If you are taking part in the Homes for Ukraine scheme, use this page to access the latest information from the government and from B&NES on how we plan to approach the crisis.
Thank you to all sponsors in B&NES for taking part in the Homes for Ukraine scheme, and offering accommodation and support for those affected and displaced by the war in Ukraine. We will update this page with the latest advice and information.
As soon as your details are shared with us via the government portal, we will email you to start the process of DBS checking for you and all adults over 16 who live in your household.
For separate flats and houses, we will still need to DBS check anyone who will be supporting the family. DBS checking will not delay visas being issued and people may arrive before DBS checking is completed.
We need to conduct accommodation checks. We will use a checklist based on the government guidance recently issued to sponsors. Please review the information on accommodation, particularly in relation to safety concerns, and take action on any issues in your property that may need attention.
Gas safety checks
If your business is based within Bath and North East Somerset and you could help with gas safety checks, please contact us at H4U@bathnes.gov.uk.
Accommodation suitability checks will not delay visas being issued and people may arrive before these checks have been completed.
Please let us know as soon as you have an arrival date for your guests by emailing us at H4U@bathnes.gov.uk
Free travel
From Sunday 20 March 2022, guests arriving in the country are eligible for a single onward journey via national rail, bus, light rail, and coach. This will be free of charge to anywhere in England, Scotland and Wales.
To make use of this scheme, guests will need to show their Ukrainian passport and a boarding pass or ticket showing their arrival into the UK. The offer is valid across all train operators in England, Scotland and Wales, and guests will have 48 hours from arrival in the UK to complete their journey. Further information is available on the National Rail website.
On the request of the government, we will visit soon after your guests arrive so we can meet them and check on their health and wellbeing.
We will arrange the payment of the £200 grant per guest
We will contact you about this when you confirm when your guests will be arriving.
The government has produced a Guide for Ukrainians arriving in the UK under the H4U scheme. The guide is also available in Ukrainian and Russian.
The guidance contains useful information (for example about opening bank accounts and claiming benefits) that you will be able to use to support to your guests, in addition to the H4U Sponsor guidance.
The Red Cross have also issued the following guidance for Ukrainian arrivals:
Find information on registered nurseries, childminders and after school and holiday clubs on the Live Well B&NES website. You will also find information on the different types of childcare available, and how to select the best type for you. You need to apply for childcare directly with childcare providers.
Funding for early years childcare
You can find details on what funding is available to you by using our web page on childcare for 2, 3 and 4 year olds.
We are working closely with schools and host families to ensure that school places are available for the Ukrainian children we are welcoming to our area. We do not anticipate issues with finding school places using the normal 'in-year' admissions procedures, as we have been advised by the Department for Education (DFE).
As soon as details of your sponsorship arrangement appear on the government portal, our Education department will be notified of any children arriving under the scheme, along with their age and postcode. Children will be admitted to their nearest schools with available places. Please note that the majority of schools in B&NES manage their own admissions arrangements. Our admissions team have provided extra information to explain the school admission process.
Where this isn't possible, we will look to support you with finding a school with a place. If this isn't feasible, we will look to use admission arrangements within the DFE guidance that would enable schools to agree to admit over their capacity.
Pre School/Early Years
Find information on how to access childcare support for two, three and four year olds.
We are setting up a system that will enable us to pay you £350.00 a month, as a thank you for hosting. Payment will be made one month in arrears, when the accommodation checks have been completed.
We recommend that all Ukrainian refugees stay with their sponsors if at all possible. The Homes for Ukraine team (H4U) can support you and your guests. If it is not possible to continue to house your guests, we recommend getting help to match your guests to another sponsor.
Extra support for sponsors
We are offering an additional £100 to sponsors in months 7 to 12 to help you support your guests. GOV.UK also states that sponsors 'may ask guests to pay a reasonable and proportionate contribution (according to use) for water, gas and electricity, consumer or supplied to the accommodation or to any shared facilities'.
Alternatively, your guests may seek private rented accommodation. Finding private accommodation can be expensive and difficult to find within Bath and North East Somerset, and there are long waits for social housing.
Get help to find private rented accommodation
We have created an information pack to help you and your guests understand how to find private rented accommodation.
Download the information packGuidance in other languages
View and download guidance on securing private rented accommodation in Ukrainian or Russian language:
Free 6 month SIM card
Get a free 6 month Vodafone SIM card which includes international calls. Visit the Regugease website to apply for your free SIM.
Avoiding exploitation
Access a complete directory of advice, policy and documentation for Ukrainian nationals coming to the UK and the agencies engaging with them.
Contact us
If you have any concerns or questions, please email us at H4U@bathnes.gov.uk