Issue - meetings

Decision:

(1)   To delegate authority to the Director of Service Delivery in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Housing and Community to give consent to future community sponsorship applications as part of the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme, subject to them meeting Home Office criteria.

(2)   To authorise the Head of Community Services to progress arrangements for consented community sponsorship with the Home Office and with Resettle@Guildford.

Reasons:

·       The resettlement of refugee households in Guildford adds to the diversity of the area and the household will have the opportunity in the long term to contribute to the local economy through employment and voluntary work. This results in a vibrant local economy with thriving towns and villages. The VPRS and Community Sponsorship Scheme present opportunities to promote community spirit, to encourage individuals and families to welcome and support refugee households and to be more resilient in times of need.

·       In granting delegated authority to the Director of Service Delivery in consultation with the Lead Member to give consent to community sponsors (such as Resettle@Guildford) alongside authorisation to the Head of Community Services to progress applications with the Home Office, this process can work efficiently and swiftly for the benefit of our communities.

Other options considered and rejected by the Executive:

None

Details of any conflict of interest declared by the Leader or lead councillors and any dispensation granted:

None

The Executive considered a report seeking authorisation to progress community sponsorship applications under the Community Sponsorship Scheme as introduced by the Home Office. The intention of the Scheme was to support local community groups to take responsibility to welcome and resettle refugees from Syria and the surrounding region directly into their communities. This initiative complemented the resettlement work undertaken by local authorities as part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) that was designed to support refugee families resettle in the UK within a 5-year support window.

A local community group, Resettle@Guildford, had prepared an application to the Home Office for Community Sponsorship of one household and sought the Council’s support in line with Home Office requirements to resettle a vulnerable family. Consent was required from both Surrey County Council (SCC) and Guildford Borough Council for any community sponsorship scheme’s application. SCC had given their consent to the community sponsorsResettle@Guildford’s application via delegation to the Executive Director of Children, Families and Lifelong Learning.

The Executive was in unanimous support of the recommendations and it was hoped the application would be swiftly expedited.

RESOLVED

(1)   To delegate authority to the Director of Service Delivery in consultation with the Lead Councillor for Housing and Community to give consent to future community sponsorship applications as part of the vulnerable persons resettlement scheme, subject to them meeting Home Office criteria.

(2)   To authorise the Head of Community Services to progress arrangements for consented community sponsorship with the Home Office and with Resettle@Guildford.

Reasons:

·        The resettlement of refugee households in Guildford adds to the diversity of the area and the household will have the opportunity in the long term to contribute to the local economy through employment and voluntary work. This results in a vibrant local economy with thriving towns and villages. The VPRS and Community Sponsorship Scheme present opportunities to promote community spirit, to encourage individuals and families to welcome and support refugee households and to be more resilient in times of need.

·        In granting delegated authority to the Director of Service Delivery in consultation with the Lead Member to give consent to community sponsors (such as Resettle@Guildford) alongside authorisation to the Head of Community Services to progress applications with the Home Office, this process can work efficiently and swiftly for the benefit of our communities.