Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report presented by the Homes & Health Team Manager which provided Members with an update on the Asylum position in West Lindsey and sought approval for the spend of the Asylum Dispersal Grant funding. It was explained that the Home Office introduced a new system for Asylum Dispersal implemented in 2023 which saw the interim housing of asylum seekers across England and Wales dispersed across the Country as appose to certain areas taking all the burden. When this new system was implemented, alongside these new arrangements, funding was provided to Local Authorities to ensure front line services were not impacted and Local Authorities could implement new services where required to assist with wellbeing, mental health and community cohesion.

The Home Office had partnered with different agencies across the country to deliver the dispersed accommodation, with Serco being the provider in the East Midlands. In West Lindsey, there were 41 bedspaces procured by Serco for Asylum seeker accommodation. Funding was provided to Local Authorities for every bedspace that is procured and brought online in the area, and West Lindey had received £185,350 of funding for this to date. The funding had a set of criteria for spend on asylum and refugee related activities based on the outcomes as detailed in the Asylum Dispersal Grant funding criteria.

Members heard that the paper set out how the funding was proposed to be utilised through spending on front line services and offering grants to community organisations who were delivering services which met the funding criteria. It was highlighted that the paper would also proceed to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee for approval of the allocation of funds.

Members thanked the Officer for her presentation and context around the report. Following an enquiry regarding the housing of families from Afghanistan, it was explained that there were multiple resettlement schemes and those families were placed under a different scheme which was separate to that being presented at this time.

In response to a question regarding tenants being evicted under a Section 21, and whether those evictions were relevant to the asylum dispersal scheme, it was explained that whilst the information was not available immediately, Officers would undertake to liaise with the relevant team and share the response with members of both policy committees ahead of the paper being presented to the Corporate Policy and Resources Committee.

A Member of the Committee shared her attendance at an event where there had also been in attendance a team from Lincoln who worked with asylum seekers, and it was enquired as to whether West Lindsey District Council worked with other areas in regards to providing support services and suchlike, It was explained that best practice was to link in with other areas and other services, and the Member was invited to share the details of the Lincoln team in order for Officers to work together where possible.

Members acknowledged there as a broad spectrum for the funding and enquired whether there was a way of assessing the use of funds to ensure the system was not abused. It was confirmed that use of the monies would be monitored, additionally, it had been identified that the council was experiencing an increase in requests for translation services, and it may be feasible for funding to be used to explore alternative options for these services. Members were also encouraged to direct residents straight to the council if they were under threat of becoming homeless through eviction or other circumstances.

With no other comments or questions, and having been proposed, seconded, and voted upon, it was

RESOLVED that the use of the community grants process to allocate funding to community groups delivering services which meet the requirements of the Asylum Dispersal Grant funding criteria be approved.