Hosts of Ukrainian war refugees ‘abandoned’
Council to scrutinise £7m contract to support those fleeing war
FRUSTRATED Ukrainian hosts have successfully called for an investigation into a £7 million Birmingham City Council contract to provide support to refugees from the war zone.
They claim they have been left to pick up the pieces for traumatised guests in a ‘free’ capacity because of the failures of official support networks.
The impact has resulted in emotional distress for hosts and guests, with one group of hosts saying: “We have been abandoned.”
Birmingham city councillors have now backed their calls for action and agreed a cross-party committee of councillors will scrutinise the contract performance to check on ‘‘timeliness’’ and ‘‘value for money’’.
Hosts will be invited to give testimony.
Refugee Action, awarded the primary £7 million contract from a total fund of more than £10 million, has acknowledged there were “challenges and delays in delivering some services”.
It said support systems are now fully running.
The review comes hot on the heels of complaints about the council’s decision to use emergency powers to award a £330,000 contract to multinational finance giant PWC to create a Ukraine refugee database.
Teresa Demetriou, a host under the Homes for Ukraine scheme who took in a family of three, told a meeting of the full council she was “extremely concerned” about the performance of Refugee Action, which was awarded the multi million pound contract to support families and hosts despite having limited relevant experience.
She claimed the organisation had been ‘‘overstretched’’, leading to a long delay of six months in rolling out much needed support and added: “Along with other host families I feel badly let down by the council and disappointed at its efforts so far to resolve matters.”
Host Liz Yates, who had taken in a family and later ended up being responsible for an unaccompanied teenager, also spoke up during the public questions session of the council. She told councillors the promises of improvement were ‘‘too little too late’’.
She said she had ended up looking after a teenage boy, on his own, yet had not been asked to complete a DBS (criminal background check), nor had the child had a private safeguarding interview with a caseworker, as she would have expected.
“We could have been monsters for all anyone knew; he could have been dead,” she said.
Opposition Conservative councillor Alex Yip (Sutton Wylde Green) praised the ‘‘incredible generosity’’ of host families.
But he added: “Imagine that you have taken in a distraught family. You know one provider will be paid more than £7 million by the council to help no more than 1,000 people over two years and so you try to reach them for help – advice on benefits, children’s schooling, help with housing, to seek work, safeguarding checks, get advice and bereavement support. I am told this organisation was found very much wanting.”
Phone numbers were dead, emails went unanswered and responses sometimes took weeks, he claimed.
Cllr John Cotton, city council cabinet member for Social Justice, Community Safety and Equalities, said he was “truly sorry” that families felt let down.
“It has been a big logistical challenge,” he said. “We have had to work at pace to build a network of support services.
“We have nothing to hide and welcome a scrutiny review.”