When we think about Ukrainian refugees we often picture a single woman or a woman with a young child. While that is true for a lot of refugees arriving to the UK, it is not true for all, we see a broad range of people come through the Homes for Ukraine programme.
As you learned in Reset’s matching webinar, according to government guidance either you or your guest can fill in the online visa application form. To do this, you’ll need to share personal details, including passport numbers, addresses and more.
Politeness in Ukraine can be expressed differently than it is here in the UK. To help you navigate those cultural differences we partnered with English Unlocked again. We hope this series of short videos will help you understand Ukrainian approach politeness and showing care.
Many Ukrainians who have been living with hosts across the UK are now searching for alternative options as their sponsorship comes to an end. Ukrainians who have come to the UK through the Homes for Ukraine scheme have three years’ leave to remain, meaning they are able to work, claim benefits and rent property in the UK for that period of time.
When it’s time for your guests to leave you, they may ask you for guidance on what to do next. It’s always good to have conversations around ending your support early on. You may have followed our guidance on how to plan for the end of your support but still need some more practical support on the next steps.
Housing rules in the UK can be quite complicated, as a result you may not be certain how many people you can host in your home. We produced a simple video explaining who can share a bedroom.
It can seem daunting to begin your journey of becoming a sponsor for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. To help you understand Reset’s services, we’ve made a video to explain what you will need to be matched with a refugee using our service, as well as useful step by step guide below.
It is much better that you decide hosting is not for you now, rather than two weeks before your guests arrive. In this resource we will share some of the things to consider when planning to become a host as part of the Homes for Ukraine programme.
When your guest arrives, you may need to help them in several areas of support. Be mindful where your responsibility ends and the local authority responsibility begins, if you are in doubt, check with your local authority. Always remember the empowerment approach when helping your guest to understand different systems in the UK – never doing something for someone.
Another video recorded for us by Shelley from English Unlocked, this time focusing on the ways in which you can modify your speech to make it easier for your guests to understand English.
Shelley Purchon, a director at English Unlocked shares her top tips for using Google Translate.
When you sign up to Reset’s matching service as a sponsor, you’ll be asked to attend a webinar and then update your sponsor profile. The profile includes information about you, your household and the area where you live. We’ll use this profile to match you with refugees, and refugees will view your profile before deciding if they would like to be in contact with you.
Thinking about the end of your support is one of the first things we encourage all hosts to do when planning their support for refugees. It may feel strange to start thinking about the end of your support offer before a guest even arrives, but planning for the end of your support is just as important as planning for the initial welcome.
We all have a responsibility to one another to prevent ourselves and one another from harm. Your local authority will have a safeguarding board and when you meet, you should make sure that you ask about how you can report a safeguarding concern relating to the person you are sponsoring should it is needed.
So, you’ve matched with someone, had an online meeting with your guests, things worked out brilliantly. Visa application is submitted and approved – what’s next? In this resource we are going to share some advice as to how to navigate waiting for someone to arrive and what may be some of the challenges and other things to keep in mind during that time.
When your guests arrive you may find yourself in a new situation: living with people you never met before, uncertain of what to do and how to approach challenges, and yet equally, in charge of things as it’s your home.
As part of the process of matching, you will be provided with some information about the Ukrainian family you have been potentially matched with. We think it is important for you to have a conversation to get to know each other a little bit before you go ahead and apply for a visa.
To help you and your guest arrange transport to the UK we put together a list of suggestions as to what is available in different countries across Europe. The list below is correct as of 20th December 2022.
The people you support have been displaced from their homes. They’ll be adjusting to a new culture, way of working, and new customs. They may be navigating this alone, with no connection with people other than you and those living in your household at first.
Financial matters under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme can be confusing. We’ve made this resource to help you get a better idea of finances related to the scheme. For most people, talking about financial matters can be uncomfortable and daunting, especially with new guests in your home that you want to make feel welcome.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme uses different terminology to refer to the individuals who are part of the process. You may have also found that when talking about displaced or migrating people, terms are used interchangeably to mean the same thing, however, certain terms are appropriate depending on people’s experiences and circumstances. Below, you can find out more about what each term is, and when to use it.
Mental health, self care and being aware of trauma are things that we think hosts should be aware of. Becoming a host will expose you to many situations that you might not know how to approach, both for you and your guests. This resource is not a tool to diagnose or treat those who are experiencing the effects of trauma but to raise awareness and guide hosts on how to best offer understanding and support to refugees.
“In many ways, mental health is just like physical health: everybody has it and we need to take care of it. Good mental health means
Are you hosting a Ukrainian? Would you like to learn more about the cultural differences you may encounter? Katia, who is Ukrainian herself, has shared with us what she discovered about the differences between Ukrainian and UK culture.
When your guests arrive you may find yourself in a new situation: living with people you never met before, uncertain of what to do and how to approach challenges, and yet equally, in charge of things as it’s your home.
Domestic abuse can be described as an incident or pattern of incidents of controlling, coercive, threatening, degrading and violent behaviour, including sexual violence. Usually, the abuse is from a partner or ex-partner, but it can also be from a family member or carer.
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