Invasion of Ukraine | BASW Information Hub

• On 20 March 2023, BASW wrote to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State, to highlight ongoing improvements needed for the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. On 2 May, we received a response from the Minister for Housing and Homelessness, Felicity Buchan MP.
• In January 2023, BASW published "UK Social Work & the War in Ukraine." to support, inform and empower social workers across the UK in their ongoing practice in relation to the Ukraine visa schemes.
• On 6 April 2022 BASW wrote to Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State, expressing our concerns with the delays, safeguarding, and the support available in the UK for Ukrainian refugees. 
• Following our statement on 23rd March 2022, BASW asked Alex Cunningham MP to lodge a follow up question in the UK Parliament on further details of safeguarding checks for those who have offered their homes to refugees. Read the full response.
• On 11 March 2022, BASW wrote to the Home Office urging the UK Government to scale up its response to the crisis.   

• BASW's Ukraine Leadership Update (July 2023)
• BASW Statement on the Illegal Migration Act (July 2023)
• On the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, BASW Chief Executive, Dr Ruth Allen reflects on the devastation caused by the war and considers the UK's response to the crisis and its approach to other humanitarian disasters across the world.
• BASW’s opposition to ‘outsourcing’ asylum seekers to Rwanda and Ukraine refugee crisis update (June 2022)
• Invasion of Ukraine – BASW statement update (23 March 2022)

• Let's Talk Social Work- podcast episode with Dr Rory Truell, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Social Workers to explore social work’s response to the crisis in Ukraine.
• Information for Ukrainian refugees.  Coming to the UK: Information for Ukrainian refugees (16 March 2022)
• Download resource for social workers:  Responding to humanitarian crisis – the role of social workers during disasters. (BASW England)
• Call for social work voices on Ukraine.  PSW magazine and BASW provide platform to hear from social workers and people they support affected by the tragedy
• BASW member and international social work podcaster David Niven has created ‘Voices from Ukraine’ podcasts which can be downloaded from his website 

• Statement by the International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW): MILITARY AGGRESSION IN UKRAINE
• The IFSW has put a call out for funds to support volunteer social work efforts in in the main refugee countries (where there may be fewer state funded social work services able to respond to need).
• Read more:  FSW statements
• Read more:  IFSW share lessons from the frontline of the Ukraine refugee crisis

England 

• Homes for Ukraine: guidance for councils
• The Local Government Association in England has dedicated pages for Ukrainian Refugee issues 

Scotland

• Scottish Government guidance is here
• Scotland Welcoming Ukrainians to the United Kingdom (updated at 2pm on 21 March 2022) – SPICe Spotlight | Solas air SPICe (spice-spotlight.scot)

Both Scotland and Wales have decided upon additional assistance measures and their Governments can be listed as sponsors under the sponsorship scheme.

Wales

• Welsh/Cymru Government guidance for everyone is here
• New Welcome Ticket schemes to help refugees and people from Ukraine integrate into Wales (8 May 22)
• See also guidance for local authorities in Wales  
• Wales A “Team Wales” welcome for Ukraine people | GOV.WALES

Northern Ireland

• Northern Ireland government guidance for everyone is here 

BASW suggests the following actions that many members could take at a local level:

• Find out who is coordinating support and safeguarding visits for Ukraine refugees in your local authority area and find out what advice is available for refugees and hosts
• If none is available or it is inadequate, raise this with the relevant managers/leaders
• If refugees are coming to your area, find out how safeguarding checks for adults and children are being done and alert local refugee and safeguarding leads to the risks of the ‘social media’ ‘matching’ scheme
• Check whether there are arrangements being put in place to support hosts and if not, suggest this to local coordinators
• See if there is planning in place to protect people in cases of hosting arrangements break down
• Reach out to Ukrainian community support organisations and see if you can provide information or signpost them to further help and resources, whether statutory or voluntary
• Write to your MP and/or local Councillors about local and/or national concerns. Let BASW know what response you get.

We will continue to develop the advice and suggestions for members and also get and share feedback from members about the actions they are taking.