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.
 

Content

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.