Agenda item

M Peters updated the meeting on the latest with the Syrian Refugee Project and to consider the longer term housing options, once Indefinite Leave to Remain is obtained.  M Peters asked if Committee had any questions.

Cllr Bassadone said that on page 45 it mentions families one and family four are in receipt of PIP and she wanted to know what PIP is.  M Peters confirmed that it was Personal Independent Payment which is for people with disabilities.

Cllr Pringle asked if it would be fair to say that the families have been through an ordeal, been through some awful experiences and whether there are any additional needs, for example the children requiring mental health referrals from trauma and are they getting the help that they need.  M Peters advised that yes we have victims of trauma.  The schools have been fantastic in meeting their needs, the children have been having talking therapies, also the Tenancy Sustainment Team is still heavily involved and Officers have built up a repour and trust, which is rare with authority and people from Syria.  One of the first conversations you have to have is that you don’t need to fear or bribe people in authority, building those relationships takes a long time.  Disabilities in Syria is very much taboo, so to admit you have a mental health problem is very difficult for them, but we are getting to the point where we can discuss it with them so that the help can be put in place.

Cllr Adeleke said thank you for the report and all that you are doing for the Syrian refugees.  Cllr Adeleke remembered the first time this was discussed, it was thought best not to publicise this for security reasons and wondered if that was still the case.  Also when the refugees arrive do they have any financial means, at the end of the five years, if they apply and are successful in obtaining Indefinite Right to Remain, do we continue to provide moral and financial support or do we leave them to stand on their own two feet. 

M Peters confirmed that in regards to their safety, we have been very successful, before they arrived we did our research, selected a property and worked with the Community Safety Team and the Police etc in relation to making sure that the area is safe for the family.  We have not had any hate crime or any adverse reaction to their resettlement and they have settled into the neighbourhood very well and their neighbours have been very accepting.  There have been some issues in Watford but we have put measures in place to ensure that doesn’t happen here.

M Peters advised that the support we have been providing in the first five years is funded by the Home Office and we receive annual funding for each of those families.  In terms of the support we provide, if they receive Indefinite Leave to Remain, they will continue receiving state benefits or continue working and we do have families that are independent, what will happen after the five years is that they will be supported the same as any tenant, if they require that support we will provide it.

Cllr Adeleke said should their application fail what is our moral obligation to them.  M Peters confirmed that if their application failed it would be down to the Home Office what happened next, what would happen initially is that they would lose their rights to benefits, accommodation, etc.  The steer that we’ve been given is that will not happen because they have come through a resettlement programme, they’ve integrated well and done everything they need to do, there should be no problem in them meeting the criteria for Indefinite Leave to Remain.

Cllr Griffiths wanted to continue on the theme that Cllr Adeleke started, this for Dacorum Borough Council has always been about the people and not about the praise for the Council, we like to take praise if it’s going, we like to publicise what we do, but a conscious decision was taken by Members that it was about the fact of getting these people, who had been through enough trauma, into homes and environments they felt safe in.  It wasn’t about us shouting about what we were doing as we didn’t think it would help the families integrate into their communities and that’s why we didn’t publicise what we were doing, but it is also down to the hard work that Mandy and her team have done, the research before, the care and consideration they’ve given the people, it’s not just a job and that’s what makes our Housing staff such a fantastic team.  There have been challenges and some staff have needed support in what they’ve heard, we can’t imagine some of the trauma these people have been through and we’ve had to assist our staff in what they have heard and the stories.  Mandy has highlighted that the relationship has developed over time and now the families trust our staff and I don’t think there is any member of staff that would withdraw that support for any resident, regardless of whether they are refugees, homeless, secure tenants or flexible tenants, it doesn’t matter, we don’t have staff that would do that.  Cllr Griffiths wanted to put on record her thanks to the staff for what they have done, which in some cases have been very harrowing, but they’ve also had some fantastic times. 

The Chairman commended Mandy and her team for the work they have done on behalf of the whole Committee. 

The Chairman confirmed the recommendation that at the end of the five year flexible tenancy each family is offered a secure council tenancy dependent on a successful application of Indefinite Leave to Remain.  The Committee agreed the recommendation.