There are many Ukrainian individuals and families who need to be sponsored and hosted. But not everyone's circumstances and homes are suitable for sponsoring and hosting. There are also other ways to help, even if you do not sponsor and host.
The Government prioritises the suitability of your home, but we prioritise your suitability, as we believe that hosting entails more than the provision of a roof over your guests' heads.
Are you suitable?
Besides your accommodation, you have to consider whether you are up to hosting a Ukrainian family for six months. Here are some things to think about:
Six months is a long time to have someone living with you, let alone a family, let alone a family of strangers, let alone a family of strangers from a different culture, let along a family of strangers from a different culture who have just left a warzone!
Ukraine isn't Mars, but there are real cultural differences between the UK and Ukraine, and some of these involve sensitive subjects like attitudes toward children and childcare, safety and safeguarding.
Your guests are likely to be middle-class professionals, not very unlike you! They will be accustomed to a particular way of life, and will likely be frustrated that their new life is not like that.
Your guests may also be traumatised by their recent experiences; and even if not, they may be homesick or feel guilty for having left, etc. You may feel the brunt of this mental anguish.
In other words, this is not just a matter of putting a roof over their heads. There is real practical and pastoral support required, which it will be your privilege and your burden to bear. We will help, not least by putting you in touch with other hosts, but much is up to you. If you are not up for this, it is best to leave hosting to others.
Code of Practice
By agreeing to host through us, you are also agreeing to our Code of Practice, which enables us to work smoothly and to avoid foreseeable problems:
1) keep us informed at all times of your progress, including (i) when you have made an offer, (ii) when the offer has been accepted, (iii) when you have submitted visa applications, (iv) when visa applications have been approved, (v) when there is an arrival date, (vi) when guests arrive. You may keep us informed either through Sarah (who matched you) or Jonathan (07799271913).
2) keep us informed of the terms and details of the offer that you have made to your guests (esp., duration of stay)
3) follow our visa application protocol, including filling out the application on behalf of your guests
4) be kind, courteous, and patient at all times, and add value to our community (e.g., on WhatsApp groups)
Is your accommodation suitable?
One way to think about whether you should host is to think about the accommodation you can offer, and whether it it suitable. Suitable accommodation could be
a spare room in your home, or
a separate self-contained area (e.g., loft conversion) within your home, or
a separate building (e.g., "granny flat") on your property, or
a separate unoccupied property
The accommodation must be available for at least six months, be fit for people to live in (safe, heated and free from health hazards), with adequate access to bathroom and kitchen facilities, and suitable for the number of people to be accommodated.
A sofa bed in a living room or other shared space would not be considered suitable.
Furthermore, two people should not be accommodated in one room, unless they are:
adult cohabiting partners;
a parent and child;
two siblings of the same gender if aged over 10;
two siblings regardless of gender if aged under 10.
Certainly, individuals who previously unknown to each other should not be given the same room.
The government is also requiring that accommodation:
be kept clean and in a reasonable state;
have adequate kitchen and bathroom space; — kitchens may be shared, but we recommend thinking about whether you have adequate number of bathrooms
have access to drinking water;
have a working smoke detector on each floor of the property and other fire safety precautions suitable for the building e.g. fire doors or escape routes as appropriate (further information on making a home safe from fire;
have a working carbon monoxide detector in any room containing a solid fuel burning appliance (e.g. a coal fire, wood burning stove);
have sufficient heating to keep the property at a comfortable temperature;
have safe gas appliances, fittings and flues and have undertaken a Gas Safety check within the last year (see more information);
have safe and working electrics, which a qualified electrician can help with if you are unsure;
be almost entirely free of damp or mould;
have doors and windows at entry level that lock properly;
be easy and safe to move around in, without excessively steep staircases that may cause harm.