Refugee Support London Services

Transcription

1 Refugee Support London Services Working in partnership to support refugees and asylum seekers What s inside? What's inside? Introduction Who we Our are background Our mission Our vision Our vision Our service Our values users Our support Partner working services Our staff Our services Key findings Our partners Success story Our achievements

2 Our Mission Refugee Support seeks to provide quality housing services and support to refugees and asylum seekers, which develop their independence, promote their positive contribution to this country and ease their integration into the UK. Our vision Working in partnership to support refugees and asylum seekers To become the recognised special agency linking with support for asylum seekers and refugees. Our values We will achieve our mission and objectives by: working in partnership with other organisations working with refugees and asylum seekers in a way that maximises their involvement and actively seeks their feedback providing services that are cost effective, provide value for money for commissioners and ensure Refugee Support remains financially viable ensuring staff are valued and supported to perform well through effective management, access to training, development opportunities and involvement in service development. Success story: David Williams 'David now has a permanent job in a factory. He is doing well and hopes to be promoted to a forklift driver.' David is 37 and from Zimbabwe. He lives in Derby. When he was originally referred to Refugee Support he was greatly lacking in confidence. David worked hard to get a qualification as a forklift truck driver. He applied for various jobs but was initially unsuccessful. With encouragement from his support worker he was eventually selected by an agency to cover holiday and sick leave in a hospital kitchen. He was good at the work and was steadily given more hours. David now has a permanent job in a factory. He is doing well and hopes to be promoted to a forklift driver. David is no longer claiming job seekers' allowance, housing or council tax benefit. He pays his rent on a regular basis.

3 Working in partnership to support refugees and asylum seekers Refugee Support We aim: To provide quality housing and support services that are sensitive to service users needs and assist in the settlement and integration of refugees and asylum seekers. To increase the housing options available to refugees. To promote the positive contribution refugees and asylum seekers make to society and enable integration and cohesion through non-housing community initiatives. Introduction We are one of the country s leading providers of housing and support for asylum seekers and refugees. We have a unique history of working with refugee community organisations, refugee agencies, local and central government. As an organisation we combine this experience, empathy and cross-cultural understanding with our excellent track record of professionalism and management of quality services. Fundamental to our approach is an emphasis on partnership. We pride ourselves on supporting people from all over the world, no matter what their race or religion, and provide services without prejudice. Our staff are committed, experienced, skilled and come from diverse backgrounds. We value diversity and try and promote a culture that respects the differences between people. Our service users are dealt with individually whilst recognising that they may share a common refugee experience. Our background Refugee Support, formerly Refugee Housing Association was formed in 1957 to provide accommodation for refugees from central Europe. In 1994 we registered with the Housing Corporation to become a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) and in 1997 we joined the Metropolitan Housing Trust (MHT) group. As a subsidiary of MHT, we operate independently through offices in London, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, supporting over 60 nationalities. In April 2007 Refugee Support joined StepForward, Threshold Support and Walbrook Support to form a new organisation, Metropolitan Support Trust (MST). Refugee Support is now the name of the refugee services within MST.

4 Working in partnership to support refugees and asylum seekers Refugee Support services We pride ourselves on supporting people from all over the world, no matter what their race or religion, and provide services without prejudice. Our staff are committed, experienced, skilled and come from diverse backgrounds. Our services are follows: Refugee Support SERVICES SUPPORTED HOUSING FLOATING SUPPORT UNACCOMPANIED YOUNG PEOPLE 1. Supported housing (Accommodation-based) This service targets single adult refugees and offers regular support and quality housing for up to two years. Short-term support schemes last up to two years and work towards helping the service users to move on to independent living in their own accommodation. This service includes: A partnership with the Medical Foundation for the Victims of Torture, which gives vulnerable refugees housing, together with counselling and support for the emotional and psychological after-effects of their experiences. 2. Floating support (Hammersmith and Fulham, Croydon and Bromley) The aim of these services is to provide flexible outreach support to tenants from a range of landlords to help them achieve independence and prevent homelessness. It assists both families and single adults. The services encompass two functions: helping refugees to settle in the UK, and assisting landlords to manage their tenancies better. We also that ensure refugees understand their entitlements and responsibilities in the UK. The service is flexible in order to meet the particular needs of each service user and the average period of support is six months to two years. Floating support can include any of the following: Help with claiming benefits and budgeting Help with furnishing your home Maintaining the safety and security of your home Help to access social and leisure activities Counselling and emotional support Help with finding training or employment Help to deal with other agencies i.e. rent department, benefits agency Help with finding other accommodation.

5 Working in partnership to support refugees and asylum seekers 3. Unaccompanied young people's housing We provide housing and support services for unaccompanied young people, aged between 16 and 21. We believe that unaccompanied minors are highly vulnerable and are entitled to the same rights as British-born children. We provide quality accommodation with staff on site, a 24- hour call-out service and individual support packages. Refugee Support also offer the following additional services: The Home Learning Project assists refugees who face difficulty accessing mainstream ESOL provision to learn practical English. Volunteer tutors, qualified and/or experienced in TEFL/ TESOL teaching, offer flexible, one-to-one ESOL support in the homes of refugees or at other convenient locations for 1 hour/week over 6 months. The project aims to enable refugees to communicate effectively, better access services, overcome isolation and integrate into life in the UK. It also aims to widen refugees choices in education and to assist them, where possible, to move into classroom learning. Refugee Support also offer volunteering opportunities for service users. Our partners Much of our work requires us to establish effective partnerships. In the past year, we have worked successfully with a wide range of partners for referrals, service delivery, support to residents and funding for services including: Supporting People Teams Refugee community organisations Refugee agencies Refugee Forum Day centres Medical Foundation Red Cross. We work closely with a variety of local authorities and housing associations to deliver services, and we employ community initiatives officers in each region to lead our work with the voluntary sector. Some key findings from the residents survey (2004/05) Qualify/usefulness of Refugee Support Empathy/understanding of Refugee Support staff on first meeting service users Friendliness/helpful of Refugee Support staff 73.5 % satisfied 78.5% satisfied 79% satisfied

6 Contact us If you would like more information about Refugee Support please visit our website at: or contact us at any of the addresses below: MHT House Crescent Lane London SW4 9RS Tel: Refugee Support is part of Metropolitan Support Trust