Agenda item

N Beresford introduced the report to members stating that the report was to inform Members of the current position in relation to humanitarian response activity and the Council’s response in relation to resettlement and asylum cohorts.

N Beresford was happy to take questions.

Cllr Banks thanked N Beresford for an interesting insight to the report, she said that she had noticed from the front cover that it said all wards were effected but not all wards have refugee's settlement, could she elaborate on this.

N Beresford said that the reason for it being all wards is that they have three initial asylum contingency hotel sites, and an Arab hotel and they are in different wards of the Borough.

She said that the Asylam dispersal program specifically engages clear springs ready homes, which is the Home Office procurement agency to procure property in all wards in any Borough.

Dacorum has a ward allocation as a Borough of 113 bed spaces, those bed spaces could be procured in any area of Dacorum. Children are accommodated across the hotel sites and they're not necessarily in education placements specifically within the immediate locality of that site. They will be transported to and from school across the Borough.

N Beresford said that the other factor to draw your attention to is the ongoing impacts in relation to Asylums dispersals specifically. There is a direct link and knock onto those households who are occupying temporarily accommodation placement's and potential long impacts in respect or demand to housing register and request for homeless assistance. Generally speaking that would affect the wider Dacorum.

Cllr Adeleke said in addition to Afghanistan and Syria, given the crisis that is prevailing all over the world now, which countries are we actually supporting or planning to support.

N Beresford said that currently across each of the sites we are managing there are anywhere between 12 and 25 different nationalities across those sites.

Cllr Barradell referred to the Syrian VPRP scheme, he notes that the Council have resettled 9 out of 10 households. He asked if there were any plans to resettle a tenth.

M Peters confirmed that there are still plans and they are committed, however events have taken over and the Syrian resettlement programme is practically on hold at the moment.

Cllr Barradell asked if there is any expectation on this sort of service, given recent activities and issues and everything that is going on in Israel and Gaza that could lead to a demand for the service.

N Beresford said that it fluctuates in position and that they meet with the Home Office deluc colleagues both nationally and regionally on a weekly and monthly basis. It is a watching brief and it’s a likeliness.

Cllr Barradell then referred to section 7, your safeguarding work. He wondered what specifically the Council are doing around recognizing potential victims of modern slavery coming through the councils housing programme and what we are doing to recognise victims and then referring them to the LRM on the duties notified.

N Beresford said that the council have a dedicated safeguarding lead officer and the works within the safe community service. She provides direct support and advice to the wider organisation, not just the safe community services, in relation to all aspects of safeguarding and modern slavery.

So for example, aspects of safeguarding modern slavery in relation to contract procurement, management of workforce, but also direct response to our residents and customers when there are issues instances. So currently with support of Safeguarding Lead and Hertfordshire and prevent protecting, we are scoping a dedicated training session for all humanitarian response staff operating and working with households and through our program. They are also extending that offer of support to all staff working in and around those sites in declaring they may not specifically be Dacorum staff. They will be working with Hertfordshire County Council staff, voluntary sector staff and also Home Office procured staff and managing agents to deliver those services.

They do have a single point of contact in the team and a dedicated mailbox for reporting which follows through the NRM framework and we also are engaged productively with Hertfordshire safeguarding adults and children program, which has a suite of action we need to undertake in relation to our safeguarding policy, that's reported through to SLT or name called patient objects on coarsely basis and in terms of our responses and key actions.

She stated that there is no responsibility specifically for the service, it’s a partnership and delivery framework. M Peters added to that and said, they have their own safeguarding protocols along with the Strategic Migration Partnership, so they work very closely together in relation to what's happening within hotels etc, being able to manage those situations as and when they arise.