Islington’s Refugee Integration and Asylum Seekers Service is in the spotlight after receiving a commendation for their work in the annual national local government awards run by the Local Government Chronicle Magazine.The service provides support to over 1,700 people and seeks to integrate asylum seekers and refugees into the community, helping them feel happy and at home in the borough. Cllr Meral Ece, executive member for health and social care for adults said: ‘Many asylum seekers have fled from violence, persecution, war or torture in their own countries and have suffered extreme physical or mental injury. Reaching and reassuring them requires a determined, flexible and sensitive approach.’‘Islington’s Refugee Integration and Asylum Seekers Service aims to provide the best possible service using innovative ways of reaching people and forging relationships. We are legally obliged to provide a certain level of support but we go beyond the minimum required of us since we believe that integrating asylum seekers and refugees is crucial to the well-being of the whole community.’Key projects include: · Comprehensive health and welfare support -o Accessing GPs.o Referrals to the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims of Torture.o Helping victims of domestic violence.· Targeted campaigns to help high risk groups· Support for children and teenagers –o An initial interview with the school where the student’s level is assessed and a package of learning and social support is put together.o One-to-one language coaching at school, special induction periods and social support using a ‘buddy’ system.o For the past two years the council has been a partner with Capital Radio running the Children at Christmas distribution of toys and games to asylum seekers families and children.o An information pack has been produced introducing the education system to parents and children.o Summer holiday play scheme giving children the opportunity to join in with other youngsters in their area and to take part in sports, picnics, trips to London sights and a Carnival club.o Summer university for 22 young people who took part in a variety of classes and workshops at ‘Islington Summer University’.Government watchdogs, the Audit Commission, described the service as ‘very well regarded by service users and user groups’. The refugees and asylum seekers describe themselves as being very satisfied especially with the help they received from the education team.Case Studies: Mr TMr T is a young gypsy man who came to the UK from Serbia in March 2003. He is an only child whose mother died when he was five and his father raised him at home and taught him how to play the violin. On arrival in England, Mr T was offered a service as an unaccompanied minor as he had no family. He had witnessed a lot of violence during the war in his country and is still troubled with flashbacks and nightmares. He was depressed and requested counselling and was referred to the Medical Foundation.Mr T was encouraged to enrol in college and through key work sessions stated that he wanted to start playing the violin again. IASS managed to put Mr T in touch with Camden Music who listened to him play and were impressed by his talent. They arranged for him to join an orchestra, and loaned him a good violin. Camden Music also put Mr T in touch with a music charity where a private benefactor had agreed to fund Mr T with music tuition once a month for a year.Mr T is an extremely bright young man. He now studies music and arts in college and has a very good level of English. Due to his exceptional talent, he has been taken on at the Royal Academy of Music and is being tutored there. Mr T continues to progress and it is likely he will have a future career in music.Ms HMs H came to this country from Eritrea in 1999 as a single adult and she had been forced to leave her children behind in the care of neighbours. Once Ms H arrived in the UK, her old neighbours in Eritrea were forced to move and she lost contact with her children.Ms H, who was accepted as an asylum seeker, had no idea where her children were, although she still had a picture of her daughter on her key ring. In 2002 Ms H happened to be in an Ethiopian shop when the shopkeeper noticed the key ring. He claimed that he knew the child and that she was in the UK. Ms H was assisted by the Citizen’s Advice Bureau in tracking down her daughter and it was established she was in local authority care in Haringey, having been brought to the country by an agent. Ms H initially had supervised access, then weekly visits to the foster carer, as they had not seen each other for three years. Both Ms H and her daughter also received counselling.Haringey and Islington then worked together to arrange the transfer of support for the daughter to Islington, accommodation from IASS and access to schools, all this taking place in the school holidays to minimise disruption.Ms H was concerned about childcare and we arranged for her daughter to use the summer play scheme that the IASS has secured funding for, easing the path to living together.The family has settled well and her son later joined Ms H. The purposeful activities grant was able to fund a play scheme space for the younger child and the older child to act as a young volunteer.The family is now doing well and there are no concerns. Ms H is extremely grateful that we were able to ensure the transition for the family worked well.ends
Page Last Updated: 29 July 2008