The Suffolk Forum for Refugees, Asylum Seekers and New and Emerging Communities

1
The Suffolk Forum for Refugees, Asylum Seekers
and New and Emerging Communities

• Allison Coleman
• Social Inclusion Co-ordinator
• Suffolk County Council

2
Presentation overview

• History and membership
• Key issues
• Highlighting health issues
• Migrant drop-in sessions
• Partnership links

3
History

• MAF for Refugees and Asylum Seekers
• New and Emerging Communities Forum
• February 2008 merged
• Forum for Refugees, Asylum Seekers and New and
  Emerging Communities

4
Membership

• Around 70 people are members
• 30-35 average meeting attendance
• Statutory agencies local authorities, police,
  health.
• Voluntary community sector Refugee Council,
  Suffolk Refugee Support Forum, Refugee Legal
  Centre, Red Cross, CAB.
• Regional and national bodies EERA-SMP, MENTER,
  UK Borders Agency, GLA.

5
Key issues

• Overlapping issues to consider together
• Destitution
• Housing issues
• Health issues
• Access to information
• Access to services
• Media and communications work
• Co-ordinated approach facilitates change.

6
Highlighting health issues

• Issues raised at forum meetings.
• Report written to capture the issues, discussed
  at a forum meeting.
• Same report taken to NHS Suffolk.
• 2008 Annual Public Health Report includes
  chapters on migrant workers and refugees and
  asylum seekers.
• Review at forum meeting March 2009.

7
Migrant Drop-in Sessions

• Significant increase in migrant workers in
  Suffolk.
• Need for information and guidance in home
  languages recognised.
• Opportunity to bid for pump priming grant from Go
  East.
• Proposal supported by the forum.

8
Migrant Drop-in Sessions

• Working group formed.
• Keystone Development Trust brought their
  experience in Thetford.
• Funding from the participating district/borough
  councils and the county council.
• 5 sessions running weekly across the county.
• 6 month pilot extended to 1 year following
  successful bid to Investing in Communities.

9
Partnership links
Multi agency working at many levels
Forum for Refugees, Asylum Seekers and New and
Emerging Communities
Community Cohesion and Inclusion Delivery
Partnership
Suffolk Strategic Partnership 8 other Deliver
Partnerships 6 Local Strategic Partnerships