The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration presented a report seeking approval from Cabinet to resettle a further 5 refugee families under the Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme or the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme. Subject to approval from Cabinet, the report sought a waiver under paragraph 3.2.9.2 of the Council’s Contract Procedure Rules from the requirement to obtain quotes or tenders by open competition under the Scheme of Delegation in order to vary the existing contract with Hafod Housing Association for the additional 5 units. 

The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration explained that the UK Government had committed to resettling 20,000 Syrian refugees by 2020, fleeing Syria as a result of the civil war. He explained that the number of refugees likely to be received in Wales was 1,000 to 1,500 over the five years of the VPRS Programme however he added that participation was voluntary.

The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration explained that individuals were granted refugee status giving them leave to remain for 5 years with full access to employment and public funds. If after five years, they had not returned to Syria they could be eligible to apply for settlement in the UK. He added that at the end of March 2018, there were 10,500 refugees in the UK, 645 of them in Wales.

The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration explained that Cabinet approval had been given in July 2016 then outlined the involvement of the Welsh Refugee Council and Hafod Housing. He explained that the first Syrian family arrived in the county borough on 2^nd November 2016. All 6 families had now been resettled with the last family arriving on 12 September 2017. He explained that the families had been settled across the county borough with good access to local schools and amenities. All families had been welcomed by community members and local churches.

The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration advised Cabinet that in March 2018 the Co-Chair of the WLGA Strategic Migration Partnership and WLGA Joint Spokesperson for Equalities, Welfare Reform and Anti-Poverty wrote to Local Authorities asking for their commitment to resettlement going forward. In response to this letter the subsequent years of the programme were reviewed and it was proposed that the Authority settled a further 5 families during the remainder of the programme subject to Cabinet approval. To ensure consistency of service a waiver to the Contract Procedure Rules would be required. 

The Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration explained that year one funding was available from the Overseas Development Aid Budget for direct local authority costs and there was additional support for educational and medical needs. Year 2 to 5 funding would be allocated on a tapered tariff basis over 4 years.

The Cabinet Member for Wellbeing and Future Generations said that these were complex cases comprising of war refugees fleeing Syria. In terms of numbers 34 out of more than 10,000 was not a substantial number but an indication that the authority was playing a role at a time when there were substantial cutbacks.   

The Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration concurred with this and added that Cabinet were proud that Bridgend were involved in this and recognised that it was not a pleasant climate with social media and needed to be handled carefully.

The Leader said that we were fortunate that none of us had experienced this sort of trauma. He was proud of the help the community were providing and asked for thanks to be conveyed to the schools, churches and local communities. He also thanked the Senior Strategy Officer – Housing & Community Regeneration, his colleagues and Hafod.

RESOLVED:            That Cabinet:

(1)      Approved the resettlement of a further 5 families by 2020 with flexibility to resettle families from either the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) or the Vulnerable Children’s Resettlement Scheme (VCRS), depending on the most urgent need for resettlement at the time, and

(2)        Agreed a waiver under paragraph 3.2.9.2 of the   Council’s Contract Procedure Rules from the requirement to obtain quotes or tenders by open competition shall be sought under the Scheme of Delegation in order to vary the existing contract with Hafod Housing Association for the additional 5 units.