110926 Annual report draft - The Children's Society · In SMART’s view – we must aspire for...

Annual Report 2010-11

SMART Supporting Migrants, Asylum seekers, and Refugees Together

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Contents 3 Programme

6 Outcome

8 Partners

14 Project details

The Children’s Society The Children’s Society is a leading national children’s charity committed to making childhood better for all children in the UK. We provide vital help for tens of thousands of children every year:

We provide specialist support at a local level for those forgotten children who face the greatest danger and disadvantages in their daily lives; children who are unable to find the support they need anywhere else.

Our work in children’s centres, schools and churches gives children the chance to develop the skills and confidence they need to make the most of their childhood and play a full part in their local communities.

Our thought-provoking research influences everyone – from people like you and me to politicians and decision makers – about how to create real change.

Our hard-hitting campaigns attract large public support and make institutions, government bodies and authorities take action to make childhood better for all children.

Our mission We make childhood better for all children in the UK.

Our vision We see a world where every child enjoys a good childhood.

Our values Love, Justice and Forgiveness.

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The Programme SMART aims to ensure asylum seeking, refugee and migrant children, young people and families within Newcastle are able to stay safe, enjoy a good childhood, and settle successfully into life in Newcastle.

Who are the children and young people we work with?

Type of Service

What we do Main Clients

Number of children and young people

Targeted support for children, young people and families.

Description: practical, emotional and skills based support across a range of universal, additional and complex needs delivered within the Common Assessment Framework. Our model offers high levels of face to face support offered at times / locations chosen by service users promoting a relationship based approach which includes interpreter support where needed. Aim: refugee, asylum seeking and migrant children stay safe and enjoy a good childhood both at home and within their local community. Referral criteria: refugee, asylum seeking and migrant children, young people and parents within Newcastle.

Migrant, refugee and asylum seeking children, young people and families.

14 young people

26 families

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Kumasi

Description: a weekly drop in offering a safe environment for unaccompanied asylum seekers to meet and participate in a wide range of workshops and social activities. Aim: to build skills, increase confidence and encourage peer support promoting successful integration into life in Newcastle. Referral criteria: unaccompanied asylum seekers aged 16-24. .

Young unaccompanied asylum seekers aged 16 – 24

Thursday activity sessions 83 young people/863 contacts

Thursday issue based workshops 58 young people/262 contacts

Kumasi trips 45 young people /142 contacts

Young people Steering groups 24 young people/53 contacts

Non Thursday issue based workshops 12 young people/20 contacts

Issue based groupwork

Description: programmes of group work responding to common issues identified by service users. Aim: to develop the skills of parents, children and young people to promote a good childhood both at home and in the local community. Referral criteria: refugee, asylum seeking and migrant children, young people and parents within Newcastle.

Migrant children and young people aged between 11 and 18 who have come to live in Newcastle from overseas.

41 young people/153 contacts

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Recreational Trips and Activities

Description: trips and activities for children, young people and families. Aim: To prevent isolation, encourage family activities, promote orientation skills and enhance diversity and cohesion. Referral criteria: refugee, asylum seeking and migrant children, young people and parents within Newcastle.

Families and children and young people.

64 young people and 20 parents attended our family trips/140 contacts – these trips were open to parents and children of all ages

47 young people attended our young people trips/72 contacts – these trips focused on specific age groups

Strategic Impact

Training events provided to other agencies across the city

We also have provided training to professionals.

40 professionals attended training events

Volunteer Development

Volunteers are provided with ongoing support and training to enable them to be effective members of the team.

Members of the public from a variety of backgrounds, who have been inspired and motivated by the work carried out through Kumasi.

Former service users who no longer attend Kumasi as young people but wish to remain involved with the project.

8 fully inducted volunteers

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Outcomes

Key achievements

Our work with children and families

In SMART’s view – we must aspire for this to be our key achievement every year. We were proud to continue to offer quality services throughout the year to a wide number of service users.

Resilience in the face of uncertainty

This was particularly important during 2010-11 as for much of the year the project faced an uncertain future. This meant that until late December whilst trying to support children and families, we also had to plan for the possible closure of the project in March 2011. The commitment and belief shown by staff throughout was impressive and a sobering and small reminder of the uncertainties our service users have to live with for extended periods of time.

Funding

We put a massive amount of work into trying to secure substantial funding to take the project forward and we were delighted to find out in late December that this had in fact been successful. The Big Lottery surprised us with a visit and we were able to announce that we had secured nearly £300,000 in funding, which combined with The Children’s Society’s own commitment would secure the future of this work for a further 3 years.

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New name, new premises, new work!

This brilliant news meant we were at last able to spring forward with so many of the plans we had made during the year. We renamed the work the SMART programme to cement the merging of the Kumasi work with the Help and Hope work and also to make it clear that we were extending our services to work more widely with the migrant community.

We were also able to secure new rooms at the Lynnwood Business Centre – so as April 2011 dawned the project felt fresh, determined and ready to provide the best possible services for those we serve.

How we contribute to national outcomes

SMART’s work strives to make sure that children and young people from refugee and migrant communities can also achieve the following positive outcomes:

Being healthy Enjoying and achieving Staying safe Making a positive contribution Economic wellbeing

Furthermore – SMART’s work contributes to important national objectives around building economically healthy cities where those from different backgrounds are able to live together in a peaceful and cohesive fashion.

How we contribute to local outcomes

Locally, our work contributes to the following strategies:

Newcastle Sustainable Community Strategy and Local Area Agreement 2008-11

Challenge 2 – Long-term demographic change and health achievable by greater diversity and cohesion

Theme 5 – Creating safe, inclusive, cohesive and empowered communities Theme 6 – Improving outcomes for children and young people

Local Area Agreement (LAA):

Objective 5 - Improving mental health and emotional wellbeing Objective 25 - Enabling everyone to have an equal opportunity to participate

fully and freely in the opportunities and services available in the city Objectives 28-36 - Improving outcomes for children and young people

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Partners We have worked together with a number of other organizations – statutory, voluntary and community based organizations to pursue the achievement of our objectives:

Leaving Care Team working closely with unaccompanied minors to provide value added non-statutory support to young people.

Church Drop Ins A regular presence at various drop in sessions - St Joseph’s Benwell, The Hub Westgate Baptist Church and St Cuthbert’s Kenton. New referrals are often identified as well as a range of vulnerable individuals who may not be known through main referral sources

West End Refugee Service Provides an integrated service to refugees and asylum seekers in the West End of Newcastle

NERS North of England Refugee Service works with refugees and asylum seekers throughout the North East of England

Common Ground Offers support to refugees and asylum seekers in the East of Newcastle

Rights Project Provides advice on welfare rights in the West of Newcastle

Education Welfare Partnership working around school places

YHN Yours Homes Newcastle were a local housing provider with a specialist Asylum Seekers Team, although this closed in 2010-11

Brunswick Methodist Church The facilities at Brunswick have been used for many events but in particular the weekly Thursday Kumasi sessions

Tamela Davidson Part of Newcastle City Council – providing sporting Sports Development opportunities to young people

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Comments from partners

Sarah Duncan, Teenage Pregnancy Team, Barnardos:

‘I value the joint work that SMART workers provide so I am able to focus on the teenage mum in the migrant family, and the worker from SMART can support the rest of the family and their needs are met also. I find the joint work from SMART has been invaluable to support the work that I do with teenage mums from migrant families as it enables the whole family to receive support and enables the family to access appropriate housing and access benefits they are entitled to, to reduce the families being in poverty.’

Andrew Render, West End Youth Enquiry Service, Children North East:

‘Kumasi provides a safe and welcoming environment for all involved. WEYES have found Rosie and the other workers associated with the drop-in very friendly, organised and supportive. The young people are always keen to learn and are enthusiastic to take part in group work which involves both issue based and fun elements.’

Karla Daly, Newcastle Victim Support:

‘I have had a good working partnership with SMART, and I am very pleased with the excellent service offered to clients. It is important when sign-posting our service users to other agencies, that the organisation we refer them to provide a good professional service. I hope to continue this relationship for many years to come.’

Tamela Davison, Sports Health and Fitness Specialist: .

‘The project strives at maintaining partnerships with other agencies and without the funding and support the SMART project offers, many people would remain excluded on financial grounds from many of the leisure activities they are able to provide . They encourage and promote healthy lifestyles and in turn combat isolation and give value to people’s lives helping them to integrate into the communities in which they live.’

Ben Chisanga, Migrant Families Community Inclusion Project:

‘SMART brings about people from different backgrounds to come and share knowledge and culture through interaction thus promoting a sense of belonging to the new and emerging communities in our city.’

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Sarah Smart, The Right’s Project:

‘It is a pleasure to work with the SMART project which provides the essential support and assistance needed by so many migrant families in Newcastle. The drop-in is a great opportunity for specialist agencies to engage with the communities in a relaxed environment while giving new arrivals into the city a warm welcome and the chance to make new friends’.

Shayma Haque, Shelter

‘It has been a valuable resource to work with the SMART project as it allows us to deliver better outcomes for clients thus providing a holistic service. We look forward to continuing our work with the team to help benefit our clients’.

Comments and case studies from the children we work with

Kumasi by Rosie, Project Worker Throughout 2010/2011 Kumasi has continued to provide a weekly drop-in offering unaccompanied asylum seeking young people a safe environment to meet and participate in a programme of workshops and social activities. The sessions have, as always, varied throughout the year and have included a yoga and relaxation evening, drama workshops, quiz nights, an easy baking session and ESOL based games - to name but a few. The sessions remain relaxed making sure that everyone feels comfortable and most importantly, has fun! The sessions continue to offer educational and learning outcomes for the young people involved, both informally and in more structured ways, through educational workshops. These have included sexual health information, emotional wellbeing, accessing jobs and training and First Aid. Kumasi continues to offer a home cooked healthy meal at the end of each session which everybody shares together. We have had many young people leading this and creating all kinds of culinary delights from their respective home countries, which always go down a treat. There have been many reasons to celebrate this year and Kumasi never needs an excuse to party! We have celebrated Eid, Christmas, Chinese New Year, Afghan New Year and also the news of our successful bid for Big Lottery funding – which will see Kumasi continuing to run for the next three years. As well as the weekly sessions Kumasi has continued to offer trips and activities in school holidays and evenings throughout the year. These have included theatre trips to bowling and meals out. A highlight for all of us was the trip to the Edinburgh fringe festival and the Scottish Parliament. ‘When I was chatting with Mo (young person) on Friday he told me that whilst he was in detention he would look out for the text about Kumasi each week and he received

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a text when he was on the train after being released, so that's why he decided to come.’ (Social Worker, 13.12.10) ‘I wanted to tell you that the conversation I had with Victoria (young person) on Tuesday was probably the longest I have ever had with her and she actually volunteered information, which is unheard of! So I think the trip to Berlin was worthwhile just for that, in spite of the lack of shopping.’ (Social Worker, 02.12.10) ‘Hi, I wanted to tell you I found job and start 30th Jan Sunday. It’s a full time job six days a week. After I start this I can’t enjoy Kumasi and all the happy times - what a pity. So anyway thank you a lot!’ (Young person, text message 17.02.11) ‘Thank you for coming to my parents evening. Ohhh I finally feel I have someone important in the country who looks out for me.’ (Young person, text message, 15.02.11)

Family support by Caroline, Project Worker Migrant family of 9 - mum and dad and 7 children: I met the family at one of the city’s drop ins. I was asked to see them as the drop in only catered for asylum seekers and refugees, not migrants. The family initially requested support with benefits claims. They had applied 6 months prior and still had not received anything. After visiting the family at home several times, more problems began to emerge and an assessment (CAF) was undertaken to ensure the family were getting the right support. The family problems were numerous; housing, benefits, some children were not in school, others had very low attendance records, parenting support, behavioural support and health issues. The Team around the Family meeting reflected the many problems; school attendance officers, Shelter, The Rights Project and health visitors are all involved with SMART taking the role of lead professional. Many of the problems the family face stem from their financial situation; the family live with the effects of serious poverty. For example, school attendance was low because the children did not have shoes or the money to pay for bus fares and school dinners. The CAF allowed the schools to understand the extent of the family's poverty and a request for support from the school was met. The children's attendance has improved dramatically as a result. The family’s landlord and employer were the same person and were paying an illegal wage and harassing the family, threatening them with illegal evictions. The family were vulnerable to exploitation because they did not know their rights and because they did not have support in place. With the work of SMART, Shelter and The Rights Project, dad managed to leave his employment and the family have recently moved into a new property.

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Whilst still living in poverty, the financial situation has improved as the family has begun to access the benefits which they are entitled to. The family no longer have to live in fear of being evicted and with this stability in place, the parents now feel in a position to take further advice on parenting support. The time and effort that SMART has put in to getting to know the family has paid off. Six months after working with them, the family admitted they were suffering racial harassment by neighbours. They were fearful of any repercussions but felt that they could trust SMART staff with this information. Neighbourhood police were contacted and support put in place. This trusting relationship has also allowed difficult conversations to take place. Concerns over the mental health of the parents could be broached, and matters of depression and suicide discussed, without it impacting on the work of SMART. Sensitive issues around parenting have been raised and discussed, resulting in positive engagement from the parents and children. This relationship has been successful because of the time put into it. The use of interpreters and regular home visits has been essential.

Recreational Trips and activities out by Hannah, Project Worker

At SMART we really value the benefits of our activities and trips to our children, young people and families. Here is a flavour of the trips and activities we have held this year: We hunted for Easter eggs at Spotswood Community garden. Nothing motivates a child more than the promise of chocolate and the children on our trip are no exception!! It was great to see the parents and children really get involved with finding the clues and getting the chance to discover this hidden gem of a community resource. A trip out to the coast for a group of our 8-14 year olds gave us a fabulous afternoon rock pooling at St Mary’s lighthouse, followed by a game of crazy golf and a classic seaside slap-up meal of fish and chips before heading home tired, a bit wet with sand in our shoes. A big treat for our more daring young people was a trip to Lightwater Valley to brave the roller coasters. It was lovely to see our young people support each other so that they had the opportunity to make the most of what was on offer at the park, although by a few of the ashen faces some regretted being persuaded to go on the ‘Eagles Claw’! Families turned out in the bad weather to join the fun at our Christmas Party, people really got into the festive spirit with carol singing, making seasonal crafts and popping on the party hats and last but not least enjoying a visit from Santa!

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Our activities work on a number of levels and go way beyond the activity itself. Firstly for a family with little knowledge of the local area knowing where the nearest park is so that they can take the children there for a run about and some fresh air. Secondly because when on a low income even a simple trip to the seaside is an expense beyond a families means. Thirdly because families can often be very socially isolated, trips allow us to help people meet each other and start to build their own social support networks. Fourthly, involving people on our trips is an invaluable way of developing trust and because of this trust, people feel comfortable in coming to us for help. Finally, another key element, is that participants can discover new skills and develop confidence in their abilities, who would have know we had so many talented sports people, peer mentors and budding artists in our midst! All of this would not be possible without the support of others including the local council, charities, support groups and our extremely fantastic volunteers. Through our trips and activities our fantastic volunteers get more involved with our service users and really help us make sure our trips are fun and enjoyable for all involved.

What we hope to achieve in the next year

A launch event where we give both service users and the team a chance to tell Newcastle SMART’s plans for the next year.

A weekly drop in for families so that previous service users can stay in touch.

We hope other agencies will join us so that the drop in can become a really useful one stop place for the families we work with.

We want to make a new DVD about SMART so that we can spread the word so

that as many agencies and individuals as possible are aware of our work – that way we hope to establish clear referral pathways that will ensure the families that we can really help are in a position to find their way to us.

As we now know the service will be around for at least 3 more years,

volunteers are proving increasingly invaluable in services such as Kumasi and the new family drop in that we are hoping to establish. We therefore want to increase our volunteer base so we can offer the best possible services.

This year will see us really be able to develop the targeted support element of

our work to migrant families. Their needs are sometimes similar and sometimes different to those of the refugee families we have traditionally worked with. We anticipate a learning curve, but feel we have the right skills and approach to meet the needs these families have told us about.

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Contact details The Children’s Society SMART Project Edward Rudolf House Lynnwood Business Centre Margery Street Lynnwood Terrace London Newcastle upon Tyne WC1X 0JL NE4 6UL

Charity Registration No. 221124

t: 020 7841 4400 t: 0191 2565037

f: 020 7841 4500 f: 0191 2565024

www.childrenssociety.org.uk [email protected]

Donations If you would like to make a donation to our work you have read about in this report, please call our Supporter Action Line on 0845 300 1128

www.childrenssociety.org.uk

Photo credits: Front cover photograph modelled for The Children’s Society | © Laurence Dutton

SMART is a project of The Children’s Society. Charity Registration No 221124.

110926 Annual report draft - The Children's Society · In SMART’s view – we must aspire for...

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