North Tyneside Council are responding to a fast-changing situation and evolving Government guidance.
This additional information will guide you on how the Homes for Ukraine scheme will work in North Tyneside and your role as a sponsor.
Checks required
All sponsors and adult family members who live at the address will require safeguarding and home checks. In order to begin completing these necessary checks, we are contacting all sponsors as quickly as possible.
Both sponsor checks need to be passed in order for guests to stay with you and your family and for payments to be made.
Safeguarding checks
There are two parts to the safeguarding check. The first part of the safeguarding check is a visit from a social worker to your home. The purpose of this visit is to speak to you and ensure there are no safeguarding risks. These checks will be carried out by a member of staff from North Tyneside Council.
Secondly you will be required to complete a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
This will be a standard DBS check if you are providing a home for adults only. An enhanced DBS check will be required if you are providing a home for children.
To complete the DBS check you will need to provide proof of ID. You can read guidance about DBS checks and processes.
Accommodation checks
All homes must meet the standards as set out in the accommodation guidance. Accommodation checks will be carried out by North Tyneside Council. They will be in touch to arrange a convenient time to visit your home or property.
The Placement
The accommodation offered must be available for a minimum of six months. At the four month period we will contact you and your guests to establish if thought has been given to the accommodation being available beyond six months or if the guests will need to find somewhere else to live.
We will provide guidance and support if alternative accommodation is required.
Guests are eligible to apply for social housing. They can do this through https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/1364/housing-options
Guests can also apply for private rented accommodation through estate and letting agents. A deposit and/or rent in advance may be required. A guarantor may also be needed.
If guests find their own home to live in they are no longer part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme, although we will provide support if any issues occur.
Expressions of interest
If you have registered your interest in being a sponsor or host, but have not matched with anyone, we will contact you to gather some more information.
This may be used to help match a family that may need to leave their current placement.
All necessary checks need to be carried out before a guest can move in. You will be entitled to the monthly thank you payment of £350.
When your guests arrive
To help make the transition to life in North Tyneside as smooth as possible for your guests we need your help. This will ensure that we can provide you with help and support for your whole household throughout the sponsorship.
Notifying the council of their arrival
or sponsors living in the North Tyneside Council area, when your guest(s) arrive, please email RefugeeSupportService@northtyneside.gov.uk with the following information:
- your name
- your address
- name(s) of guest(s)
- whether your guests include children aged 0-18
- date of arrival
- the name of the district, city or borough council, that covers the area you live in (this will be the council to which that you pay council tax)
In the subject line of your email, please put: Homes for Ukraine Arrival Notification and add your surname.
A welcome visit will be arranged for officers to meet with you and your guests.
What support is available?
You can refer to Welcome: a guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK.
Our officers will provide support as agreed for the duration of the placement.
School places
Ukrainian families with school age children can apply for a place at a North Tyneside school.
They will need to use the In Year Application Process and places will be allocate using our Fair Access protocol.
Sponsors and families can speak to their local school about the options available to them, but applications will need to be made to the Council rather than directly to the school.
Payment arrangements
There is a one-off payment of £200 per guest. They will receive this at the welcome visit.
You are also entitled to a £350 per month ‘thank you’ payment from the government. This is optional and we realise that not everyone will want to claim this. If claimed, it will be paid the Council. Payments will be paid four weeks in arrears and will be confirmed once all the checks have been passed and your guests have arrived.
Asking guests to leave
We want all Ukrainians to feel welcome and settled in the Borough, however we acknowledged that some placements may break down or be at risk of breaking down.
If the guests are no longer able to live with you please let us know as soon as possible. It can take time for us to try and find alternative accommodation, so please allow around seven days for any move.
This will enable us to work with the guest to find out what they would like to do.
If they wish to stay within the scheme, it may be possible to rematch them to an alternative host who has expressed an interest in the scheme.
If it is not possible for the guests to remain with you whilst this work is taking place, we can arrange temporary accommodation.
Notifying the council of departures
Our Council team will be on hand to provide guidance and support for issues that are arising and help maintain positive relationships between the sponsor and Ukrainian refugees. If you need some extra advice, please email RefugeeSupportService@northtyneside.gov.uk
If your guests move out you need to email RefugeeSupportService@northtyneside.gov.uk
We will need to know:
your name
your address
name(s) of guest(s)
date the guest(s) moved out
the name of the district, city or Borough council, that covers the area you live in (this will be the council to which that you pay council tax)
forwarding address for the guest(s) (if known).
If your guest(s) move out for any reason we must stop payment. It is important that you tell us as soon as possible if they move out. Otherwise, we will ask you to repay the money.
English for speakers of other languages
Our Employment and Skills team hold a number of English conversation groups each week for people who are looking to learn.
These are held:
- every Tuesday, between 6.30 and 8.30pm at Norham High School
- every Thursday between 9.30 and 11.30am in Wallsend Library, then another session between 12 and 2pm
- every Friday between 9.30 and 11.30am in Wallsend Library
These classes will follow the ESOL format after October half term, for now they are just conversation classes to establish what levels of English there are and what kind of support each learner will need.
Learners can only attend one session per week at the moment, but we are hoping to provide further support in the future.
