Agenda item

Report of Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Resident Services

Councillor Jenkins, Executive Member for Communities, Waste and Equalities, introduced the report.

Beth Hanna, Migration Operations Manager, presented the report and stated the following:

a.  Nottingham City has been an Asylum Dispersal Area since 2002, although were not allocated any government funding for this until 2021-2022 (received retrospectively in 2022).

b.  The asylum dispersal process provides accommodation and support via a Home Office-contracted provider (currently SERCO, previously G4S) while individual asylum claims are assessed.

c.  In 2022, participation in asylum dispersal became mandatory for all Local Authorities areas in England, Scotland and Wales to allow for movement from hotels to less expensive and more suitable dispersed accommodation.

d.  The following grants (totalling £1,458,000) have been received by the Council and require retrospective approval to accept (the government allocate this funding retrospectively):

Grant 4 - £171,500

Grant 5 - £12,000

Grant 6 - £1,099,500

Grant 7 - £175,000

e.  The funding received so far has been used to support existing and current services for people seeking asylum, and the allocation of this resource is key to service delivery within the Council and Voluntary Community Sector as the funding will support and help alleviate additional pressures placed on these services, which currently already have a high demand and limited capacity.

f.  The funding will be used to support the delivery of vital services to this vulnerable cohort and adequately help resource services who have been delivering and developing quality provision previously without this additional funding.

Resolved to

(1)  authorise acceptance and drawdown of relevant grant monies (in part retrospectively) from the Government Asylum Dispersal Fund between 2023-2028 (5 years);

(2)  grant delegated authority to the Corporate Director for Communities, Environment and Resident Services to:

(a)  approve the outcome of any funding agreements and Voluntary Community Sector grant programmes set up to meet the needs of people seeking asylum, in line with Council processes;

(b)  spend on other required services within the Council and externally with the voluntary and Community sector and other services, subject to compliance with Home Office Funding Instructions and Nottingham City Council’s constitutional requirements;

(c)  extend staff contracts as required, subject to available funding at the time, associated with this project to deliver, manage and develop the service and improve governance, contractual and compliance arrangements, responding to need and changing trends.

Reasons for recommendations

g.  The Secretary of State for the Home Office has agreed to provide the Council a grant as a contribution to supporting Asylum Seeker Dispersal. This funding is ringfenced but can be used by Local Authorities on how best they see fit to support Asylum Seekers and ease specific local pressures on already overstretched services. Payment will, however, be subject to the conditions of the grant agreement.

h.  It should be noted that Central Government funding instructions are frequently changing in parameters and time scales and are often issued after implementation has begun.

i.  The Asylum Dispersal Fund contributes along with other Government funding (such as Refugee Resettlement and Homes for Ukraine Scheme) to the cost of staff within the Migration team, to deliver work around Asylum.

j.  The Asylum Dispersal Fund is also funding 1.5 Asylum Coordinators in the Migration Team that are currently being recruited to. This additional funding will ensure the posts can be extended and work embedded to make significant progress without a cost to the Council. These posts will ensure improved partnership working, responding to gaps and risks to avoid the escalation of issues and impact on existing overstretched council and other services, ie, Health, Housing, Social Care, Education and Voluntary and Community services.

k.  The Migration team have an action plan and budget for the allocation of funds to support Asylum Dispersal, to alleviate pressure on existing services and meet gaps in provision. With the funding currently received we have a 5 year plan that enables the Migration Team to plan ahead, improve governance for projects and sets out improved commissioning and grant aid processes rather than responding to crisis with each new policy announcement. This will be supported by establishing a Strategic Migration Partnership/board within this financial year.

l.  The previous funding secured has enabled initiatives to support departments such as Public Health, Education and the Slavery Exploitation Team, to secure additional resources for this cohort, freeing up and adding capacity in the system. And this current funding will be able to support the continuation of these partnership arrangements.

m.  The Asylum Dispersal fund is currently funding the ‘Into the Mainstream’ service through grant arrangements for 2024-2025 following the Communities of Identify grant funding ceasing from March 2024. This is currently delivered by NNRF (Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Refugee Forum). Public Health have now developed this service specification and are due to procure this ‘access to healthcare services’ with a further contribution from the Asylum Dispersal Fund to jointly fund this service delivery.

n.  A small grants programme funded by these Government monies was established in 2023, with a 2^nd round due winter 2024 for local voluntary organisations to improve integration and inclusion, educational opportunities, mental and physical health and wellbeing, reduce isolation, promote health relationships, provide safe spaces, empower and support the voices of people seeking asylum and offer support around crisis, hardship and poverty. This has enabled a range of wrap around support to improve the lives and integration of Individuals seeking asylum.

Other options considered

o.  As this is a statutory requirement, declining to participate in this funding scheme may result in a capacity reduction or closure of key voluntary services, which would displace support needs back to Nottingham City Council, without additional resources.

p.  Being an Asylum Dispersal area is mandatory, so we would still be required to support asylum seekers, but without government funding to do so.