Once you have matched with a Ukrainian person or family that you wish to host, the following steps must be undertaken:
- Visa application(s) if your guest is not already in the UK
- Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
- Overseas Criminal Record Check (if applicable - see section below)
- Household and safeguarding checks.
These are not always done in the same order, but they must all be completed.
Visa applications
If your guest is not already in the UK, you or your guest must apply for a visa to enable them to travel to the UK. A separate form must be completed for everyone who wishes to be sponsored and is intending to travel.
The visa application will ask for your personal information in order to confirm your identity and eligibility to be a sponsor. As much as we wish to believe everyone is genuine, there have been reports of people exploiting the current situation to commit identity fraud or apply for more visas than agreed with their sponsor. If you are providing your personal information to your guest to enable them to apply for their visa, or if you are offering your accommodation via a community group or other organisation, please make sure you know they are legitimate.
If you have concerns about sharing personal details, you may prefer to fill out the visa application form on behalf of the individuals you are sponsoring. To do this, you will need to ask them for their information. Read more about this or apply for a visa on the Government website.
Sometimes visas will be issued before other checks are completed.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks
Once you have registered as a host with the Government's Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) or via Suffolk County Council’s online form, your details will be downloaded by Suffolk County Council. The Council is then required to do a DBS check of all adults over 16 in your household, even if you have an existing certificate.
The process for this is as follows:
- You will receive a call from Suffolk County Council to gather some initial information, including how many people over 16 years live in the host household. We aim to make this call within 2 working days of receiving your information.
- You will then receive an email from the Community Action Suffolk DBS Service asking you to complete an online DBS checking form.
- You will be asked to make an appointment to attend a local library so that your ID documents can be verified.
There is a range of documents that each person will need to produce to verify their identity. Visit what documents do you need for a DBS check application? - DBS Checks to see a list of documents suitable for a DBS check. If all guests are adults who are not classed as vulnerable, we will undertake a standard DBS check. We will undertake an enhanced DBS + barring list check where any guests are children / aged over 65 / adults with identified disabilities/illnesses/learning difficulties.
We aim to undertake our checks before guests arrive whenever possible. If your guests have already arrived, or are arriving imminently and your check has not yet been undertaken, please contact us at refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk and we will endeavour to prioritise your checks.
Additional Overseas Criminal Record Check
From the 1 November 2023, Suffolk County Council will be seeking additional checks on hosts who have lived overseas in the last 5 years.
Any Suffolk resident wishing to become a host, who has lived overseas and in the last 5 years is required to obtain an overseas criminal record check as part of our local checking process, prior to a guest taking residence with them. Only lead hosts need to obtain the certificate.
This check will need to be undertaken before Suffolk County Council making the ‘Thank you’ payments.
You can obtain your overseas criminal record check from the following areas of the gov.uk website:
Countries A to F
Countries G to P
Countries Q to Z
Cost of Certificate
The cost of the certificate is the responsibility of the applying host. Please note, further costs may be involved if translated copy is required. However, an un-translated version will require further time to process by Suffolk County Council.
The cost of the certificate is the responsibility of the applying host. Please note, further costs may be involved if a translated copy is required. However, an untranslated version will require further time to process by Suffolk County Council
On receiving the certificate, a copy should be sent via email to refugeesupport@suffolk.gov.uk.
Please include your Host ID for reference, this can be found in the subject of the conformation email which will be sent to you after your initial telephone call with the Homes for Ukraine team member.
A complete copy of the certificate is required and must clearly show all pages for processing as part of your application.
Suffolk County Council, alongside its partner organisations, will continue to administer, process and pay
Household and safeguarding checks
We will also check the suitability of your property. The process for this is as follows:
- You will receive a telephone call from Suffolk County Council to collect information about your household and the property in which you will be inviting guest(s) to live in.
- An in-person visit will then be undertaken by your local District & Borough Council who will ensure that your property meets the required standards.
How we use your information
Suffolk County Council is committed to protecting your privacy and will treat an individual’s personal data in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Legislation. Your information will not be used for other purposes or supplied to third parties except in accordance with the law. Under the Data Protection Legislation, you have a number of rights regarding any personal data held by us in relation to this project. See our Homes for Ukraine Scheme privacy notices for full details.