People in West Lothian have “stepped up” to help refugees fleeing war in Ukraine as more than 300 households have signed up to give them a home.
A database to match refugees with those in West Lothian who have pledged to help them is to be created.
Council staff are currently carrying out background checks on host families to ensure the safety of Ukrainian refugees – with reports from other parts of the country that some volunteers were hoping to use those fleeing the conflict as ‘low paid labour’.
Both volunteers and the council are keen to ensure those who have offered to help and the families fleeing are able to access all the support available.
To help, the West Lothian’s Voluntary Sector Gateway (VSG) is setting up the database.
More than 40 people attended an online conference recently
“West Lothian has really stepped up”, the conference was told as voluntary groups gathered to hear how they could help families under schemes organised by Westminster and Holyrood.
The council’s work has been in response to the Home Office scheme to match Ukrainians with families.
Under that scheme over 50 homes in West Lothian have offered to help.
Alison White, Director of the West Lothian Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) told the meeting: “The council very much is looking at some of the house checks and things we’re needing to do to enable families within West Lothian to become hosts.”
Mrs White said the council had explicit guidance from the Home Office and Scottish Government about the types of checks it needs to undertake .
Disclosure checks have to be carried out on all those over 16 in the host homes, while council staff also have to carry out comprehensive house checks including gas, electricity and whether the property has interlinked smoke/fire alarms.
Checks also have to be made on whether there is sufficient space to ensure there is no overcrowding.
Mrs White acknowledged that these checks might seem quite intrusive.
Part of the problem facing the council is that it only received information about volunteer hosts after people from the Ukraine had arrived.
Mrs White stressed the council had a responsibility to ensure the safety of arrivals,adding: “While 99.9% coming forward are doing so genuinely because they want to be offering support, there will always be some individuals who we have concerns for or who are doing it for very different purposes.
“We have seen some situations, not in West Lothian I hasten to add, where people are trying to bring people from Ukraine to do low paid employment. Welfare checks are critical.”
The Scottish Government Super Sponsor scheme is just starting and around 230 households have been identified as part of this scheme.
“It’s a significant group – 300 households. West Lothian has really stepped up to help, and it is in all communities, and across the county,” Mrs White told the meeting.
Other work being carried out by council staff includes the Advice Shop offering information on benefits, administering a £200 cash payment to Ukrainians on arrival and making sure hosts receive a £350 payment.
Staff will also offer help on education, schools transport, uniforms etc,
and with advice on an access to employment.
Alan McCloskey the CEO of the VSG said: “Today is just the start of a discussion as we move things forward.”
For more information go to www.westlothian.gov.uk/help-for-ukraine
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