Overview of services & support of dispersal & resettlement and challenges in the region Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers

Overview of our service… Casework 1-2-1 specialist support Advice Assistance Contact agencies, Housing, DWP, Home Office, Solicitors Advocacy Signpost Destitution practical support Supermarket vouchers Travel support Food parcel/Food Bank Clothing support – referrals Homeless referrals Baby Packs Family Reunion Travel Assistance International Family tracing Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers

How we work… Drop-in clinic every Tuesday & Friday Appointments on other days Ongoing Casework Referrals to/from other agencies Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers

Partnership working… Hope Fund Migrant Help Restore Narthex Asirt Lifeline Options Legal Aid Solicitors Law Centre(s) Accommodation providers Spring housing Birch Network NASS housing providers (G4S) Midland Heart Peace House (Coventry) Migrant Help Red Cross refugee services in other cities Home Office Local authority NHS Food Banks Quakers (Christmas food parcels) Community groups Children's society ESOL providers STAR Citizens Advice Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers

Main Challenges in the region Increase of clients in the West Midlands Funding Lack of Housing options Lack of Legal support options Policy - Move on period, just 1 example Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers

Main Challenges in the region - Notes Increase of clients in the West Midland The increased demand relating to increased numbers of service users will exacerbate already stretched capacity across the BRC and the 3rd sector as a whole. Funding The increased demand relating to increased numbers of service users has had and continues to have a large draw on the current charitable budgets, if the increase continues many 3rd sector organisations will find themselves in difficult situations as the year goes on. Many projects across the city are externally funded and are time limited. Lack of Housing options NRPF clients – Vulnerable clients with additional needs - Homeless clients Lack of Legal support With the increase we are seeing more work for the same number of legal professionals Policy - Move on period The move on period refers to the time when a service user receives their refugee status and must now ‘move on’ from Asylum support to mainstream benefits. This should be a very simple cessation of one support package and start of another, however there are a multitude of issues which delay the start of the new support package, which then leads to a period of destitution for the service users. Text slide for presentations about refugees and asylum seekers