Support for Ukraine community update for hosts in South Cambridgeshire, as well as District Councillors, community coordinators and parish council colleagues.
Contents
ALL Hosts to receive £500 payment from April
There is a change to Host payments from next month when ALL hosts will receive £500 per month from the Council to assist with the cost of hosting guests. Since October 2022, the Council has offered hosts an additional £150 per month to assist with the cost of hosting guests. As an opt in scheme, this required hosts to complete an additional form to receive the payment. Since then, the government has announced that once a guest has been in the UK for 12 months, the payments will increase to £500 per month.
As a high proportion of our hosts have already opted-in to receive the additional £150 and based on the government announcement, the Council has decided that it will pay ALL hosts the £500 per month from April 2023 automatically. They do not need to have hosted guests for 12 months to receive the payment and do not need to apply for the extra payment, removing the need for hosts to opt in and simplifying the administration of payments.
Changes to Host Newsletter & new Newsletter for Guests
Following general feedback from hosts and guests, and discussions at our recent Communication Consultation meeting with hosts, supporters and guests, we have looked at how we communicate with both our hosts and their guests. The feedback revealed that hosts appreciate receiving our regular information newsletters but sometimes there can be too much information to read through. There was also a recommendation that some information could be sent directly to guests.
We have recently redesigned the Host Newsletter to make it easier to skim through to the items of most interest to individual readers and we are now planning to send it out less frequently to cut back on the number of communications we send to you. We are also planning to start sending a separate newsletter directly to your guests with information that is relevant to them. We are constantly updating our email list and if any of your guests are not yet on our list but would like to receive the new newsletter, then please ask them to email us at duty.communities@scambs.gov.uk
The new Guests Newsletter will be translated into Ukrainian and will include additional information not given in the Hosts Newsletter, such as an events listing, information of general use during the time your guests are staying in the UK, and details of how to access financial and other help.
Catch-up online – Homes for Ukraine Moving On Options
On 23 March, South Cambridgeshire District Council hosted an online event to showcase the different Moving On options available to Homes for Ukraine guests, to assist them into moving on to independent accommodation. The event included a presentation given in both Ukrainian and English, and a Q&A session afterwards. If you would like a copy of the presentation content given at the event, please email HFULiaison@Scambs.gov.uk or you can view the recording of this event online.
Cambridge Online Job Skills Club
Cambridge Online aims to help Ukrainian refugees learn new skills and complete all the necessary stages to prepare to apply for employment in the UK at their Job Skills. If your guests would like more information or to book a place, then please ask them to email help@cambridgeonline.org.uk or call 01223300407.
Free English Classes at Cottenham, Sawston, Waterbeach: In partnership with A Learning Place (ALP), the Council provides free weekly English classes in Cottenham (Tuesdays 17.30), Sawston (Thursdays 16.15, 17.30, 18.45) and Waterbeach (Wednesdays 16.30, 17.40). Adults and young people can enrol; younger children welcome (toys and activities provided). Contact Amy on 07753 282967, hello@alearningplace.co.uk or complete our short form: www.bit.ly/ALP-English-classes.
Free English Classes from CamRuSS: The Council funds an English language teaching project for Ukrainian guests run by Cambridge Russian-Speaking Society (CamRuSS) at St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church, Cambridge CB2 3AR. Contact Irina Tsepova on irvik59zepova@gmail.com for more information. The Society’s other services include free English language conversation group meetings, guided tours of Cambridge in Ukrainian for newly-arrived guests and a helpline for guests and hosts with a translation service available on 05603 025975 (9am-6pm weekdays & 10am-5pm Saturdays).
Bus Travel Scheme ends but current tickets valid to 31 July: The welcome offer to newly-arriving guests of free tickets for ten days of bus travel ends tomorrow (31 March). Anyone with unused travel tickets can still make use of them up until 31 July. The tickets were made available by Stagecoach working in partnership with local councils during the initial phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Easter Holiday Fun for Guest Children: Guest families looking for Easter holiday activities for their children can book on the Easter HAF programme funded by the Department for Education, which runs between 3–14 April 2023 (excluding bank holidays). Children in receipt of income-related free school meals can access a holiday scheme for up to 16 hours which includes a daily meal and snacks. There are over 120 participating schemes.
FREE Courses available to guests: Free courses are available now from The Workers’ Educational Association (WEA). To register on the courses or skills check meetings (which are held prior to some courses to determine ability level), guests should apply either online at wea.org.uk or by ringing 0300 303 34 64. Courses include:
Teaching Assistant qualifications and Teaching qualifications Schools, Parenting and Child Development, Helping in Schools: Level 2 Award in Support Work in Schools and Colleges (C2229287) (wea.org.uk)
Introduction to Teaching Adults in the Community – April Schools, Parenting and Child Development, Helping in Schools: Introduction to Teaching Adults in the Community (C2229457) (wea.org.uk)
Introduction to Information, Advice and Guidance Professional Development, Preparation for work: Introduction to Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG) (C2229464) (wea.org.uk)
Community Interpreting Online Skills Check Meetings Wednesday 26 April 2023, 9.15-12.15. https://enrolonline.wea.org.uk/Online/2022/CourseInfo.aspx?r=C2229765
Marketing for Starting Your Own Business (Taster) Using Computers, Mobile Devices, Software & Social Media, Creating Publicity: Cambridgeshire – Marketing for Starting Your Own Business (Taster) (C2229040) (wea.org.uk) or Using Computers, Mobile Devices, Software & Social Media, Computer Skills for Work: Cambridgeshire – Marketing for Starting Your Own Business (C2229041) (wea.org.uk)
Tenancy Courses Personal Development, Life Skills: A Home of Your Own – Tenancy Rights and Responsibilities (C2229290) (wea.org.uk)
Developing Self Confidence Courses Healthy Living: Developing Self Confidence (C2229817) (wea.org.uk)
Parenting Courses Schools, Parenting and Child Development, Supporting your Child: Help your Child with Difficult Behaviour and Anxiety (C2229783) (wea.org.uk)orSchools, Parenting and Child Development, Child Development: Help your child with English and Maths (C2229462) (wea.org.uk)
Other Online Qualifications include qualifications for Support Work in School, Caring for Children & Young People, Diploma in Leadership, Functional Skills in English and in Maths.
Newspreviously shared here can be found on our Support for Ukraine webpage and the Ukrainian Guest information hub which we encourage you to share with your guests who should be able to switch to view in their own language.
Please be aware that our newsletters to you will be emailed less frequently as we move over to our new system (as detailed above) and also providing separate newsletters in Ukrainian direct to guests.
Thank you for taking the time to read this latest update, for your help in communicating this important information to your guests and for your continued support.
Bill
Bill Handley
Lead Cabinet Member for Communities
South Cambridgeshire District Council