Request for Quotation for the Provision of Intense Resettlement Support for refugee families who have arrived via the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Afghan Resettlement Assistance Policy (ARAP) and the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS)

The United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) is grant funded by the Home Office to resettle displaced refugee families from within the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region. The UKRS replaces the successful Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) and the Vulnerable Childrens Resettlement Scheme (VCRS) which closed to new arrivals 25th February 2021. VPRS provided sanctuary to those fleeing the Syrian conflict to neighbouring countries specifically Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt. VCRS was specifically designed to resettle vulnerable refugee children and their families from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Under the UKRS, the government has made a commitment to resettle up to 5000 refugees within the UK commencing April 2021 through to March 2022. At this time, it is uncertain as to whether the government plan to have a rolling UKRS programme, annually.

The Afghan Resettlement Assistance Policy (ARAP) & Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme (ACRS) are also grant funded by the Home Office to resettle displaced refugee families from Afghanistan. The ARAP scheme has been designed to assist up to 15,000 local Afghan individuals and their families who worked with the British forces during the war.

The ACRS has been formed to support those additional families who have been displaced after the affects of the recent conflict. This scheme will welcome up to 5,000 people in the first year, and up to a total of 20,000 over the coming years, leading the way in the global response to the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

As a City of Sanctuary ( https://oxford.cityofsanctuary.org/ ), Oxford is proud of it's ongoing support to vulnerable refugee families welcoming their wealth of knowledge, experience and diversity into our community.

Assuming that appropriate, affordable and sustainable properties can be secured within the city boundary, Oxford City Council are hoping to support up to 8 families through the UKRS before March 2022. In addition, the council are also hoping to support a further 10 families under the ARAP/ACRS over the coming months, potentially leading to a total of 18 families. (Additional funding may be secured should the number of families surpass the original number of 10 requested within this tender.)

This tender is aiming to commission the support services needed to aid the familes in their immediate arrival in the UK and up to 18 months thereafter to ensure they are welcomed and assisted in reaching their goals to achieve a safe and comfortable life in Oxford.

Experience and knowledge gained from working within the VPRS and VCRS and with our partners, identified some good practices, but also identified areas for improving the customer journey into happy resettlement.

Some examples of good practice: • Initial welcome and orienteering including setting up bank accounts,utilities, healthcare provision and schools etc • Intense housing support • Flexible approach to ESOL - driving theory classes