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Issue - meetings

Annual resettlement of refugee families

Meeting: 02/09/2024 - Adult Social Care Policy Committee (Item 18)

18 Annual resettlement of refugee families pdf icon PDF 346 KB

Additional documents:

Decision:

The Committee RESOLVED

 

1. To approve the proposal to resettle 30 refugee families in Bristol each year until March 2027 – 15families via the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and 15 families via the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), funded by the Home Office and supported by Bristol City Council’s(BCC) Resettlement Team as outlined in this report.

 

2. To authorise the Executive Director Adult and Communities in consultation with the Chair of the Adult Social Care Committee to accept and spend Home Office funding over £500k each year until March 2027 to provide wrap-around support for these families as outlined in this report.

 

Minutes:

The Committee was advised that the report sought approval for the proposal to resettle 30 refugee families in Bristol each year until March 2027; 15 families via the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and 15 families via the UK Resettlement Scheme, funded by the Home Office and supported by Bristol City Council’s Resettlement Team.

 

The report also proposed that the Committee also approve the receipt of Home Office funding over £0.5 million each year for the Resettlement Team to provide wrap-around support for those families.

 

This was a Key decision as it involved over £500k spend/save & impacted more than two wards.

 

The Interim Head of Service – Refugees and Asylum Seekers presented the report.

 

The Committee was invited to raise comments or questions. Key points from the discussion included:

 

1.      A Member queried how value for money could be assessed, and noted that information on evaluation against other Local Authority resettlement schemes was not available. Officers drew attention to the positive data provided on employment rates (73%). Members and the Chair welcomed this as a positive outcome.

2.      Officers were confident that the proposals would be delivered with the available funding. Funding was assigned based on various deadlines for expenditure, depending on the scheme.

3.      A Member noted that the EqIA acknowledged some gaps in demographic data and an aim to improve this for the future. Officers elaborated that the anticipated Refugee and Asylum Seeker strategy would involve collecting a wider set of data. Home Office data was also being looked at.

4.      It was confirmed that the number of families was agreed due to capacity within the team; funding was proportionate to the number of people supported.

The Chair moved the report. This was seconded by Cllr Blake.

 

The Committee APPROVED the report (unanimously).

 

The Committee RESOLVED

 

1. To approve the proposal to resettle 30 refugee families in Bristol each year until March 2027 – 15 families via the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) and 15 families via the UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), funded by the Home Office and supported by Bristol City Council’s (BCC) Resettlement Team as outlined in this report.

 

2. To authorise the Executive Director Adult and Communities in consultation with the Chair of the Adult Social Care Committee to accept and spend Home Office funding over £500k each year until March 2027 to provide wrap-around support for these families as outlined in this report.