Home Office feedback opportunities

As a Community Sponsorship group, you will have several opportunities to provide feedback on your experience of welcoming a family to the UK. The Home Office have created a brief on their reporting requirements to make the process as simple as possible for you to follow. Listed below are details of the opportunities for you…

How groups can support families experiencing bullying

This resource has been produced for community sponsorship groups who may need to support refugee families who are experiencing bullying in school. It has been produced in collaboration with the Anti-Bullying Alliance who are a coalition of organisations and individuals that unite against bullying to create safer environments in which children and young people can…

Immigration information

The most important thing we can tell you is this: if you or members of the refugee family you are supporting are in need of immigration advice, you should consult a registered Immigration Adviser or Lawyer.  You can identify an Immigration Adviser here: gov.uk/find-an-immigration-adviser These resources are designed to give you some idea of what to expect…

Managing financial disappointment

For most refugees, integration and financial security are interlinked, especially when they are resettled to a relatively wealthy country like the UK. Refugees will have also heard rumours from their networks about the UK and other countries that may lead them to believe that resettlement equates to not having to worry about money. Many Groups…

Moving house

After arrival, some families might express an interest in moving elsewhere in the UK. There could be many reasons for this; they may have relatives or friends elsewhere, they might wish to live somewhere more or less quiet than where they currently are or where there is a larger population of people who speak the…

Preparing for uncomfortable conversations

When the resettled family you support arrives there are some key conversations you’ll need to have, and some topics will arise that may feel a little awkward. Uncomfortable conversations will happen, but they don’t have to be embarrassing or catch you off guard. Be confident that it’s ok to have them as the family’s wellbeing and integration…

Preparing for what happens after 24 months of housing

One of your requirements as a Community Sponsorship group is to source sustainable housing for a refugee family for a two-year period, after which they may need to move to a new home. Even if the family you support is able to stay in their property indefinitely, it’s important they are empowered with the tools…

Refugee women and postnatal mental health

We know that 12-20% of women will experience mental health difficulties like depression and anxiety during pregnancy and during the first 2 years of their baby’s life (the postnatal period), and refugee women are at an even increased risk of developing postnatal mental health difficulties. The associated stress, uncertainty, and trauma of the refugee experience may…

Reset’s Introductory Guide for Refugees

Before arriving in the UK, resettled refugees receive cultural orientation training from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). The family will also be given a book that explains life in the UK called the Welcome to the UK booklet; there are also similar booklets available in other languages. The training and the booklet explain what…

Resettlement Evaluation

The Home Office requires all Community Sponsorship groups to keep records during their support of a family throughout the Sponsor Agreement period. Not only is this essential for managing both the support of a family and the running of the sponsor group, but it is also necessary for fulfilling your sponsor obligation to the Home Office to…

Sources of funding for training and education

For some refugees going back to the profession they held before they arrived in the UK are likely to require some additional training or getting a qualification.  Carrying out the role they used to do may be very difficult if they don’t speak English and re-training is the best way to increase chances of finding…

Supporting Families with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Refugee Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reset asked Dr Andia Papadopoulou, a Clinical Psychologist, to put together the below resources in order to provide some information about Special Educational Needs in the Community Sponsorship context.  Refugee children like all children may have special needs of all kinds such as physical, neurodevelopmental, behavioural and learning…

Supporting refugees to access healthcare

Helping newly arrived refugees to access the healthcare they need will be essential once they arrive in the UK. As part of your Sponsor Agreement with the Home Office you will be agreeing that you will help refugees to register with a GP within one week of arrival, and you will have researched the registration…

Supporting Volunteer Well-being

Reset worked with Dr Andia Papadopoulou, a Clinical Psychologist, to put together these resources in order to provide some information about supporting your well-being in the Community Sponsorship context.  Supporting refugee families can be emotional and draining especially if a safeguarding concern arises. As empathy is at the core of helping and supporting others in…

Understanding maternity care in the UK

Community Sponsorship groups have supported many families that continue to grow after being resettled to the UK, with babies being born after resettlement. Although this is often happy news for the family, it can be bittersweet in the absence of their extended family network. You cannot replace family, nor should you try, but you can…

Accessing employment and volunteering opportunities

As part of the application process, you will have thought about how you could assist adults to access volunteer and employment opportunities. You might already have plans on how you will support adults in writing their CV, or preparing for interviews.  It can be a challenge to manage the expectations of newcomers in terms of employment and how possible…

Briefing and debriefing interpreters

Preparing interpreters for the likely content of an appointment will help them do their job to the best of their ability. It can help them prepare for the language that is likely to be used, and give them context which will help them to interpret words accurately. It is also useful to allow time after the…

Communicating with a family following arrival

Community Sponsorship is all about communication, whether between you as a group or you and the family you support. Ensure a strong structure is in place at the outset following arrival and regularly review if this is working.  Make sure you have regular communication between your core group members ahead of the family arriving and in…

CV writing and applying for jobs

The refugees you support will need help to understand the job-hunting process in the UK. This is the case despite previous work experience since hiring practices vary by country. You should bear in mind the concept of an online application or CV and cover letter could be new to them, and you may need to…

Developing literacy with refugees

As part of your application, you will have thought through the educational support that you will be offering to a resettled family. For children and young people, this will be via the school registration process in your area and for adults, this will be via the provision of ESOL classes and informal opportunities to learn English. …