Submission from Oasis Cardiff.

Currently Oasis Cardiff is supporting Cardiff Council with the Ukrainian Welcome centre. We are providing informal English language classes and supporting integration. Currently there are approximately 25 learners. As well as this, many families have been coming to our centre in Cardiff for additional support, signposting and accessing our English language classes. We have over 20 families that are accessing the centre and services.

From our 14 years of experience working in the sector, we would encourage WG to develop consistent taskforce groups that enable the third sector and statutory partners to work together in meeting the needs of the Ukrainian situation. It is vital that the information that is collected can be quickly disseminated and actions assigned, in order to make the system more efficient and effective. I would observe the seismic work that was undertaken in response to Penally, where there were significant levels of collaboration through multi agency channels to engage with those in Penally and which resulted in individuals not getting lost in the midst of the situation. Oasis Cardiff were involved in providing activities and support in Penally, and would be able to share best practice and lessons learned from the experience.

Just in Cardiff alone there are an additional 200 plus asylum seekers staying in contingency accommodation, who at some point will be moved into dispersed accommodation. The increasing pressures on the statutory and third sector organisations means that any further additions to the resettlement process needs to be supported with additional funding measures, and better signposting.

Vicarious Trauma is a concern for professionals that work in this sector, as they address and provide support to those seeking sanctuary. For families that are hosting under the Ukrainian scheme, a recommendation of some talk therapy may be needed, as well as for those being hosted.

Ultimately there is a wider concern about the disparity between how sanctuary seekers from the Ukraine are being treated differently to those from other countries such as Sudan or Iran. Many, if not all, of the people that come to the UK are facing war and yet the visa situation, the call for hosting, and the instant access to state support increases the levels of inequality, de-skills and demotivates those that are not Ukrainian.