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Welcome to Surrey and council support for Ukrainian Nationals

Welcome to the UK

This guide is for Ukrainians arriving in the UK and covers what you need to know in your first few days, getting used to life in the UK, including how to find a home, access essential public services, healthcare, find work and childcare and education services. Visit the GOV.UK Welcome Homes for Ukraine: Guidance for guests webpage.

Registering with a doctor/GP to get healthcare

A General Practitioner, commonly known as a GP, is the first doctor you will usually visit for routine health problems in the UK. A GP can offer medical advice, provide a diagnosis and prescribe medicines. They might be your first point of contact for many physical and mental health concerns. The GP practice or doctors surgery is also responsible for coordinating and managing your long-term healthcare and they can refer you if you need more specialised hospital services

Everyone has a right to register with a GP and you do not need proof of address, immigration status, ID or an NHS number (you may be asked to provide ID but it is not a requirement). We strongly recommend that you register with a GP as soon as possible after you arrive. You can also register temporarily if you expect to be in an area for more than 24 hours but less than 3 months. If you have ID this can help make sure your name is spelled correctly in your NHS records. Find your nearest GP service.

Who can you call in an emergency?

In an emergency you should call 999 and ask to for one of the four services: police, ambulance, fire or coastguard. You should only do this in an emergency situation such as:

  • a serious offence is in progress or has just been committed
  • someone is in immediate danger or harm
  • someone's life is at risk
  • property is in danger of being damaged
  • a serious disruption to the public is likely
  • there is a fire or road traffic collision that requires assistance

To contact police in a situation that isn't an emergency, you can submit a crime report online via the Surrey Police website, or you can click on the live chat button in the bottom right of the Surrey Police website. You can also call on 101.

Welcome to Surrey

Surrey is made up of 11 district and boroughs, some services that you will need can be provided by these district and borough councils others are provided by Surrey County Council.

To find out which district or borough you are in, simply type in the town or village where you are living by using the Surrey interactive map.

Support available in the different district and borough areas of Surrey

To find out what support is available in your local district and borough area please check the following websites.

Services provided by Surrey County Council and partners

Helpful points of contact for families

Surrey's family information service is a free information and signposting service for families with children aged 0 to 19 (up to 25 years for those with additional needs). The role of our service is to help families get the most out of the information and services available in the community and online. This could be something like helping you find out about local events and activities for your child, or pointing you in the right direction when things aren't going so well and you need a bit of extra support.

The Learners' Single Point of Access (L-SPA) offers help and support if you have a concern about the development and/or learning needs of a child in Surrey. Both parents and practitioners working with children in Surrey are welcome to call the L-SPA. It is open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, all year round (except Bank Holidays) on 0300 200 1015.

If you are a child or young person being abused or neglected, or an adult who is concerned about a child or young person's safety and wellbeing, you can contact the children's services 'Single Point of Access' between 9am to 5pm on Monday to Friday. Always call 999 in an emergency.

Family centres

Family centres provide one-to-one family support where family circumstances are having a significant impact on the health, development or wellbeing of the child/ children. Family centre locations.

Temporary bus pass available for Ukrainian nationals on the Homes for Ukraine scheme

Surrey County Council has worked with bus operators in Surrey to set up a scheme offering Ukrainian nationals a temporary bus pass to give them free travel on their most used bus route.

12 month on-street resident parking permit

For Ukrainian refugees who have travelled to the UK in their own vehicles, a free 12-month parking permit is now also being offered at their host address, regardless of whether the household has reached their permit allocation. Ukrainian nationals should contact our Surrey Parking Enforcement Team by emailing parking@surreycc.gov.uk to arrange their parking permit. Please note, this offer applies to residents parking permits and not council car parks.

Find more information about on street parking on our parking permit schemes webpage.

Find more information using the links to district and borough councils.

Libraries support

There are lots of libraries across Surrey offering well-established support to Ukrainians entering the UK. These offers and the support available is designed to help refugee communities feel welcome. Find your nearest library.

The support on offer at Surrey's libraries includes;

  • Free access to computers and Wi-Fi
  • Free access to materials to learn English, and access to physical and online resources in other languages
  • Free activities and reading resources for children and families
  • A trained workforce who can help with access to information and resources
  • Community space to use for learning and networking
  • Signposting to local education, health and wellbeing services
  • Signposting to other Council services
  • Signposting to community organisations and resources
  • Tours of the library and all services offered

You can find more useful information for Ukrainians on the Libraries Connect website. Libraries Connect is a charity providing support to all communities, ethnicities and ages.

To find out more about Surrey's libraries including what other services can be offered, visit the Surrey libraries webpage.

Getting children into a school for education

If you are a parent or carer who would like to apply for a school place for your child, you can do this by visiting the apply for an in year school place web page.

Where can Ukrainian families find advice on getting a school place?

We recognise the challenges that families from Ukraine will face and so, if a parent or support worker needs further advice in relation to getting a school place, please contact Surrey Schools and Childcare Service.

Free home to school travel

Some children are eligible for home to school travel assistance. For criteria and how to apply please see the apply for under-16 travel assistance to school web pages.

Free school meals

Children in reception, Year 1 and Year 2 automatically get free school meals. Children in Year 3 or above may be eligible for free school meals. This includes if their parent is receiving Universal Credit. For more information and to apply for free school meals, you should contact your child's school.

Childcare

Ukrainian nationals will be able to get advice and support to find childcare from our Family Information Service.

The Family Information Service website includes:

  • Information and eligibility criteria for funded early education and childcare for children aged 2 to 4 years.
  • Information on Tax Free Childcare for working parents of children aged up to 12 years.
  • A childcare finder where families can enter their post code to search for local childcare provision.
  • Information about Family Centres who may be able to signpost families to local childcare provision and advise on how to make an application for funded early education.

The childcare finder can support families who are looking for:

  • Early Years provision – nurseries, pre-schools, school nurseries, and childminders, for children aged 0 to 4 years, where families may be able to access funded hours dependent on eligibility. This provision may be offered term time only (38 weeks per year) or up to 52 weeks per year dependent on the type of provision and the needs of the family.
  • Before and after school clubs and holiday play schemes for all ages.
  • Childminders providing before and after school and holiday childcare for all ages.

Family Information Service contact details:

Learning to speak English with Surrey Adult Learning

Surrey Adult Learning have English language courses free for Ukrainian nationals who entered the UK via the Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme.

More details can be found on the Surrey Adult Learning English courses for Ukrainians web pages.

You can enquire about English language courses for young people by using this post-16 enquiry form.

Post-16 education and English language courses for young people from Ukraine

Post-16 education and employment

To enquire about post-16 education, such as college, further education, apprenticeships, and employment, please use this post-16 enquiry form. You can also use this form to enquire about English language courses for young people.

English language courses

We now have Online English Conversational Language sessions. The lessons are free and available to adults on the Homes for Ukraine visa. The lessons do not lead to any qualifications but will cover the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) curriculum. If you are interested in the lessons, please fill in your details on the expression of interest form and someone will be in touch.

The providers listed below are in Surrey and offer English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and conversational English classes:

Further Education Colleges

Other providers

Considering applying for Higher Education

The government has guidance and information on education for peoples from 16 years old to adults as part of the Homes For Ukraine Scheme. Visit the GOV.UK Education for people from 16 years old to adults: Homes for Ukraine webpage for details on how to apply for student funding.

We have been advised that the government will help students to complete their studies in the UK if the course takes them past the end of their current visa. Options available will depend on the situation in Ukraine but it will likely be either an extension or graduate visa. Further information and full guidance will be available in due course.

Financial, health and welfare support in Surrey

There is information about financial, health and welfare support online.

If you are unable to find the right help and support online you can speak with a member of our Community Helpline Team. You can talk through your needs with them and they will help to point you in the right direction for financial, welfare or wellbeing support in Surrey.

  • Telephone: 0300 200 1008 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)
  • Complete our community helpline enquiry form
  • Textphone (via Text Relay): 18001 0300 200 1008
  • Telephone from overseas: +44 20 8541 9944 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays)
  • SMS: 07860 053 465
  • VRS: Sign language video relay service

Adult social care - getting support for a vulnerable adult

Adult social care aims to help people stay independent, safe and well so they can live the lives they want to. This includes people who are frail, have disabilities or mental health issues and the people who care for them. We provide information and advice about care and support, offer short-term help and options for longer-term support if people have more complex needs.

People who have fled Ukraine may arrive with care and support needs and may therefore benefit from adult social care.

Find out about adult social care services in Surrey and who can access them via our adult social care and support webpages.

If you need further information or advice, you can call 0300 200 1005, email asc.infoandadvice@surreycc.gov.uk or use SMS (for the deaf or hard of hearing) on 07527 182 861.

You can refer to adult social care via Ukrainian.referralsASC@surreycc.gov.uk

For additional information about Safeguarding Adults in Surrey with care and support needs, please visit the Surrey Safeguarding Adults Board website.

Concerns for an adult

If you are concerned that an adult may be at risk of harm, abuse or neglect, please report it.

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