Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme a sponsor can apply via the GOV.UK website. You will find a link below to record your interest.
Frequently asked questions
Below you will find answers to questions frequently asked by our hosts and sponsors.
Under the Homes for Ukraine scheme a sponsor can apply via the GOV.UK website. You will find a link below to record your interest.
The following hosting networks arrange accommodation in people's homes and are working to house Ukrainians:
And Reset - which works with communities and local councils and the Reset toolkit.
If you would like to host a Ukrainian in your home, please use the links above and follow the guidance given.
The following hosting networks arrange accommodation in people's homes and are working to house Ukrainians:
And Reset - which works with communities and local councils and the Reset toolkit.
If you would like to host a Ukrainian in your home, please use the links above and follow the guidance given.
Once matched, the county and district councils will work with the seven local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Group and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Between them they will provide:
- A property check for the sponsor.
- A Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) on all adults living in the household.
- A welcome visit to the guest.
- A £200 upfront payment to the guest themselves.
Once matched, the county and district councils will work with the seven local authorities, Clinical Commissioning Group and Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Between them they will provide:
- A property check for the sponsor.
- A Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) on all adults living in the household.
- A welcome visit to the guest.
- A £200 upfront payment to the guest themselves.
In addition to checks prior to visas being issued, all households receiving guests from Ukraine will receive checks by the local council on the property and household. All households will be visited to ensure the accommodation is fit for purpose and suitable to receive guests.
If you have volunteered as a sponsor and have matched with a refugee from Ukraine, you should expect a call from either your district council or our “Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine” team. Please be reassured that the local checks are separate from the national process by which visas are issued and will not slow down the visa process.
The Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine team will be checking some details about you and your guest to start the process of DBS checks and will be making an appointment for someone to visit you and your guests once they arrive. During first visits the Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine team will be able to share some more information, including how your guests can register for medical care and school places.
District council colleagues will also be calling to make plans to carry out the property checks which are needed to make sure your property is suitable for the scheme and will be able to discuss any problems with you.
In addition to checks prior to visas being issued, all households receiving guests from Ukraine will receive checks by the local council on the property and household. All households will be visited to ensure the accommodation is fit for purpose and suitable to receive guests.
If you have volunteered as a sponsor and have matched with a refugee from Ukraine, you should expect a call from either your district council or our “Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine” team. Please be reassured that the local checks are separate from the national process by which visas are issued and will not slow down the visa process.
The Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine team will be checking some details about you and your guest to start the process of DBS checks and will be making an appointment for someone to visit you and your guests once they arrive. During first visits the Gloucestershire Homes for Ukraine team will be able to share some more information, including how your guests can register for medical care and school places.
District council colleagues will also be calling to make plans to carry out the property checks which are needed to make sure your property is suitable for the scheme and will be able to discuss any problems with you.
All accommodation will be different and while there is no set expectation, your accommodation needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards. You should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition.
You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space. Two people should not be in one room unless they are: adult cohabiting partners; a parent and child; two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10; two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10. Individuals who didn’t previously know each other should not be given the same room.
Further to this we ask that accommodation:
- be kept clean and in a reasonable state;
- have adequate kitchen and bathroom space;
- have access to drinking water;
- have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building e.g., fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (further information on making a home safe from fire can be found via the link here: Find out how to make your home safe);
- have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g., a coal fire, wood burning stove);
- have sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature;
- have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information);
- have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure;
- be free of damp or mould;
- have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly;
- be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm.
All accommodation will be different and while there is no set expectation, your accommodation needs to be free from serious health and safety hazards. You should make sure your home is safe for your guests and that it is in a suitable condition.
You should also consider how many people you can accommodate so they have sufficient space. Two people should not be in one room unless they are: adult cohabiting partners; a parent and child; two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10; two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10. Individuals who didn’t previously know each other should not be given the same room.
Further to this we ask that accommodation:
- be kept clean and in a reasonable state;
- have adequate kitchen and bathroom space;
- have access to drinking water;
- have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building e.g., fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (further information on making a home safe from fire can be found via the link here: Find out how to make your home safe);
- have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g., a coal fire, wood burning stove);
- have sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature;
- have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information);
- have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure;
- be free of damp or mould;
- have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly;
- be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows children and minors under the age of 18 who have already applied through the scheme to come to the UK without a parent or guardian, subject to strict sponsor checks. As part of a robust safeguarding regime extensive sponsor checks will be carried out by local authorities ahead of any visa being granted, with councils able to veto any sponsor arrangements they deem unsuitable.
Applicants must also have notarised parental consent, the sponsor should be personally known to the parents, except in exceptional circumstances. In recognition of the need to give children greater security, sponsors will be asked to commit to hosting for up to three years, or until they are aged 18 and the sponsorship has lasted six months - in line with the existing commitment for sponsors of adults or parents with their children.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows children and minors under the age of 18 who have already applied through the scheme to come to the UK without a parent or guardian, subject to strict sponsor checks. As part of a robust safeguarding regime extensive sponsor checks will be carried out by local authorities ahead of any visa being granted, with councils able to veto any sponsor arrangements they deem unsuitable.
Applicants must also have notarised parental consent, the sponsor should be personally known to the parents, except in exceptional circumstances. In recognition of the need to give children greater security, sponsors will be asked to commit to hosting for up to three years, or until they are aged 18 and the sponsorship has lasted six months - in line with the existing commitment for sponsors of adults or parents with their children.
Please do not be concerned, the Visa process is separate; your Ukrainian guest can still get their visa and travel to you even if we haven’t been in touch locally yet. We appreciate your patience.
Please do not be concerned, the Visa process is separate; your Ukrainian guest can still get their visa and travel to you even if we haven’t been in touch locally yet. We appreciate your patience.
Although some schools will have places available throughout the year, the choice of school is likely to be limited by the fact that some of the most popular schools will be full when you are applying. The advice for Ukrainian families who need school places is to apply in the usual manner for in-year transfers.
Families should make applications directly to the school(s) of their choice by completing an In Year Application Form and taking this to the school. A paper copy of the In Year Application Form should be completed and sent directly to the preferred schools.
In Year Application Form (PDF , 272.5 KB)
More information regarding In Year applications can be found through the web pages below:
Applying for a school place during the school year Letter to schools - April 2022 (PDF, 109.1 KB)
Please be aware of the following:
- Although we are here to support parents and schools, the In Year process is not coordinated by the Local Authority (Gloucestershire County Council) and “Own Admission Authority Schools and Academies” (schools) make their own admission decisions.
- School places cannot be “held” for any family.
- All applications should be made directly to the school.
- The school has 10 /15 days to make a decision about an admission.
- Once offered, the place should be taken up within 15 days.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank schools and education colleagues for their support and commitment to help children and their families during these challenging times. It is very much appreciated and recognised by Gloucestershire County Council teams.
Although some schools will have places available throughout the year, the choice of school is likely to be limited by the fact that some of the most popular schools will be full when you are applying. The advice for Ukrainian families who need school places is to apply in the usual manner for in-year transfers.
Families should make applications directly to the school(s) of their choice by completing an In Year Application Form and taking this to the school. A paper copy of the In Year Application Form should be completed and sent directly to the preferred schools.
In Year Application Form (PDF , 272.5 KB)
More information regarding In Year applications can be found through the web pages below:
Applying for a school place during the school year Letter to schools - April 2022 (PDF, 109.1 KB)
Please be aware of the following:
- Although we are here to support parents and schools, the In Year process is not coordinated by the Local Authority (Gloucestershire County Council) and “Own Admission Authority Schools and Academies” (schools) make their own admission decisions.
- School places cannot be “held” for any family.
- All applications should be made directly to the school.
- The school has 10 /15 days to make a decision about an admission.
- Once offered, the place should be taken up within 15 days.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank schools and education colleagues for their support and commitment to help children and their families during these challenging times. It is very much appreciated and recognised by Gloucestershire County Council teams.
Thank you very much for considering offering employment for people arrived in the UK from Ukraine. Government guidance asks employers who have vacancies to fill out a form so that job opportunities can be shared across the DWP Jobcentre Plus network and with the Refugee Employment Network (REN), a charity which works with organisations across the UK to support refugees into work.
Guidance for businesses offering work to people coming from Ukraine
Thank you very much for considering offering employment for people arrived in the UK from Ukraine. Government guidance asks employers who have vacancies to fill out a form so that job opportunities can be shared across the DWP Jobcentre Plus network and with the Refugee Employment Network (REN), a charity which works with organisations across the UK to support refugees into work.
Guidance for businesses offering work to people coming from Ukraine
Ukraine: Anti-trafficking resources
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has produced a range of Ukrainian language anti-trafficking resources which you may find useful. This includes a checklist poster, a know your rights poster and a leaflet on the issue of workers’ rights.
Resources available in multiple languages:
Poster - know your rights checklist
The anti-trafficking charity Hope for Justice has also collated a suite of materials that will support organisations working with new arrivals from Ukraine. And as part of their ‘STAY SAFE, WORK SAFE’ campaign, Stop the Traffik have produced a helpful resource providing guidance on anti-trafficking and a series of wider issues, available in English, Ukrainian and Russian:
Ukraine: Anti-trafficking resources
The Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority has produced a range of Ukrainian language anti-trafficking resources which you may find useful. This includes a checklist poster, a know your rights poster and a leaflet on the issue of workers’ rights.
Resources available in multiple languages:
Poster - know your rights checklist
The anti-trafficking charity Hope for Justice has also collated a suite of materials that will support organisations working with new arrivals from Ukraine. And as part of their ‘STAY SAFE, WORK SAFE’ campaign, Stop the Traffik have produced a helpful resource providing guidance on anti-trafficking and a series of wider issues, available in English, Ukrainian and Russian:
Cash donations can be made to one of the below charities to enable humanitarian agencies to get assistance to affected people far more quickly, use it for current necessities, and purchase from local suppliers/providers to help maintain local economies and livelihoods.
If you wish to send goods, we advise using registered charities who have an agreed plan for where the goods will go.
The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator have urged the public to ‘give safely’ to registered charities helping and supporting those affected.
Places to donate include:
Disasters Emergency Committee (Home Office recommended) – Ukrainian Fund
Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS)
Cash donations can be made to one of the below charities to enable humanitarian agencies to get assistance to affected people far more quickly, use it for current necessities, and purchase from local suppliers/providers to help maintain local economies and livelihoods.
If you wish to send goods, we advise using registered charities who have an agreed plan for where the goods will go.
The Charity Commission and Fundraising Regulator have urged the public to ‘give safely’ to registered charities helping and supporting those affected.
Places to donate include:
Disasters Emergency Committee (Home Office recommended) – Ukrainian Fund
Gloucestershire Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (GARAS)