Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:50 pm on 14 June 2022.
I just want to particularly look at the issues for local authorities that you've raised, because this has been a real challenge for them in terms of housing and how we can support them. In terms of homelessness, the use of temporary accommodation at the moment is quite considerable, and so meeting with the local authority leaders on Thursday was very important. That's why we also met with cabinet members—new cabinet members, new leaders, as well as existing ones coming back into their roles. We agreed a pan-Wales response. All local authorities have to play their part. That includes those who haven't got welcome centres, as you say, Sioned. We've got a framework for accommodation, which sets out expectations for all local authorities, and it provides information on the formula for that responsibility. We're working very closely with the WLGA, monitoring where people have been rehoused, and also making sure that there's a mixture of accommodation available—individual hosting, private rented sector, RSLs are now involved, and social housing.
I've mentioned pressures on local authorities, and this is part of our nation of sanctuary. We already have some Afghan families not yet settled into long-term accommodation. We have over 7,300 people in Wales in temporary accommodation. We do need to be flexible and creative about how we can help local authorities. On Thursday, we were able to tell local authorities that we've got a new transitional accommodation capital programme. Local authorities can apply to that to increase their accommodation to support existing housing pressures, alongside the Ukrainian response. And, obviously, we have homelessness prevention work ongoing—it's the 'everyone in' approach—as well as the resettlement programme. I hope that gives you some reassurance that we're seeking to support this the best we can in terms of the needs that we've got.
There are breakdowns of placements. For the family scheme, which we don't have the data on, and we have no funding for, we still do not know how many we have in Wales unless they come forward, but they are actually contacting local authorities when there's a breakdown, and they are incorporated into this framework for accommodation guidance, and then making sure that there is a rematching arrangement. Of course, we do have our Welsh Government helpline. As I said, I visited it. It's 24/7. They're working very hard to meet some of these needs that emerge as a result of the pressures on local authorities and their arrangements.
Finally, I would say, in terms of the funding situation, that the Welsh Government is putting our money into this. We are a nation of sanctuary, and we're very concerned that the UK Government isn't providing Welsh Government with the funds needed to operate our welcome centres. But we are working with them to try and establish a memorandum of understanding to get funding towards the support needed for Ukrainian families via the supersponsor programme, and I can update you on that. I think it is important that we continue to press on this, as I meet on a regular basis. I hope that this has given you some indication of what the task is for local authorities, communities, sponsors—all the new sponsors coming forward—and the third sector. We're looking at new opportunities for more welcome centres, but even with more welcome centres, there needs to be a move-on arrangement.
Mental health support is crucially important. I'll just say that, in the welcome centre that I visited, the local authority and the health board met with us, and they had a team of four nurses who were there providing support, including a mental health, trauma-informed approach to psychological first aid. They were engaging and they had translators and interpreters, so there was a clear commitment with that welcome centre. But this is also for all the families who are sponsors; they also need access to psychological services as well. This is an enormous new ask of all our services, particularly in relation to mental health and support.