These are challenging times, and we want to do what we can to support the work that is being done to find refugees safe housing in the UK.
One of the ways we’re helping is through a partnership with Derbyshire Councils, where we’re enhancing property safety and helping to speed up parts of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
The Homes for Ukraine scheme allows people in the UK to offer accommodation for at least six months to Ukrainian refugees. Alongside homes, the government is also providing funding to support refugees in rebuilding their lives.
The scheme has had more than 200,000 offers of accommodation. However, all the homes need to go through a vetting process. The first step is always an inspection to ensure they’re providing a safe environment for incoming refugees.
We’re providing Derbyshire Councils with free commercial SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) licenses, which can be used by local government officers to implement the required digital property inspections and get Ukrainian refugees into their temporary homes much faster.
We’re also sharing the process more broadly, as the new digital inspection process spearheaded by Derbyshire Councils, can also be accessed by any local authority and local government officer in the UK.
You may have heard a little bit about the initiative on the news — here’s an excerpt from BBC News:
Tim Summers, Principal Environmental Health Officer, South Derbyshire Council, said: ”We are finding SafetyCulture (formerly iAuditor) a tremendous tool for our Homes for Ukraine property inspections, enabling us to standardise inspections and analyse data to create consistent standards across our region and nationwide.”
Nicky Chenery, General Manager EMEA at SafetyCulture, said: “ Working with local authorities including Derbyshire Councils to create digital and standardized processes is just one way we can help, by bringing refugee safeguarding to the top of the agenda.
“Even better is that these templates can be used nationally by other local authorities so that we can get refugees into safe homes as quickly as possible. The Property Inspection Template will be available to any local authority or charity that needs it. I’m confident that these tools will help local authorities make a real difference.”
Local authorities seeking support in delivering the Homes for Ukraine initiative can contact SafetyCulture, who will be on hand to provide access, onboarding, and support in getting started with the Property Inspection Template.
To gain access, please reach out to Anis El-Aidouni at anis.elaidouni@safetyculture.com.
