Ukraine: Support for hosts

This information is designed to support sponsors welcoming guests through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

View the Government's helpful sources of support available for hosts.

You and your guests can also get face-to-face support and access to services at our regular International Welcome sessions.

Homes for Ukraine Host Toolkit

We have put together a toolkit to help you understand what kind of support you might need to provide to someone coming to Norfolk from Ukraine.

Homes for Ukraine Host Toolkit (PDF) [370KB]

The Government gives us a list of hosts. We then pass your information on to your local council. They will contact you to make an appointment to carry out a home check.

During their visit, a council officer will check to see if your home is suitable for your guests. For example, they will check that there are the right number or bedrooms and that guests have access to a kitchen and bathroom. They will also see if your home is child friendly, or accessible for an older person, depending on the needs of your guest(s).

The council officer will also look at safety issues, such as electric and gas safety, and smoke alarms.

During the home check you will be asked:

• To confirm who you are expecting to arrive
• The names of all those over the age of 16 who currently live in your house. This is so we can carry out a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check
• How you plan to support your guests with day-to-day needs like getting around and registering with a doctor

After your home check, we will carry out an online DBS check. This will be on you and anyone else over the age of 16 registered as living at your property.

These checks are very important. They ensure the safety and wellbeing of the guests you are expecting. You must complete them as soon as possible. 

They are not connected to the visa process. You must complete the DBS checks even if your guests have already arrived

Each person having the check will need their own email address. Our team will email you with an individual link so that you can complete your information online. You can then take the barcodes provided and your original documents to the Post Office for an identification check.

You and your family will need to complete one of the following checks. This will depend on the guests you are expecting.

Basic check

This is for when you are expecting only adult guests between the ages of 18 and 75.

Enhanced check including children's barred list

This is for when you are expecting children aged under 18.

Enhanced check including adult's barred list

This is for if you are expecting adults aged over 75.

Enhanced check including children's and adult's barred lists

This is for if you are expecting your party of guests to include children aged under 18 and adults aged over 75.

We set your check type when we create your account on the DBS system.

You must have all the documents and information you will need to hand when completing your check. Check the list of documents you need for a criminal record check on GOV.UK. This is required to confirm your identity.

Find the nearest Post Office which offers this service online.

Enter your postcode. Then select 'CRB & ID Verification Service' from the 'Service Required' field.

Find out more about this verification service online.

See further information about the Disclosure and Barring Service on GOV.UK. 

When preparing the property or room you are offering, consider the following:

• If you are offering a spare room in your home, make sure it is clean and you have removed any personal items you will need to access. Make sure the guest staying in that room feels it belongs to them and knows you will respect their privacy.
• Make sure there is plenty of storage available for your guest. This could be in the same room, or another room they can have unrestricted access to.
• Provide bed linen, towels and other items they may need - including spares.
• Provide spare keys so your guests can come and go as they please. Ensure you give them your full address so they can find their way back should they get lost. Help them to install Google maps on their phone if needed.
• Make sure they have space to store their own food in fridges and cupboards.
• Put together a welcome pack of items you can give to your guest. This could include:
  • Toiletries
  • Sanitary towels or tampons
  • Nappies
  • Plates, cups, dishes, cutlery
  • Culturally appropriate food
  • Toys for children
• If your guest is bringing a pet, make sure they have the things they need.
• If your home is non-smoking, and your guest is a smoker, be clear with your guest where they can and cannot smoke.
• You may decide between sponsor and guest that you will cook and eat together; or you may not. Be open and clear with one another about what you would like.
• Everyone will have 'house rules' - discuss with those who already share your home in advance what these are, and ensure your guest knows these too. Living with someone is hard, be prepared to be clear, and to compromise.

View the Government's helpful guidance on how to meet your guests and help them to settle in.

When your guests have arrived, you need to let us know by emailing ncchomesforukraine@norfolk.gov.uk.

We will pass your information on to your local council. They will contact you to make an appointment for a council officer to visit. We aim for this visit to happen within five working days. 

This is an opportunity for us to visit your guests, answer any questions they or you might have, provide help and signpost you services who can help. We will also check to make sure everyone is safe and well, and ask about things like employment skills and health needs.

If any of your guests are children, a member of our Children's Services team will visit along with the local council teams to offer advice and support about things like childcare and schools.

The officers will talk to your guests to find out more about their needs and refer them to services who can help. They will use mobile interpretation services if necessary. They will also give you guest(s) a letter that they can use as proof of their address when opening a UK bank account.

Once this welfare visit is complete, both you and your guest(s) will receive financial support.

Payments for guests

Following the welfare visit we will send a one-off prepayment card to the lead guest. This will be loaded with £200 for each of the guests in their party, including any children. The card should arrive in first class post, up to five days after the visit. This is to cover their initial day-to-day living costs while they make a benefits claim or find a job. Please think about how you can support your guests before their payment arrives.

Payments for hosts

As a Homes for Ukraine host, you will be able to claim a 'thank you' payment each month.

Initially paid for the first 12 months, the government has now extended 'thank you' payments up to two years. This is so guests who may not yet be ready to move into independent accommodation can stay with hosts for longer, where hosts are willing to extend arrangements.

'Thank you' payments are linked to the amount of time your guest/s have been in the UK, not the amount of time that you have been their host. Payments will automatically end 24 months after your guest/s first arrived in the UK.

In Norfolk we have given extra funding to 'thank you' payments on top of the levels set by government. This means that all our hosts can currently claim £400, increasing to £500 in May.

When your guest has arrived, and the checks and welfare visit are complete, you may download and complete a BACs form (Word doc) [48KB]  with your bank details and return it to us so we can arrange to make the payment directly into your account each month in arrears. You will also need to complete a  Thank you payment declaration form (Word doc) [26KB]. Please return your completed forms to ncchomesforukraine@norfolk.gov.uk.

Which council arranges this payment depends on where you live in Norfolk:

• South Norfolk - South Norfolk District Council
• Breckland - Breckland Council
• All other areas of Norfolk - Norfolk County Council

Important points about 'thank you' payments

• If your guest leaves your property for more than 28 days you need to let us know at ncchomesforukraine@norfolk.gov.uk. We will then arrange for the 'thank you' payments to be cancelled, or paused if you think your guest/s are likely to return. Remember, this this won't extend the amount of time that you will receive a 'thank you' payment as they will stop automatically 24 months from your guest's first arrival in the UK.
• Once your guest starts receiving benefits or finds employment it is OK to ask for a contribution towards your utility bills. However, you can't ask your guest to pay rent or lodgings if you are claiming a 'thank you' payment. If you need advice on what you can ask for and how much, get in touch with your local council.
• If you are interested in moving to a longer-term lodging arrangement, your local council can help you to set this up and can cancel your 'thank you' payments when everything is in place.

It is really important that you support your guest to access things that are important to everyday life and help them integrate into their new community.

This includes things like:

• Organisations that specialise in supporting migrants, refugees and asylum seekers
• Legal and immigration advice
• Health and wellbeing
• Work and benefits
• Childcare and education
• Transport

The Government has produced guides in English, Ukrainian and Russian on adjusting to life in the UK. Find out more about what your guests need to know in their first few days.   

We have put together a list of services your guest may need to use as they settle into life in the UK:

How to get support

Support is also available to you in your role as a host. Find out what support is available on the Government website.

Finding work

Adults arriving through the Homes for Ukraine scheme will have the right to work as soon as they arrive.

You guests can search and apply for jobs on the GOV.UK Find a job website. They can also get advice on finding work from your nearest Jobcentre.

More information on finding a job and paying tax is available in the Government's Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for guests. 

Benefits

Ukrainian nationals can access Universal Credit as soon as they arrive in the UK.

Apply for Universal Credit

They can get support to make a claim from Citizens Advice.

Your guest can apply for Child Benefit if they are the parent or guardian of a child who is:

• Under 16
• Under 20 and still in approved education or training

How to claim Child Benefit

Your guest may be able to claim other benefits. See information about financial support for people fleeing Ukraine.

More advice for about how guests can access essential benefits and services can be found in in the Government's Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for guests. 

Everyday living costs

Your guest may need help to open a bank account:

• The Refugee Council has a helpful guide to opening a bank account
• When the district council teams visit to carry out the welfare check, they will give your guest a letter that they can use as proof of their address

It's likely your guest will be on a low income to start with. Help with budgeting and understanding living costs in the UK will be useful. Think about supporting them to use an easy budget planner to help them manage their income.

Help with living costs is available if your guests are struggling.

Applying for a school place

Ukrainian parents can apply for a school place for their child as soon as they arrive. They will need to follow the process for applying for a school place mid-year.

Parents may need your help to do this. The guidance on applying for a school place in our Homes for Ukraine Hosts Toolkit (PDF) [370KB] will help you support them.

Find more information from the Government on education for children up to the age of 16.

Find more information from the Government  on education for people aged 16 up to adults. (opens new window)

School uniform grant

Parents can apply for a one-off grant to help pay for school uniform. The grant amount is:

• £100 for each child of compulsory school age attending primary school
• £200 for each child attending secondary school

To get the grant, they must be resident in Norfolk and have a visa under one of the following:

• Homes for Ukraine Scheme
• UK Resettlement Scheme
• Afghan Resettlement Scheme
• This is a one-off grant that must be claimed within 12 months of entry into the UK. This means that if a parent has already claimed this grant, they cannot claim it again. 

Download the school uniform grant application form (Word doc) [29KB]

Childcare

Norfolk Family Information Service provide free, impartial advice on childcare. They can help parents find education and childcare for children of all ages.

More information on childcare is available in the Government's Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for guests.

Continuing Ukrainian education online

Some guests may decide they want their children to continue with their Ukrainian education online. These children and young people need to be registered as receiving home education. Parents will need to contact the Home Educators' team to let the service know of their choice.

The service will then allocate a dedicated Ukrainian speaking Elective Home Education Officer who will work to support the family.

Libraries

All our libraries in Norfolk have free Wi-Fi and many have free to access PCs. You can book a computer or just pop in. Your guest can try out the computers at any of the International Welcome sessions held in libraries.

Sim cards and data giving

Libraries are able to provide free mobile data for people who are struggling to afford internet access. They have 02 and Vodafone sims available with 6 months provision of data. Customers need to have a compatible device with one of those providers or an unlocked device. Call into your local library for more information.

Schools and colleges

For children and young people in full time education it's always a good idea to speak to the school, college or sixth form to see whether they may be able to help with a laptop where it is needed to support study.

Adult Learning

In some cases Adult Learning can provide a loan laptop or support to purchase one where someone is studying for one of their courses. If your guest is thinking of studying ESOL or other skills programmes, they can speak to the learner services team for more information and help.

Help your guest to explore the area around where they will be living so that they understand what services and activities are available locally.

Places they might like to visit on a tour of your town or city include:

• Local shops - including places where they can buy culturally appropriate food and products
• Banks
• Community and leisure centres
• Libraries
• Healthcare centres and pharmacies
• Parks and play areas
• Places of worship

Remember that your guest is likely to be on a low income to start with - keep any activities you invite them to free or low-cost.

Electoral Register and voting rights

If you have guests from Ukraine staying with you under the Homes for Ukraine or Ukraine Family Schemes, they are not eligible to vote and do not need to be added to your electoral registration form.

You can find out more about voting online.  (opens new window)

Your guest may be able to speak English, or they might need to learn. It can feeling challenging to support someone when you do not share a common language, but it is not impossible.

Make sure you have an interpreting app installed on your phone such as Google Translate. The translation might not be perfect, so be ready to try other options.

There are English as a second language (ESOL) classes available locally and online.

More resources for learning to speak, read and write English are available in the Government's Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for guests. (opens new window)

Around the six-month stage we will visit hosts and guests to check in and see if you need any support. At the visit we will meet with both you and your guests separately to talk about:

• What's working well
• Making any improvements
• If you need more support
• Future plans

When you reach this stage in your hosting journey, a local council officer will get in touch with you to arrange an appointment.

Take time to talk to your guests about their future living arrangements. This will help them to decide and prepare for their next steps.

We have a guide for hosts (PDF) [180KB] to help when the time comes for guests to move on. There is a similar guide for guests available in Ukrainian (PDF) [146KB], Russian (PDF) [147KB] and English (PDF) [136KB]. GOV.UK have guidance which explains guests' options (opens new window). The guide is also available in Ukrainian (opens new window)and Russian (opens new window).

The Government has also produced advice for guests on renting private accommodation (opens new window). Our local information on renting property (PDF) [129KB] might be helpful too.

Please update us as soon as possible about any changes to your hosting arrangement.

Ensure you update us if you are choosing to end your hosting commitment at six months. The more notice we have, the more effectively we can support transition arrangements and re-matches.

Early notice is also important if your guest has found a new host in a different part of the UK. The new council will need to approve the match and the move. This is in order for the host to be eligible for the thank you payment. We therefore need to contact the new council on your guest's behalf as soon as possible.

More information for hosts how have sponsored guests is available in the Government's Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for hosts (opens new window).

What to do in an emergency

Make sure your guest knows how to contact emergency services:

• Call 999 to contact police, medical services or the fire and rescue service in an emergency
• Call 101 for non-emergency police contact
• Call 111 or visit 111.nhs.uk for urgent, non-emergency medical care

Safeguarding

If you are concerned about your guest's safety, or their behaviour, contact us immediately on 0344 800 8020. If it is an emergency, call 999.

• Reporting concerns about an adult's safety
• Reporting concerns about a child's safety

Out of hours support

If you or your guest need urgent support from the People from Abroad team, call 0344 800 8020 and ask to speak to the member of staff on call.

You should only do this if the matter cannot wait until the next working day.