Census: Guidance, Help & Support

We have been signposted to the guidance for completing the Census which should be done over the next few days.

Please find below some links to the guidance, specifically highlighting the questions and scenarios which could relate to a Self-Catering property.

This guidance is the only information we have at this point which has been issued by the Scottish Government.

Everyone staying at your address must be included in your questionnaire.

More guidance is available to help to decide whether to include someone as usually living at your address or visiting or staying on the night of 20 March 2022.

There are various Scenarios listed:

Check out the full guidance for H4 on Census.gov.scot website HERE

(PLEASE NOTE: You will need to scroll down the page to see all of the scenarios for answering this question in full)

 

What is the census?

Discover what the census is, what it asks and how the information it collects helps Scotland.

More about the Census

Complete the Census Here

 

 

 

Scottish Government: Ukraine Refugee Sponsorship

Scotland outlines ‘super-sponsor’ proposal in commitment to support Ukrainian refugees.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has outlined the Scottish Government’s commitment to maximise its contribution to the UK Government’s community sponsorship scheme, whilst emphasising it must provide more clarity on how the scheme will work.

It is expected that Ukrainians will be able to apply to come to the UK if they have been matched with a ‘sponsor’ who will provide accommodation.

In a joint letter to Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, the First Minister and First Minister of Wales Mark Drakeford have proposed that the Scottish and Welsh Governments act as ‘super sponsors’.

This would enable Ukrainians to get clearance to come to Scotland or Wales quickly and be accommodated temporarily, while the Scottish and Welsh governments then work with local partners to provide longer term accommodation (including where appropriate with private individuals who have volunteered rooms), safeguarding and access to services.

The letter makes clear that no cap will be set by Scotland and Wales on the numbers of refugees they will welcome.

As an immediate commitment Scotland has offered to support 3,000 refugees in the initial wave, in line with the numbers that were resettled under the Syrian scheme. Overall, the Scottish Government is committed to welcoming at least a proportionate share of the total number who come to the UK. The letter says it is essential all arrivals have access to public funds including welfare benefits, and are exempted from the Habitual Residence Test for accessing these.

In addition, the First Ministers’ letter calls for urgent clarity on funding arrangements to support local government and suggests a per head funding arrangement similar to the Syrian and Afghanistan schemes to support resettlement and integration costs.

While committed to doing everything possible to make the UK government’s proposed scheme a success, the First Ministers also renewed their call on the UK Government to waive all visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals.

Read more.

“Those offering a place to stay will be vetted and have to agree to house a refugee for a minimum period.

A senior source in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities told the Guardian it was still considering the length of time for which people from Ukrainewill be able to reside in the UK under the scheme.

Details of the new “sponsored” humanitarian refugee route are expected to be revealed on Sunday with a full announcement on Monday by Michael Gove, the communities secretary.

The refugees are expected to be recruited by the Home Office and will require visas in addition to biometric and security checks.”

Read more.

Homes for Ukraine: register your interest

If you want to offer a home to people fleeing Ukraine, you can become a ‘sponsor’ as part of the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Use this service to register your interest in becoming a sponsor. You can register as an individual or as an organisation.

You can read more about the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions and answers on how the Homes for Ukraine scheme will work.

What can we do, as a community, to help?

Fairbnb.coop is creating a platform that can be used by NGOs and humanitarian organisations to find hosts for refugees. The first version will be available in the next few days.

Please fill in the registration form if you can help.

The Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers is proud to be supporting Fairbnb.coop with this initiative.

Find out more.

The ASSC will keep you updated as and when advice becomes available.

First Minister’s Statement 18th January 2022

The First Minister updated Parliament today on COVID-19 and confirmed that additional measures aimed at stemming the spread of the Omicron variant whilst the vaccination booster programme took effect are to be lifted.

The First Minister provided a Covid-19 update to the Scottish Parliament which covered the following issues:

  • Latest statistics: 7,752 positive cases were reported yesterday through PCR and LFTs. 1,546 people are in hospital with Covid (-21) and 59 people are in intensive care (+1). A further 31 deaths were reported, taking the total number of deaths under the daily definition to 10,093.
  • The FM confirmed the Scottish Government’s steps in lifting the protective measures against omicron which were introduced in December. She added that “the data gives us confidence that we have turned the corner on the Omicron wave” but “significant pressures and uncertainties remain”. She claimed that a combination of booster vaccinations, the willingness of the public to adapt behaviours, and the “temporary protective measures” had helped suppress the impact of the Omicron wave.
  • The following measures would be lifted from Monday 24th January: limits on attendance at indoor public events, the requirement for 1m social distancing in indoor public places, table service in hospitality venues serving alcohol, and the closure of nightclubs. Furthermore, from this date, the guidance on asking people to stick to the three household limit with indoor gatherings would be removed.
  • However, the mitigation measures that were in place before omicron will be retained at this stage. She also noted that the Scottish Government would not extend the vaccine certification scheme to other venues.
  • People will continue to be asked to work from home whenever possible, with employers asked to facilitate this. However, the Government will engage with businesses now about a return to a more hybrid approach from the start of February if case numbers continue to decline.