Welcome Pack

A suggested list of what to include in your Welcome Pack for refugee families

As part of your application form, you will be asked to prepare a Welcome Pack for the family. Below is a list of suggested documents you could include. You may wish to add, remove or amend the title of any of these documents – it’s really about what you as a group would like to share with the family. If you are working with a Lead Sponsor, do ensure that you also discuss important contact information that the family must have access to. 

You may wish to translate some of the documents to the language spoken by the family to enable refugees to read them in their own time (although bear in mind some refugees might be illiterate in their own language as well), or include some information in their language to explain what the pack is for.

However, do note that accurate translation of complex language can be difficult. For this reason, it may be unwise to provide translated versions of documents with legal or safeguarding implications (immigration factsheets, NSPCC briefings, hate crime briefings) but instead you could read through the document with an interpreter, and use this to have a conversation with the family members to ensure they have a clear understanding of the contents:

• Introduction to your group and contact details, including photographs and how to contact them and when.
• Information relating to the property (e.g. turning on heating, how to secure the property, days the rubbish or recycling is collected, who to contact in an emergency relating to the property).
• Introduction to your local area and City/County
• A map of the local area
• Bus/train timetables for your local area
• Useful contacts e.g. GP, Jobcentre, Citizens Advice Bureau
• Reset’s UK price guide – Arabic and Kurdish Kurmanji versions
• NSPCC positive parenting guide – English and Arabic versions
• NSPCC home or out alone guide
• Details on the role of interpreters
• Guidance on Fire Safety in the Home – Arabic version
• Your complaints policy, made available in English and the language the family speak
• The Centre for Sustainable Energy have translated factsheets around reading a meter, preventing against damp in a home and other utilities information CSE Factsheets 
• Public Health Agency’s guide on 5 steps to wellbeing – available in various languages
• The Home Office have provided a guide to keeping safe in your neighbourhood which you can download for use – English and Arabic versions
• Reset’s Introductory Guide in Arabic and English for refugees supported through Community Sponsorship. This should be read with the Welcome to the UK booklet.

At the time of writing, this article reflected current Covid guidance. It is important that you check gov.uk/coronavirus for the most up-to-date information.