Community Sponsorship Scheme Home Office Syrian Resettlement programme

Community Sponsorship Based on the ‘Canadian’ model A community takes the initiative & responsibility to resettle a family The community meets the family at the airport The community ensure that resettlement takes place: housing, education, health, employment & integration

The Home Office model A registered charity is the ‘sponsor’ The charity applies to the home office to be a sponsor to host a family The Home Office assesses the sponsor and the host group as fit to be a sponsor A resettlement plan is agreed A match with a Syrian refugee family is made

The Home Office offer A joint unit between the Home Office and the departments for International Development and Communities and Local Government Matching a Syrian family to the host Biometric Residence Permit Refugee status - Right to stay Housing benefit, Job Seeker Allowance Support between Sponsor - Host – Home Office – Local Authority

St. Monica’s Parish Created a committee of 25 people 2 year commitment Distributed the roles to everyone Raised £8k Secured a house through a Housing Association Complied with every Home Office requirement

Compliance Outcome 1 – Resettled Syrians have a home in which to settle in the UK, with adequate space and facilities to live in comfort and safety Outcome 2 - Resettled Syrians feel welcome in the UK and are able to quickly acclimatise to living in the UK Outcome 3 - Resettled Syrians are able to make a life for themselves in the UK, through accessing community activities, medical care, language skills, education and employment.

Compliance e.g. House A separate bedroom must be allocated to each: married or cohabiting couple adult aged 21 years or more pair of adolescents aged 10-20 years of the same sex pair of children aged under 10 years regardless of sex

Compliance e.g. English Arrange for English language tuition for adults as soon as possible – to commence within 2 weeks of arrival Provide formal English language tuition by a suitably qualified ESOL teacher, for a minimum of 10 hours per week for the first twelve weeks, followed by a minimum of 5 hours per week for the remaining nine months

Challenges Managing expectations of host and family Agreeing a road map/goals Building trust and community support Building independence Managing complexity - mental health, trauma, & culture shock

Critical Factors Is your sponsor/host fully committed? Has your local authority committed to accepting a quota of Syrian refugees for resettlement? Have you approached your local authority for support (School + NHS) Have you secured a property? Is the rent within the housing allowance?

Some factors The capacity of the sponsor and the host to deliver The sponsor ‘underpinning’ insurance, legal and financial The employment of a worker Scaling up 5 parishes in your diocese Sharing the model Sharing the learning

Key players The Home Office Syrian Resettlement team The National Refugee Welcome Board CSAN, Office of Migration Policy, Citizens UK The Local Authority- Trafford + G. Manchester The Diocese of Salford Refugee Coordinator Caritas Diocese of Salford St. Monica’s Parish, Flixton Maranatha Community

Useful Contacts Gideon Winward Partnership Team Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF Tel: 020 7035 8519 Email: gideon.winward@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Useful contacts Hannah Gregory & Nicola Thomas Syrian Resettlement Programme 3rd Floor, Peel 2 Marsham Street London Tel: 020 7035 5246 / 020 7035 4905 Mobile: 07469 907304 / 07468 702410 Email: GregoryandThomas@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk

Useful contacts Tim Finch Coordinator National Refugees Welcome Board Migrate Consultancy +44 (0)7595 920899 timaafinch@gmail.com

Caritas Salford contact Mark Wiggin  Chief Executive Caritas Diocese of Salford Cathedral Centre 3 Ford Street Salford M3 6DP T: 0161 817 2250 F: 0161 833 1635 E: m.wiggin@caritassalford.org.uk W: www.caritassalford.org.uk

St. Monica’s contact Sean Ryan Communications and Community Development Maranatha Community Tel: 0161 748 4858 www.maranathacommunity.org.uk