Agenda item

Cabinet agreed;

1.         That, at the end of the 5-year flexible tenancy, each family within the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is offered a secure Council tenancy, dependant on a successful application of Indefinite Leave to Remain.

2.         That Cabinet delegates authority to the Assistant Director of Housing, in association with Portfolio Holder for Housing, to agree suitable arrangements for up to four families from Afghanistan to be accommodated under the Locally Employed Staff scheme, for an initial period of one year

Cllr Griffiths introduced the report and moved the recommendations, explaining that when Dacorum agreed to support Syrian resettlement scheme, we welcomed 10 families a year over the 5 years and the first of those have now reached the end of their 5 years settlement and can now apply for indefinite leave to remain.  The point of this recommendation is to say that rather than being moving these tenants forward with flexible tenancies, we will allow the residents that have come over from Syria to become secure tenants.    They have integrated into the community very well.

Cllr Griffiths invited questions.

Cllr Elliot expressed his wholehearted support, commenting that the recommendations made are the right thing to do.  Cllr Anderson and Cllr Barrett seconded those comments.

Cllr Griffiths put on record thanks to Mandy Peters and her staff, who have gone over and above what they were required to do.  They have built a relationship and trust with them and fully commend their hard work. 

Cllr Griffiths then handed to FWIlliamson to introduce the second recommendation of the report.

FWilliamson advised following on from the Syrian Refugee programme, the Home Office have approached local authorities to ask if we would accommodate some locally employed staff that worked with the military in Afghanistan.  The details of the support that would be given to these individuals has been evolving over the past few weeks and months.  To date the Council has indicated it would be prepared to take up to 4 families from this scheme.  Further to this, we have found out that these individuals will not have the same level of support as the Syrian refugees.  Some of these people were involved in military in areas such as the supply of food etc, they have low levels of English language and cultural differences would require intensive support from team to maintain successful integration.  We have indicated our reservations, as a result of this feedback from all districts. The Home Office are reviewing the current approach.  We are hopeful we will be able to accommodate some of the Afghan families through this scheme, reliant on us having the correct resource to supply the support required.  This is a developing situation and we are in constant liaison with East of England Local Government Association and the Home Office to provide feedback on the support we would expect to be provided centrally.

Recommendation is to delegate responsibility to FWilliamson as Assistant Director Housing, to ensure we have the correct support from the Home Office to be able to accommodate 4 families in same way we support the Syrian refugees.

The chair opened to questions

Cllr Tindall made observation in reference to recommendation 2, that these families are in this positon because they gave aid and support to our troops and coalition troops and therefore putting themselves in serious risk with the troops now leaving so would hope the Home Office and the government will give us the support to help them otherwise we will be turning our backs on people who have supported us in our war on terrorism.

Cllr Birnie recalled a similar arrangement in Iraq, commenting that a lot of those people were left behind and suffered the consequences after the troops had left and we owe these people a debt of more than gratitude and we should do all we can to support them.

Cllr Griffiths assured members that any families will be integrated slowly and discreetly as we did with Syrian scheme to allow them to settle. This is about them and not about us and therefore we will not be putting it on the front pages but allowing them to settle and to integrate.

Cllr Williams suggested a change to the recommendation and suggest it is delegated to Assistant Director Housing in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Housing.

Recommendations agreed with amendment.

Cabinet agreed;

1.         That, at the end of the 5-year flexible tenancy, each family within the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme is offered a secure Council tenancy, dependant on a successful application of Indefinite Leave to Remain.

2.         That Cabinet delegates authority to the Assistant Director of Housing, in association with Portfolio Holder for Housing, to agree suitable arrangements for up to four families from Afghanistan to be accommodated under the Locally Employed Staff scheme, for an initial period of one year