The Homes For Ukraine scheme 2022-23 - Find a freedom of information request

Please note, the following requests pertain to the Homes For Ukraine scheme - requesting data dating back to the schemes' commencement in February 2022 to present. 

With that in mind, please could you provide me with the following information:  

1) how many sponsors have contacted the council requesting to end their placements early? 

2) how many Ukrainian refugees have contacted the council requesting to end their placements early? 

3) How many times has the council been contacted about accommodation or arrangement having broken down, by either sponsors or Ukrainian refugees? 

4) what number of Homes for Ukraine sponsorships in the area for which you are responsible have ended before their intended finish date? 

5) what is the total number of sponsorships undertaken so far in the area for which the council is responsible? 

6) Please provide the number of refugees whose placement ended early who were then housed in hotel accommodation.

7) Please provide the number of refugees whose placement ended early who were matched with another sponsor. 

8) Please provide the number of refugees whose placement ended early who were rendered

homeless or at risk of homelessness.  

I can confirm that the information requested is held by Lincolnshire County Council. I have detailed below the information that is being released to you.

1). We have assumed that this relates to sponsors whose guests have arrived in the UK, and that ending a placement early refers to less than 6 months for all hosts (it should be noted that some hosts are prepared to offer accommodation for more than 6 months from the beginning of their hosting arrangement). Placements end for a variety of reasons - guests can choose to return abroad, can move to independent accommodation within Lincolnshire, can move to independent accommodation or to a new host elsewhere in the UK. Sometimes placements ends due to the hosts being unable to continue hosting due to unexpected changes in personal circumstances, for example becoming ill. Sometimes relationships just break down between guests and hosts. Where a placement ends before 6 months, we do not record which party requested the placement to come to an end.

2). We have assumed that this relates to sponsors whose guests have arrived in the UK, and that ending a placement early refers to less than 6 months for all hosts (it should be noted that some hosts are prepared to offer accommodation for more than 6 months from the beginning of their hosting arrangement). Placements end for a variety of reasons - guests can choose to return abroad, can move to independent accommodation within Lincolnshire, can move to independent accommodation or to a new host elsewhere in the UK. Sometimes placements ends due to the hosts being unable to continue hosting due to unexpected changes in personal circumstances, for example becoming ill. Sometimes relationships just break down between guests and hosts. Where a placement ends before 6 months, we do not record which party requested the placement to come to an end.

3) "We do not record the number of times we have been contacted by sponsors or groups for these reasons. Lincolnshire guests are also supported by the Wellbeing Lincs team so some of these questions are directed to them rather than LCC. Where relationships break down between hosts and guests we offer support to guests (if they need it) to help them find a new host or to find independent accommodation. We make use of emergency temporary accommodation when it is needed. We also offer a mediation service between guests and hosts which can sometimes recover arrangements that appear to have broken down."

4) "As stated above, many hosts do not set a six month limit for their placement. Many hosts do not set an intended end date for their arrangement, some hosts go into the arrangement in an open-ended way. As stated in the answers to questions 1 and 2, sponsorship arrangements can end for a variety of reasons - they can be due to a breakdown in relations, hosts may become ill and unable to continue hosting, or arrangements can end amicably as guests move into independent accommodation, move to another host elsewhere in the UK, or move overseas. Guest groups can also split up in complex ways, some members of a group may stay with a host whilst others move on elsewhere. We do not record end dates for individual guest arrangements."

5) "This information is already in the public domain:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-visa-data-by-country-upper-andlower-tier-local-authority"

6) 75 individual Ukrainian guests had arrangements end with their sponsor before 6 months, resulting in them needing emergency temporary accommodation