Staying safe online and in the UK: Homes for Ukraine
How to meet your new sponsor and their family, while staying safe online. Also information about how to stay safe in the UK.
The UK takes your welfare very seriously. If you are worried about your safety and need more advice, contact your local council.
If a child or adult is at immediate risk of harm, call 999 or 112.
There is also more information on how to get urgent help.
Many Homes for Ukraine sponsors and guests meet for the first time online. This has made matching very quick and easy but matching on social media can have risks so you should be cautious when you meet someone online.
Here are some tips about how to stay safe when you meet a sponsor online.
Get to know the sponsor
Speak to your potential sponsor using messages to find out more about them and what interests you might share. Ask to speak with all members of the sponsor’s household on the video call. Ask for a video tour of the house where you will live.
Research your sponsor online
If you meet someone on one website or app, you can search for their profiles on other apps to help build up a more complete picture. You could try Google, LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram. Avoid anyone with no other linked accounts or users with only one picture and little or no information about themselves.
Your personal information
Until you know your potential sponsor better, don’t share any personal information like your passport number, where you live, your date of birth or where you work or study.
Keep family and friends informed
We recommend that you let friends and family join you for calls so they can meet your potential sponsor and then share their opinion. If you choose this sponsor, tell your friends or family where you plan to meet them and at what time. When you arrive in the UK and meet your sponsor, if you can, contact your friends and family to let them know you are okay.
Stay safe on social media
You can make social media safer by turning on all the available privacy settings. Women’s Aid and Facebook have created a guide to staying safe online.
Connect to other people from Ukraine through an established social media group
Joining a social media group might help you connect with other people who share your interests, and help you make friends before you arrive. There are well-established groups for people from Ukraine who live in the UK online.
Charities and community organisations
We have published a list of voluntary and community sector organisations that can help you find a match. You can also look at some charities’ websites for more guidance and support. You can find out more about recognised providers or charities who can help you.
Meeting your sponsor when you arrive in the UK
Your first meeting with your sponsor should be in a public place, ideally during the day where possible. Do not accept a lift from anyone who is not your sponsor unless you already agreed with them that someone else would pick you up. If you do not feel safe get help from the police, Border Force or Welcome Point staff. In an emergency, call 999.
Sponsor checks to keep you safe
Your sponsor will be checked by the UK government, and the local council where your sponsor lives will also check their property. You can expect someone from your local council to visit a few weeks after you have moved in. This is a good opportunity to tell your council about any concerns you have. You can find your local council.
Keeping you and your family safe in the UK
Keep in touch with your family
Share your new address with your family. Make sure you and your family know who to contact if you feel that your safety, or the safety of anyone in your group, is at risk. Store important telephone numbers on your phone and write them down. Arrange to call your family at a set date and time each week, if possible.
Meet people in your local community
When you arrive in the UK, depending on where you live, there may be other Ukrainians in the area who you can connect with. You might also want to make contact with friendly neighbours who you could ask for help in an emergency. There are also Ukrainian community groups all over the UK, to find out more about this look at the Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.
Get to know the local area
Familiarise yourself with your new address and phone number, and your new area, including walking and local transport routes. You can save offline maps using an app on your phone. Your children should also know their address and telephone number.
Keep your items safe
Keep important documents, like birth certificates and passports, secure, and keep any copies of them in a different place to your original documents or stored on your phone. Do not let anyone take your passport away from you.