CHARIS (CHRISTIAN HELP & ACTION FOR REFUGEES IN SOMERSET) 

Asylum Sounds at the Junction

Grant to CHARIS

Grant to CHARIS

£3,500 single grant towards the provision of services for asylum seekers in Taunton

The project is using funding to build and support a network of volunteer community groups who will support refugees in accessing public services and integrating in the community. These volunteers ....more

The project is using funding to build and support a network of volunteer community groups who will support refugees in accessing public services and integrating in the community. These volunteers come together as a group to formally welcome support and resettle a vulnerable refugee family in their local area.

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to ....more

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to deliver practical support to refugees on arrival and then support them in their integration into the community over a 5-year resettlement period. The specific outcomes for this work are outlined in the Funding Instruction and summarised below. The funding provided is intended to serve as a contribution to the costs associated with resettlement. Evaluation of the value for money of the funding has been carried out throughout the year through a mixture of data monitoring, qualitative research and an internal evaluation programme. The detail of the Funding Instruction has recently been reviewed by business leads to confirm it meets the needs of the programme for 2021/22 and represents value for money.

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to ....more

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to deliver practical support to refugees on arrival and then support them in their integration into the community over a 5-year resettlement period. The specific outcomes for this work are outlined in the Funding Instruction and summarised below. The funding provided is intended to serve as a contribution to the costs associated with resettlement. Evaluation of the value for money of the funding has been carried out throughout the year through a mixture of data monitoring, qualitative research and an internal evaluation programme. The detail of the Funding Instruction has recently been reviewed by business leads to confirm it meets the needs of the programme for 2021/22 and represents value for money.

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to ....more

The UK Resettlement Scheme (UKRS) started in March 2021 and reaffirms the UKs ongoing commitment to refugee resettlement. Resettlement relies on collaborative working with local authorities to deliver practical support to refugees on arrival and then support them in their integration into the community over a 5-year resettlement period. The specific outcomes for this work are outlined in the Funding Instruction and summarised below. The funding provided is intended to serve as a contribution to the costs associated with resettlement. Evaluation of the value for money of the funding has been carried out throughout the year through a mixture of data monitoring, qualitative research and an internal evaluation programme. The detail of the Funding Instruction has recently been reviewed by business leads to confirm it meets the needs of the programme for 2021/22 and represents value for money.

To deliver projects that build upon existing arrangements or introduce newapproaches to improving integration and/or build capacity for assisting othercommunity sponsorship groups. It is expected ....more

To deliver projects that build upon existing arrangements or introduce newapproaches to improving integration and/or build capacity for assisting othercommunity sponsorship groups. It is expected that the primary beneficiaries ofthese projects would be refugees resettled under the VPRS and VCRS, but thedelivery of benefits for other refugees is welcomed.2.9 Reset is the Home Office-funded capacity building organisation

On 7 September 2015 the serving Prime Minister announced the expansion of existing UK resettlement schemes to resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees under a new Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme ....more

On 7 September 2015 the serving Prime Minister announced the expansion of existing UK resettlement schemes to resettle up to 20,000 Syrian refugees under a new Vulnerable Person Resettlement Scheme (VPRS) by 2020. The scope of this Programme was expanded in July 2017 to include the most vulnerable refugees in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region who have fled the Syrian conflict, regardless of nationality.In April 2016 a further commitment was made to resettle up to 3,000 children and their families from the (MENA) region over the same period under the Children at Risk UNHCR vulnerability category, the Vulnerable Children Resettlement Scheme (VCRS).This grant stream is for the provision of post-arrival services to refugees resettled in the UK under these schemes through tariff/per capita payments.At present the majority of arrivals are being supported by local authorities and the funding provides an un-ringfenced contribution to their costs.Payments may also be made for some local authority services for families resettled under the Community Sponsorship scheme which the Home Secretary announced in July 2016.Payments are also made for the same purpose to Horton Housing Association.The required outcomes include:- The Recipient will arrange accommodation for the arriving Beneficiaries which meets local authority standards, and which will be available on their arrival and is affordable and sustainable.- The Recipient will ensure that the accommodation is furnished appropriately.- The Recipient will meet and greet arriving refugees from the airport and escort them to their accommodation, providing a welcome pack of groceries at their home.- The Recipient will provide an initial cash allowance for each Beneficiary of £200 – this is to ensure they have sufficient funds to live on while their claim for benefits is being processed. An additional payment of up to £100 per person may also be paid to local authorities where Universal Credit has been rolled out to cover initial delays in UC payments- The Recipient should ensure that Beneficiaries are provided with a dedicated source of advice and support to assist with registering for mainstream benefits and services, and signposting to other advice and information giving agencies – this support includes:- Assisting with registration for and collection of Biometric Residence Permits following arrival- Registering with local schools, English language and literacy classes- Attending local Job Centre Plus appointments for benefit assessments- Registering with a local GP- Advice around and referral to appropriate mental health services and to specialist services for victims of torture as appropriate- Providing assistance with access to employment.- The Recipient shall undertake an assessment with each Beneficiary of their English language capability to determine appropriate support arrangements through provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) or equivalent. The purpose of the language tuition is to ensure that each Beneficiary is able to carry out basic transactions within the communities in which they have been placed. Beneficiaries should be able to access such classes within one month of their arrival and they should be made available until such time as suitable mainstream provision becomes available or until 12 months after arrival (whichever is sooner).

To deliver projects that build upon existing arrangements or introduce newapproaches to improving integration and/or build capacity for assisting othercommunity sponsorship groups. It is expected ....more

To deliver projects that build upon existing arrangements or introduce newapproaches to improving integration and/or build capacity for assisting othercommunity sponsorship groups. It is expected that the primary beneficiaries ofthese projects would be refugees resettled under the VPRS and VCRS, but thedelivery of benefits for other refugees is welcomed.2.9 Reset is the Home Office-funded capacity building organisation

English language courses for recently arrived refugees

Feasibility study for a new welcome centre for refugees and asylum seekers