A special conference is set to take place in Warrington later this year shining the spotlight on the importance of partnership working to support refugee integration.
From the police and universities to businesses, charities and community groups – how can organisations work together to successfully integrate refugees into UK society
At a time when so many people from Ukraine have been displaced across the UK, it’s a question that will be posed at a conference hosted by the University of Chester’s Institute of Policing in Warrington next month.
Organised by Simon Price, Lecturer with the Institute of Policing, the event will address many of the issues around immigration and explore ways in which the police, local authorities, universities, charities, and other multi-agency organisations can support them.
Simon explained: “Settling into a new country can be very daunting for many refugees. Language barriers, new cultures and lack of social connections make integration a difficult process. They don’t know the law; they don’t know how the system works in a new country.
“Integration is vital not only for improving local community relationships, it’s essential also for reducing the problem of social isolation among refugees. Those who are socially isolated experience a much lower quality of life and have less access to services and employment.
“There are lots of initiatives, from small community groups to wider regional projects that have emerged to foster the integration of refugees. We want to explore these issues and discuss how we can work together to help to support refugees so that they can integrate better into our society.”
Speaking at the event will be former University of Chester student Andy Dolman-Bailey who heads up the Listening Out Loud (LOL) Foundation, a charity which works with veterans to help them become integrated back into society and give them a platform towards independence.
Simon explained: “Andy is currently supporting a number Afghan refugees in Cheshire who are waiting to be provided with accommodation, having arrived in the UK with virtually nothing, so his perspective on this experience will be extremely relevant.”
The conference will include a Keynote speech from John Dwyer, Police and Crime Commissioner for Cheshire about effective partnership working, and a presentation by Angie Power, Director of Diversity Employment Solutions, supporting Afghani women on behalf of Polish Women in Warrington. Angie will discuss how to overcome cultural and language barriers faced by Asylum seekers and issues of honour-based abuse and female genital mutilation.
Attendees will also have the chance to hear first-hand from Afghan refugees who have worked with the UK and US authorities, before having to be airlifted out of the country at the time of the Taliban takeover.
Simon added: “This conference gives us a real opportunity to open a discussion about how we can support refugees in the UK to reduce distress and suffering. Many of these people had lives just like ours and have been ripped away from their families, their careers, their education. Many of them have a lot to offer, but they don’t know the way the system works. They need help and support, and one of the ways to offer this is through partnership working.”
He added: “The Police Service in the UK has for many years been supported by Independent Advisory Groups, which have membership from minority and hard to reach groups and act as a critical friend to the police when dealing with people from BAME communities. We see the current situation as an opportunity to broaden the scope of Independent Advisory Groups so that they can advise members of all key partner agencies as well as simply the police. We would welcome contact from anybody who would be interested in becoming a member of a new Multi-Agency Independent Advisory group.”
The conference, titled ‘Encouraging a Partnership Approach to the Successful Integration of Refugees into UK Society’, takes place at Time Square, the new hub for the University in Warrington. Registration later this year, with the date to be announced.
Register to attend this event by emailing [email protected]
