Ukraine - A Warm Scots Future: island communities impact assessment

A Warm Scots Future : Island Communities Impact Assessment

Please ensure this template is completed in conjunction with the Island Communities Impact Assessment (ICIA) Guidance on the Scot Gov Website.

Name of Policy, Strategy or Service: A Warm Scots Future

Step One – Develop a clear understanding of your objectives

Upon Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the Scottish Government stood in solidarity with Ukraine and committed to supporting those seeking sanctuary. While our Warm Scots Welcome programme focused on the welcome accommodation and the immediate needs of displaced people from Ukraine, it is clear that a move towards a longer-term and more sustainable response is required.

This paper sets out the policy direction for the next phase of Scotland’s response to the humanitarian crisis created by Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. This will help the Scottish Government and our partners transition from an emergency response to a long term and holistic approach that supports the integration of displaced people from Ukraine, in alignment with the New Scots refugee integration strategy.

Five overarching strategic priorities have been identified to guide this next phase of Scotland’s Ukraine response:

1. A trauma informed, holistic and rights-based approach to long-term integration, in line with the New Scots refugee integration strategy

2. Reduce reliance on welcome accommodation

3. Boost long-term settled housing that leaves a legacy for Scotland

4. Pursue clarity on routes to settlement, family reunification and repatriation

5. Continued partnership and collaboration, ensuring good governance and recognising the lived experience of displaced people from Ukraine

The intended impact and outcome of the paper is to set the direction for the next phase of Scotland’s response to the war in Ukraine. This paper focuses on the longer term integration and settlement of those displaced from Ukraine in Scotland.

The paper builds on the Warm Scots Welcome programme that focused on the immediate needs of those arriving in Scotland from Ukraine as a result of Russia’s illegal war. This new paper sets out a longer term direction for those who remain here and how they can be supported to integrate into Scottish communities.

Islands are not specifically identified within the policy position paper.

Step Two – Gather your data and identify your stakeholders

Many of those displaced from Ukraine are concentrated within the central belt of Scotland, where the majority of welcome accommodation is provided. The population of displaced people from Ukraine on Scottish islands is very low. As of 20 February 2024, operational data published by the Home Office (HO) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DHLUC) shows arrivals of those displaced from Ukraine with a visa sponsor based on Scottish local authorities with island communities as follows:

The numbers of arrivals in those island local authorities are much smaller than those seen in City of Edinburgh (769), Fife (458), Glasgow City (417), and Perth and Kinross (409).

The numbers of completed matches, Ukrainian school pupils and location of individual sponsors varies between islands as demonstrated below.

Numbers of completed matched accommodation by local authority:

Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - May 2023

Numbers of Ukrainian pupils displaced from Ukraine enrolled in Scottish schools by local authority:

Pupils displaced from Ukraine | Tableau Public

Data on the number of individual sponsored visas, on the basis of the local authority of the sponsor’s property is available via the link below under the section named “Voluntary compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics”:

Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority

The paper does not set out a different approach in relation to the five strategic aims specifically for island communities, and instead focuses on Scottish communities as a whole – wherever displaced people from Ukraine choose to settle.

In preparing the policy position paper, external consultation with key stakeholders has been undertaken to ensure that due regard is given to the experiences of displaced people from Ukraine in Scotland. This engagement includes Scottish Local Authorities, third sector organisations and charities including the Scottish Refugee Council (SRC), the Ukrainian Consul in Edinburgh, and the Ukraine Stakeholder Reference Group which is co-Chaired by Scottish Ministers, COSLA and SRC and includes lived experience representation of displaced people from Ukraine. The paper has also been presented to the Scottish Government Safeguarding Group which includes a number of external stakeholders consisting of numerous local authorities. These stakeholders collectively offer a significant insight into the experiences of displaced people from Ukraine

Consultation has also involved internal Scottish Government stakeholders such as colleagues across the Ukrainian Resettlement Directorate and wider Scottish Government with policy expertise in Safeguarding, Housing, Homelessness, New Scots, Refugee and Asylum Integration and Migration. Analytical colleagues from the Performance, Delivery and Resilience Directorate and Digital Directorate for User Research have also provided input. We will continue to consult with delivery partners throughout any implementation of future policy actions in line with the strategic priorities.

Our ongoing stakeholder engagement includes representatives from COSLA and local authority resettlement teams, which includes representation from island communities. The Ukraine Stakeholder Reference Group has also been included in consultation.

Strategic priority 5 within the policy paper commits to continued partnership and collaboration, ensuring good governance and that the voice of displaced people from Ukraine is recognised.

Our partnership working approach with delivery partners and in line with the Verity House agreement has been a key feature in the development of the policy paper. No further mitigations are required.

Step Three - Consultation

Consultation is ongoing throughout the development of the paper. This has extended to internal Scottish Government colleagues, COSLA, local authority resettlement leads, the Stakeholder Reference Group, the Scottish Refugee Council, and the Ukrainian Consul to take into account the views of delivery partners and displaced Ukrainians living in Scotland. We asked about the barriers faced by displaced people when integrating into Scottish communities and the cause of these.

Information gathered through these consultations suggests that displaced people are hesitant to reside in more rural areas where there is less access to cultural activities and connections to others in the Ukrainian community, and other specific support mechanisms.

However, in certain island communities there is greater availability for longer term accommodation and employment opportunities. Our development of the paper included using a case study from Argyll and Bute, a local authority with island communities. This case study highlighted the breadth of resource for displaced people who have arrived there.

Step Four - Assessment

The policy position paper and the strategic aims do not present any unique or potential barriers to island communities at this stage. It should be noted that impact assessments will be undertaken separately to understand the impact and assess future policies developed as a result of this paper. This document, and the evidence included, sets a framework for conducting impact assessments in future, to ensure that island community considerations continue to shape the implementation of Ukraine policies and programmes. The impact assessments that are to be developed will seek to build on the evidence in this impact assessment, including through engagement with stakeholders and people with lived experience.

A full Islands Community Impact Assessment is NOT required

In preparing the ICIA, I have formed an opinion that our policy, strategy or service is NOT likely to have an effect on an island community which is significantly different from its effect on other communities (including other island communities). The reason for this is detailed below.

Reason for not completing a full Islands Communities Impact Assessment: Our assessment has concluded that the Warm Scots Future policy position paper is not likely to have a significantly different impact on island communities and a full ICIA is therefore not required. The evidence referred to in this paper demonstrates the small proportion of displaced people from Ukraine residing in Island Communities. One of the main priorities within the paper focuses on the reduction of reliance on welcome accommodation. There is no welcome accommodation provision in Scotland’s island communities and therefore would be unaffected by any future policy actions related to this priority. The other strategic priorities within the paper relate to the overall integration of displaced people from Ukraine in Scotland. The small numbers of those within island communities means that there will be a nominal impact on these communities where integration is encouraged. If future actions demand it, further assessments will be undertaken.

Screening ICIA completed by: Dominique Taylor
Position: Strategic Policy Manager
Signature and date: 27^th March 2024

ICIA authorised by: Will Tyler-Greig
Position: Deputy Director – Ukraine Resettlement
Signature and date: 9^th April 2024