Agenda item

To consider an update on work that has taken place since the March Cabinet meeting, along with the proposed next steps for all government refugee programmes.

Prior to Cabinet’s consideration of the report, Revd. Helen Byrne and Judith Mayer were afforded the opportunity to speak on the matter.

Revd. Helen Byrne spoke on behalf of Refugees Welcome, a group of volunteers based in the north of the Borough whose aim was to support the Council in providing a quality welcome for Syrian families from refugee camps. She outlined the work of the group and its achievements to date, and assured the Council of its support in seeking to change the lives of refugee families for the better. Judith Mayer emphasised the group’s compassion and commitment to helping Syrian refugees and further outlined the achievements of the group over the last 12 months. Cabinet responded to the two speakers with applause.

Cabinet then considered a progress report on work that had taken place since the March Cabinet meeting, together with the proposed next steps for all government refugee programmes.

Cabinet also had regard to an approach by the Government to each local authority through its Local Strategic Migration Partnership asking the authority to register for the National Transfer Scheme, to indicate how many unaccompanied children could be placed for the remainder of the financial year, and to indicate whether the authority was able to accept children and their families under the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme.

RESOLVED

That Cabinet

1.    thanks and shows its continued appreciation to the faith communities and partners for their work in preparing to welcome Syrian refugees;

2.    delegates authority to the Head of Communities to work with Cheshire West and Chester (CWaC), and Warrington Borough Council to plan for collective delivery of the SVPR programme, which would coordinate the approach for supporting a maximum of 3-8 families across Cheshire during 2016/17, with Cheshire East welcoming 3-5 families; 

3.    delegates to the Head of Communities the authority to work both sub-regionally and with the Home Office to consider further this Council’s involvement in the ASD programme, accounting for the experience and learning from the delivery of SVPR and UASC programmes;

4.    delegates to the Executive Director of People the authority to negotiate this Council’s additional support for the widening of the UASC programme, accounting for the support it already provides, and to update Cabinet on any financial considerations and implications on the local authority and to take these into consideration in any budget planning decisions; 

5.    will receive a further update on progress with the SVPR, UASC and ASD programmes from the Head of Communities at the end of this financial year; and

6.    respond to Central Government via the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership as follows: 

-          The Council is not able to register for the National Transfer Scheme until further consideration is given at both a North West and Cheshire East level on potential impact.

-          A further three unaccompanied children who are currently in Kent could be accommodated in this financial year based on the learning from our previous support and current looking after 6 unaccompanied cared for children and 10 care leavers. 

-          Further consideration to signing up to the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme will be undertaken, learning from the experience gained from participation in the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme.