Reset’s Introductory Guide for Refugees

A guide to explain how Community Sponsorship groups will work with the family to help them access services in the UK

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 support to expect when they reach the UK and some information about the UK’s educational, healthcare and benefits systems. These classes may take place in person, or even over the phone depending on the country where the family lives. Due to the pandemic, IOM has had to shorten these sessions or cancel them all together in some instances.

Even when they are able to attend cultural orientation classes, Community Sponsorship groups do find that when refugee families arrive in the UK, they are often confused or uninformed about services or the group’s role in supporting them. To help groups explain their role in different areas of support, we’ve created an Introductory Guide to for refugees arriving through Community Sponsorship. You can include this in your welcome pack in the family’s native language. At the moment, the guide is only available in Arabic and English but if you need it in another language, get in touch with the training team.

Reset’s guide is meant to be read after the Welcome to the UK booklet so do make sure you have this on hand in the family’s native language as well.