Councillor Chris Penberthy (Cabinet Member for Housing, Co-operative Development and Communities) introduced the report and highlighted;

a)    Plymouth had been designated a dispersal City for Asylum Seekers under the 1999 Immigration and Asylum Act and had a proud history of accepting and settling refugees from before the act and since;

b)    The services offered by PCC helped those arriving in Plymouth to navigate their way through the cultural and organisational systems, enabling them to resettle, connect and become part of the city in a positive way;

c)    Many refugees experienced traumatic experiences in their home countries and in their journeys to their new country of residence as well as during the process of gaining status and it was important to improve legal support, access to education and employment opportunities, and improve housing conditions;

d)    The report recommended the approval for the recommissioning of the previous Refugee Integration Service to support the smooth resettlement and integration of people with refugee status into the community;

e)    The voluntary and community sector organisations across the city provided integral support;

f)     There were approximately 350 asylum seekers living in Home Office commissioned dispersal accommodation at any given time in Plymouth and that was increasing.

Emma Crowther (Interim Head of Commissioning) added;

g)    The service was jointly funded by Community Connections, Strategic Commissioning and NHS Devon Integrated Care Board and would take an asset-based approach to provide help and support with access to housing, improved English language skills, increased self-sufficiency via employment and community integration;

h)    The work would also contribute towards community cohesion within Plymouth and support other organisations to become more culturally aware;

i)     The service would learn from what had and hadn’t worked in the past and reflect the current migration patterns and the latest legislative requirements.

The Cabinet agreed to:

1.    Approve the business case, including the proposed procurement process for the resettlement support service to ensure continuity of provision of an integration and resettlement service;

2.    Delegate to the Strategic Director for People the authority to award contract(s) where they would not already have the authority to do so;

3.    Ensure providers evidence co-production and co-delivery at the heart of the service, with local providers, and those with lived experience, having a clear voice woven through both delivery and management of the service.