Cabinet, at its meeting on 22 January 2025, will consider a report from the Executive Director (Corporate Resources) seeking approval and adoption of the draft Council of Sanctuary framework document.

Cllr Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Tom Hook, Executive Director (Corporate Resources), Nerys Parry, Head of Housing Service, Richard Wood, Housing Strategy and Needs Manager, and Stephen Cohen, Refugee and Resettlement Manager have been invited to present the report and answer questions.

The Committee is asked to consider the report and agree any recommendations.

Councillor Linda Smith, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Nerys Parry, Head of Housing Services, Richard Wood, Housing Strategy and Needs Manager, and Stephen Cohen, Refugee and Resettlement Manager, were present to answer questions on the report. 

Councillor Smith presented the report to the Committee and expressed her delight at the achievement of the accreditation which reflects Oxford’s history of welcoming people from around the world and supporting refugees and asylum seekers. She explained that the framework incorporates a three-year action plan aimed at supporting the accreditation and empowering local community and voluntary group support systems. She explained that, despite its breadth, the report does not request additional funding. Councillor Smith thanked Refugee and Resettlement Manager for his continued work.  

The Chair thanked Councillor Smith, the Housing Strategy and Needs Manager, and the Refugee and Resettlement Manager. 

The Housing Strategy and Needs Manager and the Refugee and Resettlement Manager introduced themselves to the Committee. The Refugee and Resettlement Manager described the framework as a bold vision intended to support people seeking sanctuary. Most migrants come to work or study and settle in Oxford, but the Council recognise that not everyone has an easy journey. He explained that officers have built relationships with stakeholders and developed knowledge to support the action plan on issues such as homelessness, housing advice, data collection, and English tuition. The importance of partnership with stakeholders and existing residents was emphasised in the context of a two-tier authority where delivery responsibilities fall across multiple bodies. The Refugee and Resettlement Manager linked the framework to the Council’s Thriving Communities Strategy and requested comments and questions from the Committee. 

The Chair invited the Committee to raise questions on matters within the report.  

Councillor Ottino sought clarity on how many people the report refers to and stressed the importance of this for measuring success. He also expressed concern at how ambitious and broad the plans are, noting a fear that focus could be lost and suggested that more precise targets could be useful. 

Councillor Mundy referred to the letter sent by Councillor Djafari-Marbini, as introduced by the Chair earlier, and summarised these points alongside his own comments. Councillor Mundy similarly questioned whether a lack of detail in the report could limit assessment of the framework’s success. The Committee heard of his experience working with refugees on English tuition. More detail on the strategies for supporting English tuition were requested and the importance of English proficiency for enabling refugees and asylum seekers to integrate into the local community was emphasised.  

Councillor Jarvis thanked officers and Councillor Smith for their continued work and welcomed the accreditation status. He queried specific sections of the report:  

·       In reference to page 82, section 6.6 he observed that in regards public transport, the phrasing used is incongruent with actions being taken at the County Council level and asked how this could be explained. 

·       In reference to page 79, section 3.1 he requested further detail.  

As general points, Councillor Jarvis also noted that the increased trend of anti-migrant violence in the UK is not recognised in the report and suggested it be included within the actions to prevent such instances in Oxford City. Furthermore, Councillor Jarvis asked Councillor Smith what challenges or implications she expects from the change in government recently on the national policy challenges referred to on page 74.  

In response to the questions, the Refugee and Resettlement Manager explained that KPIs are under development across internal and external partnerships to support the action plan which will support success measurements. He explained that the report is a higher-level insight into the strategy of the framework but that the feedback would be taken on board and an annual report, including KPIs, will be made to Cabinet.  

The Refugee and Resettlement Manager then explained, in reference to cohort size, that the focus on those who have fled war and conflict includes varied categories for which data availability across Oxford City varies. For example, there is some data on those who are in Home Office accommodation, but it is not complete for those who have moved on. It was also explained that plans exist to improve monitoring of data on rough sleeping to establish a more in-depth database on hidden groups.  

In regards English language education, The Refugee and Resettlement Manager detailed the partnership work that exists with Oxfordshire County Council as part of the Oxfordshire Migration Partnership. This involves development of a memorandum of understanding to support the availability of English tuition and to identify gaps which can be addressed. The Committee were informed that this work is ongoing and will be reported on using KPIs. 

In response to Councillor Jarvis’ specific questions, The Refugee and Resettlement Manager stated that transport responsibilities lie with Oxfordshire County Council and therefore expectations must be managed but noted that Oxford City Council does support the recent pilot scheme enabling free bus travel for asylum seekers run between Oxfordshire County Council and local charity Asylum Welcome. 

In reference to national policy changes, the Housing Strategy and Needs Manager agreed that the framework would need to keep pace with changes from central government but explained that the report does not contain any plans which have not been deemed realistic and deliverable. He committed to reflecting on this matter and encouraged the Committee to make recommendations on how this could be achieved. In addition, Councillor Smith positively noted that the new government’s commitments are helpful for supporting those stuck in Home Office accommodation for extended periods with minimal resources, such as those in a local Holiday Inn Hotel.  

Councillor Rowley noted the link between the framework and housing and agreed with Councillor Smith on the positive intentions of the new national policy. He asked whether there had been any engagement with central government concerning the rapidity of evictions from asylum accommodation once settled status is granted. Separately, Councillor Rowley also queried whether the Council has access to expertise on assessing the intersectional needs of vulnerable persons to ensure sensitivity when considering their experiences. He asked specially in relation to any assessment of vulnerabilities of persons within the housing system. 

Councillor Qayyum thanked officers. In reference to page 78 section 2.1, she asked what support there is for navigating the housing system and whether the partnerships deliver relevant outreach work, noting that asylum seekers and refugees often do not have digital access and may experience language barriers. Secondly, in reference to sections 2.2 and 2.3, Councillor Qayyum sought clarity on whether it is compulsory for Council colleagues to undertake relevant training, specifically on modern slavery. 

The Chair referred to page 65, paragraph 18 and focused on needs assessments and requested that the private information be made public as means of answering some previous questions. Additionally, the Chair suggested that additional focus on bringing communities together could support reduction of far-right activity in the localities. Methods to support and address this were questioned. Finally, the Chair pointed to the narrow geographical data categories used to report on the origins of asylum seekers and refugees; she asked if this could be further disaggregated to support the varying needs of distinct groups, using the example of those from Hong Kong in her ward.  

The Refugee and Resettlement Manager noted, in response to Councillor Rowley, that the government has been lobbied in relation to the notice period for eviction from Home Office accommodation which has resulted in an increase from 28 to 56 days. He explained this would be in place until June 2025.  

The Refugee and Resettlement Manager then focused on the questions relating to the needs of vulnerable persons and detailed research undertaken since 2023 including interviews of over 100 residents of varying immigration statuses. The action plan in the report has been built around this information, appreciating the intersectional needs. The Housing Strategy and Needs Manager committed to review this and determine whether more information could be made public. The Chair emphasised that the confidentiality of individuals would be protected and associated risks managed. The Housing Strategy and Needs Manager also noted that staff training has been shaped to address intersectional needs to provide more skilled support.  

In relation to English proficiency, the Refugee and Resettlement Manager recognised the barriers individuals can face and noted that section 6 of the report addresses issues with digital access. He explained that the Council are updating accessible communication including the website and creating a newsletter, but that the value of face-to-face housing advice has also been supported through weekly officer visits to asylum seekers and refugees in hotels. He stated an intention for more similar initiatives. Furthermore, it was explained to the Committee that Oxfordshire County Council employ an anti-slavery coordinator (who is employed by Oxford City Council) whom Officers plan to work more closely with, in regard to issues related to refugees and asylum seekers. 

Councillor Ottino expressed wishes for the framework to be a success and sought clarification on whether there would be a further report on more data driven targets to ensure plans are realistically deliverable. The Housing Strategy and Needs Manager assured the Committee that all actions included in the report are deliverable but admitted there could be further focus on KPIs going forwards. He committed to sharing this with the Committee in the future. The Refugee and Resettlement Manager noted that the needs assessment does not cover all available data due to privacy requirements but committed to reflecting on this during the development of the KPIs. 

The Chair invited the Committee to consider recommendations. 

The Committee resolved to make the following recommendation(s) on the report to Cabinet:  

1)    That the Council establishes and reports on clear Key Performance Indicators for its action plan, providing annual updates to the Scrutiny Committee to monitor its progress and ensure accountability. 

2)    That the Council updates the document’s text on National Policy Challenges to include contextual information that recognises the evolving policy environment and anticipates potential changes to national policy. 

3)    That the Council acknowledges the prevalence of anti-migrant violence by adding to the Key Challenges section of the document a list of specific responses and preventative measures addressing this key issue. 

4)    That the Council releases the Needs Assessment report to the public to foster better understanding of the experiences of people seeking sanctuary, ensuring that any confidential data it contains is appropriately safeguarded. 

The Chair reiterated her congratulations on the achievement of the accreditation and thanked everyone who contributed to the report.  

The Refugee and Resettlement Manager and the Housing Strategy and Needs Manager left the meeting.