Purpose

This report outlines the coordination of the regional response to the war in Ukraine and how Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire) provides leadership and support to all local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber by leading the Regional Ukraine Partnership.

Under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme, DLUHC provides funding to local authority partners and each of the 15 local authorities in Yorkshire and Humber has agreed to pay 1.8% of the payments received to Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire)

In March 2023, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced the availability of FAST-CARE funding retroactively for work undertaken by local authorities in the period February to August 2022. This was to support Ukrainians arriving and staying in their areas as a result of the war in Ukraine.

The DWP shared the amount of funding available to each are based on their number of Homes for Ukraine guests. The DWP confirmed that a regional bid submitted by Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire) would be considered. Leeds City Council (Migration Yorkshire) agreed with the regional LA Partners that the work to submit the bid and distribute the funds would be undertaken in return for a 0.5% top-slice of the funding

Migration Yorkshire is based within Leeds City Council, but works across the region, reporting into a Migration Yorkshire Board made up of the fifteen-member Local Authorities.

Decision

The Director of Communities Housing and Environment gave approval to

a)  Receive income of 1.8% of the Homes for Ukraine tariff from each Local Authority Partner paid to each Local Authority Partner by the Department for Levelling Up, Communities and Housing (DLUHC) for support to the hosts and guests in their area to fund regional coordination of the response: the Regional Ukraine Partnership.

b)  Receive £6,155,772 FAST-CARE funding on behalf of the region from Department for Work and Pensions European Social Fund - Flexible Assistance for Territories - Cohesion’s Action for Refugees in Europe (FAST-CARE), retain a 0.5 % Contribution payment and pay each LA Partner its remaining allocation of funding.

c)  Enter into a Local Authority Partnership Agreement for the Regional Ukraine Partnership and FAST-CARE with each of the following Yorkshire and Humber local authorities:

·  Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council

·  Bradford Metropolitan District Council

·  Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council

·  City of Doncaster Council

·  East Riding of Yorkshire Council

·  Hull City Council

·  Kirklees Metropolitan Council

·  North East Lincolnshire Council

·  North Lincolnshire Council

·  North Yorkshire Council

·  Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council

·  Sheffield City Council

·  Wakefield Metropolitan District Council; and

·  City of York Council

d)  Use funding received as part of the Regional Ukraine Partnership to commission and procure (Authority to Procure) with third parties the following regional services:

·  A marketing campaign to recruit new hosts for Homes for Ukraine guests.

·  A Host Support Helpline

·  Training to hosts and professionals which promote understanding and support hosting arrangements.

·  Resources, online and in hard copy, of information materials in English, Ukrainian and Russian languages which meet communities information needs.

·  Other services as requested by Local Authority Partners

e)  Enter into such other documents that the Head of Migration Yorkshire believes are needed to enable Leeds City Council to deliver the Regional Ukraine Partnership.