Kent Refugee Support Group

krsgroup@aol.com

STRATEGIC PLAN

Mission Statement


Kent Refugee Support Group is dedicated to community development work promoting the social inclusion of refugees and supporting refugees in reaching their full potential. KRSG works to improve understanding between local and refugee communities and to promote appreciation of the special contribution refugees can make.

Community Profile

There are a large number of refugees and asylum seekers in the area in need of assistance. Many of them fall through the statutory support network thus leaving them vulnerable.

Access to education, housing, solicitors, interpreting services, medical care, religion and assistance with benefits are key areas. Together with the understanding that other services are available to them i.e. police, library etc.

Where a claim for asylum becomes successful there is very little support for integration into the local community. The majority of the above mentioned remain key elements together with access to employment and training.

Kent Refugee Support Group aims to provide support and assistance for refugees and asylum seekers.

There is a continuing need to address the problems that have arisen within the local community in respect of understanding and acceptance of refugees and asylum seekers.

It is vitally important that a training programme for refugees is established together with a social and interactive programme with the local community to facilitate relations.

It should be noted that although KRSG services are aimed at the particular service group namely refugees, it has and always will be KRSG's policy to help any individual who seeks assistance. Although we have limited financial support for this general form of assistance KRSG will do so wherever possible. If our resources are insufficient KRSG will actively signpost them to the appropriate service provider.

Service Aims and Objectives

Year One



A daily advice and information clinic dealing with the problems of accommodation, health, education, finding solicitors, etc, providing a welcoming atmosphere where refugees and asylum seekers feel able to come for assistance, and providing information that is readily available in various languages thus facilitating integration into the local community.

Provision of a social centre for refugees within the local community providing a free service where refugees can interact with each other whilst being able to utilise the other services we offer. This will provide the opportunity for refugees and asylum seekers to see that others are experiencing some of the same problems and that they are not alone. It will also enable purely social activities, which are financially unattainable for refugees and asylum seekers due to reduced benefit entitlement.

To provide a pool of certified interpreters and translators as a major difficulty experienced by refugees is that of language, letters from solicitors and statutory bodies being written in English. A team of interpreters is required to deal with this area. A telephone interpreter service is one way in which we plan to help deal with this problem.

Collecting and distributing urgent necessities items such as clothing: many refugees are living below the poverty line, many new arrivals only have the clothes that they wear. It is essential to provide urgent items such as clothing, bedding and basic furniture.

To assist families to visit detained relatives: many families find that a member of their family is often detained upon arrival in the UK, the sense of loss, disorientation and bewilderment often means that many families do not know how to visit these relatives. We aim to assist with these visits by establishing a team of volunteers who are prepared to take these relatives to the detention centres in order for visitation to take place.

Home visiting service: an outreach worker will be appointed in order to ensure that families who are for one reason or another unable to attend the clinic sessions. Outreach work will also include research and feedback, information and befriending, and work into other areas of Kent where refugees and asylum seekers are established, without the ability to access other service providers.

Acting as a representative and liasing with non government organisations (NGOs) and government organisations (GOs) - assisting with the writing of letters, making telephone calls, active signposting when we are unable to assist, and dealing with problems associated with landlords and tenancies.

Organising conferences - informative conferences for local community in order to dispel the myths and propaganda surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, provision of open days, for the local community to interact with refugees, participation in Refugee Week, providing information to schools and liaison with schools to inform students of the problems refugees face.

Laundry service: provision of laundry facilities for refugees. Accommodation does not always provide laundry facilities. This being combined with reduced benefits, refugees often find difficulties in this area. The voucher system exasperates this. The provision of washing machines within the centre will ensure that this basic provision is provided.

Training: providing training for staff and volunteers to empower staff to meet the aims of KRSG. To ensure that they are aware of changes in Immigration Law and any relevant changes that affect refugees and asylum seekers. To establish a programme for the training of refugees, English classes and basic back to work skills in association with other available organisations.

Quality Mark CLS and OISC registration: registration with the Community Legal Services and the Office of Immigration Services Commission will not only be a legal requirement, if KRSG wish to continue giving assistance on legal and immigration matters, but a continuing progression towards quality of service and client satisfaction.


Year Two



Raise additional funding to fund senior case worker to full time, full time receptionist, additional outreach worker.

Staff appraisal;
Development of training plan for staff;
Initialise plans for working towards 'Investors in People';
A comprehensive training program covering English and basic training for refugees and asylum seekers;
Raise additional funds for an individual training program for refugees who have obtained status, in order to assist with employment;
Implementation of additional services to support refugees;
Initiating projects for the under fives and their parents;
To encourage the establishment of self help groups;
To empower women in respect of equality and cultural awareness;
To provide a bank of computers for basic training needs;
To establish a team of at least eighteen refugees and local residents to work regularly as volunteers;
To provide facilities for worship, specifically a mosque.


Year Three

Continuing staff development;
Investigation into materials that still require translation;
Setting up a cultural shop for the refugee community for example the provision of Halal meat;
Continuing development of achievements to date;
Exploring avenues of future funding;
Continue to assess that we are being effective.


Service Delivery

During our first year of operation, as a fully funded organisation, we intend to build upon our previous experience. In order to meet our aims and objectives we need to achieve the following;

Organisation

Secure suitable premises to facilitate our aims.
Establish policies and procedures and a sound office structure.
Ensure adequate staffing levels both salaried and voluntary, to provide a range of services.
Invest in our staff in respect of training opportunities and staff development.
Establish a team of interpreters both in-house and via a telephone service in order to ensure that the problems brought to us are understood and that our clients understand what options are available to them.


Client Base

Data collection is essential in order to establish exact numbers and nationalities of refugees and asylum seekers. Through data collection we will be able to ensure that our facilities meet the needs of our clients.

The premises that we will require will need to have sufficient space for our aims to become reality. A reception and waiting area, a private interview room, together with office space and a room large enough to utilise as a social and training area, are required.

The Information Clinic will be open on a daily basis for at least three hours per day. The centre will provide information and advice, covering our previously identified areas of need. Where we are unable to assist, active sign posting will be used. Clients will be encouraged to complete feedback forms and, through a continuous process of analysis of these, we will be able to ensure that the services we are providing meet the needs of our clients, both on a combined and individual basis.

The Information Clinic will be the first point of contact for many of our clients, however for those who are unable to access this facility it is imperative that outreach work is established, thus ensuring we reach those unable to come to us. Outreach work will further ensure that our aims meet the requirements of all refugees and asylum seekers.

A supply of basic need items is required, i.e. clothing and bedding, in order to provide these items when required. Establishing links with organisation that are able to assist in this, either by donation of items or by assisting with distribution will ensure that no refugee should find themselves without clothing or bedding.

The provision of at least two washing machines, available for use on a daily basis, within the building, will ensure that refugees are able to access this basic requirement.

Volunteers will provide us with the additional manpower to extend our services. Volunteers will be recruited from both local residents and refugees, thus assisting with relations between the two communities and providing valuable assistance. Volunteers will be valued in the same manner as paid staff, training will be provided for those who wish to specialise in specific areas. Others will assist with transportation of families to attend meetings with solicitors or to visit detained relatives. Administration will also be another area where volunteers will prove to be an invaluable asset.

The implementation of training classes for refugees and asylum seekers, initially with English classes.


Funding



Funding is secured for the first three years of operation via the Community Fund. This provides for core funding and the funding of a full time co-ordinator, a full time administrator, a part time caseworker and a part time outreach worker. Consortium funding is secured for two years for a volunteer co-ordinator.

The levels of funding secured emphasise the need for a dedicated team of volunteers. Funding is sufficient to enable our first year's objectives to be achieved - indeed this is a requirement of the funding bodies - and to operate for the three years. However, to extend our services we need to secure additional funding. Areas requiring additional funding will become self evident from the analysis of the feedback forms. Although these will prove an invaluable indicator of what is required, we must remain proactive.

A full time receptionist/administrator who will be able to arrange appointments for the caseworker and signpost other members of the community will be required.

Funding for basic training of refugees has been secured; however, once the barriers of language have been overcome many refugees wish to enter employment. Additional funding needs to be secured to initiate a project that will provide intensive training for refugees who have obtained status. This intensive training will be developed to an individual action plan aiming to secure full time employment.


The Future and Organisation



Raise additional funding to extend previous training objectives;
Employ sufficient staff to meet needs;
Increase and improve the services already provided;
Establish sound projects for integration;
Improve relations between refugees and the local community;
To provide a place of prayer;
To provide a cultural shop for refugee commodities that are scarce in this area;
Continue to assess that we are being effective.


Can we achieve the plan and how will we know?
We have come a long way from the humble beginnings in 1996 and have been through a long learning curve, which will continue. We now employ staff, albeit on a limited basis due to funding. It is paramount that we secure suitable premises. We have sufficient expertise and a sound base to now be able to move forward and realise our goals. We are still in a position of potential growth and should aim for this to be at a steady pace. Our finances, for our initial aims, are secure.

Improvement in relations between asylum seekers and the local community will provide evidence that our aims and objectives are being achieved. Evidence will also be available through evaluation of previous cases. It is envisaged that, as refugees become integrated into the local community and secure employment, they will not require our services on the present level. This does not mean that we will become redundant, only that our clients will become established and that other refugees will take their place.

Registered Charity Number. 1077438

This Page was last updated: Monday, June 30, 2003 at 12:47:11 PM
This page was originally posted: 26/2/03; 4:07:06 pm.
Copyright 2004 Thanet Refugee Access