Support session next steps
Thank you to those who attended our two host support sessions a few weeks ago. You will have received a separate email with a feedback form. Please share your thoughts so we can improve future sessions.
Below are some of the topics covered in the session and answers to questions raised. We will be updating the online information and sharing some of the slides from Dr Richard Castle’s Trauma presentation as soon as possible.
We are pleased to invite you to another online session focussing on housing. This was a popular subject for discussion in our previous sessions so we hope this will be useful. Please use the sign-up link below - we look forward to seeing you.
Best wishes
Homes for Ukraine team
Sponsor webinar – Housing Q&A session
If you currently sponsor a Ukrainian guest, you are invited to join an online question and answer session. The session will be focused on housing and accommodation, but other questions are welcomed.
Date Tuesday 8 November
Time 6pm – 7pm; lasting 1 hour
Location – online; Microsoft Teams
This session will provide you with an opportunity to ask questions to representatives from district council housing teams, GARAS (Gloucestershire Association for Refugees and Asylum Seekers) and the Homes for Ukraine Team.
Please send us your questions in advance by 7 November so we can have answers ready for you. There will be an opportunity to ask some questions on the day, and if we run out of time you can send us questions after the event too.
How to attend
Attendees must book their spaces on this session. You will be sent a link to the teams call.
If you can’t attend but still have questions, please email hfuteam@gloucestershire.gov.uk
There will be a feedback form after the session so we can improve these in future. The Homes for Ukraine team are grateful for your ongoing commitment to support Ukraine guests, and if there are any topics you would like to hear more about, please let us know on your feedback form.
Are your guests registered with a GP?
Our NHS partners work with GPs in Gloucestershire to support Ukraine guests with any medical issues they may have either now or in the future. The Government may also start to include Ukraine guests in regular screenings, such as TB and cancer, as well as checking who is eligible for a Covid-19 or Flu vaccination this winter. To do this, all guests need to be registered with a GP.
So far, about half of guests are registered with a GP in Gloucestershire - thank you to those who have encouraged their guests to do this.
Guests can register at any GP surgery they choose, and it will normally make sense to register with the closest surgery. They do not need proof of address or ID to do this. There is more information available, including on what to do if they are having difficulty registering.
Please reassure your guests they will not have to pay for any medical care they receive, although they may have to pay for prescriptions (no more than £9.35 per item). There is more information about how the NHS works in the in national government’s welcome pack.
Community Wellbeing Service
Hosts shared they sometimes had difficulty encouraging their guest(s) to socialise. One suggestion from our mental health and wellbeing representative was to have a look at the Community Wellbeing Service.
The service draws on the strengths and capacity of local communities and can support anyone over the age of 16. It aims to improve quality of life of individuals and increase their knowledge, skills and confidence to enable them to take control of their wellbeing, live independently and improve their health outcomes. The service does this by providing a range of support from ‘light touch’ signposting to community groups or services through to holistic 1:1 support, taking into consideration the wider needs of the individual. The service is countywide and delivered by five providers who each have a local presence in one district of the county.
For further information, visit:
Ukraine to UK qualifications and comparisons
Both sessions raised issues relating to Ukraine school and professional qualifications, and what they mean in the UK. We continue to investigate this with the Adult Education team to understand how the Homes for Ukraine scheme partners can help.
At the moment our understanding is, for a professional qualification to be recognised individuals need to pass an English language test with a score “level 7” or higher.
Please see this page for more information:
www.ielts.org/about-ielts/what-is-ielts
Guests will also need to evidence the level of their overseas qualification for employment, study, or professional registration. This is called a ‘statement of comparability’.
Please see this page for more information:
www.enic.org.uk/Qualifications/SOC/Default.aspx
Please note there are costs involved in these services.
Let us know about changes in circumstances
If a guest’s circumstances have changed, please can sponsors contact the HFU team to update us via email. It is important we understand what the situation is and if we can help, so please get in touch.
Useful information
Email - hfuteam@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Sponsors Information Pack
Frequently asked questions
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