they have access to all of the information available to them, to make safer recruitment decisions.Housing
New favourable Housing Regs came into force today.
Briefing below by Chartered Institute of Housing, taken from https://www.housing-rights.info/whats-new.php
Eligibility rules for housing and homelessness assistance and for benefits
Amendments to the rules in England took effect on 22 March 2022. They bring within the scope of housing and homelessness assistance Ukrainians who have had to flee the violence who were resident in Ukraine before 2022. Anyone in this group who has leave without a public funds condition and without a sponsorship (maintenance undertaking) is eligible. The homelessness change also applies to Scotland (but not yet to Wales).
The rule changes also remove the habitual residence test for UK and Irish nationals, or others with settled status in the UK, who return to the UK after being resident in Ukraine before 2022. They ensure that anyone fleeing Ukraine is entitled from the date they arrive, and do not have to wait 1-3 months. There is an explanatory memorandum to the changes.
National Housing Federation: Can housing tenants host Ukrainians? Yes they can. Check out with LAs. No entitlement to housing benefit re rent as you can’t charge rent to refugees in this context. Employment and skills offer being developed by housing associations.
DWP advised that people coming through the Family Visa Scheme are eligible for benefits including HB and could rent a property
Learning from Nursing International Recruitment Programme: pilot in NW helps refugees into work.
