Ukrainian refugees who have been rehomed in Argyll are finding jobs very quickly.
Argyll and Bute Council reports that its resettlement programme from the war-ravaged country is proving to be a success.
Many of the refugees have already found jobs within the community. And the local authority has signed up its first cohort of education professionals on its career pathway.
Details about how the Ukrainian refugees are settling in are revealed in a report to the full council.
Morag Brown, resettlement lead, said: “This will see them working in our schools initially in a support role to gain experience and knowledge of our curriculum.
“We intend in time for this to lead GTCS (General Teaching Council for Scotland) recognition or registration. The other benefit of this approach is this provides Ukrainian speakers in schools with Ukrainian pupils. We have 50 pupils in 14 settings across the authority.”
How many Ukrainian refugees are currently in Argyll?
In Argyll and Bute there are currently 232 Ukrainian Displaced People (UDP).
Of these, 111 are here with Homes for Ukraine Visas where the sponsor and guest self match before arrival.
There are 64 people with super sponsor visas where people are matched with a sponsor or allocated social housing after a temporary stay in a hotel.
And 57 people are currently staying in a hotel with a super sponsor visa, with matching discussions in progress.
The number of people changes daily
The number of people in sponsorship and temporary hotel accommodation changes daily.
As guests move out of the hotels when they are successfully matched, they are quickly replaced by new guests arriving in Scotland.
There is also a number of new arrivals each week through the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Around 9,000 Ukrainian refugees have arrived in Scotland since war broke out in February.
Hotels such as The Oban Bay have welcomed refugees alongside guests
In Argyll, the scheme has seen The Oban Bay Hotel on Corran Esplanade welcome refugees while staying open to regular guests.
Meanwhile in Inverness this month, a major city centre hotel closed to customers. The Craigmonie Hotel on Annfield Road has agreed a six-month contract to be exclusively used to help people fleeing the conflict.
Since four venues across Argyll and Bute joined the scheme, a total of 167 people have stayed in participating hotels. The team has found matches for 93 people who have moved out into sponsorship within Argyll and Bute or further afield.
Local matching is much more successful
The resettlement team leader added: “Local matching is much more successful for Argyll and Bute than the national matching service.
“This is because we have built a relationship of trust with the UDPs and we know our area, our job market, our schools and our sponsors and can make informed decisions on what would be a good and sustainable match and what will not.
“The UDPs in the hotels, with a very small exception, are very happy in Argyll and Bute but they are also clear that they do not want to stay anywhere too remote.”
How many properties are being provided by social landlords?
Social landlords in the area have made properties available for the refugees.
West Highland Housing Association has two properties occupied. Fyne Homes has seven occupied properties. And Argyll Community Housing Association (Acha) has five properties currently being decorated, carpeted and furnished.
Uptake has been high on English Speaking for Speakers of Other Languages classes. More tutors are currently being recruited.
Ms Brown concludes her report: “What is clear is that our sponsors and our communities are supportive, welcoming and safe and Argyll and Bute offers both a place to recover from the horror of war and to plan for the future, whatever that may be.”
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