Here's a link to our online newsletter, Friends of LASSN which we publish every few months. Contents include Entering 2017 with a spring in our step A film about Grace Hosting Welcome to Iona Lyons, our new Befriending Volunteers Manager Tongue Twister LASSN's AGM - Save the Date Positive images of Asylum Leeds Beckett University and Charity Bank donate PCs Donate to LASSN LASSN online
Here's a link to our online newsletter, Friends of LASSN which we publish every few months. Contents LASSN's AGM LASSN's Annual Review 2016 Big Lottery Award secures English at Home for another 5 years Welcome to Lilla - our new Project Support Officer Befriending Resources for Young People Grace Hosting helping more people than ever before Positive images of asylum Brexit, the new Asylum Act, and what this means for LASSN LASSN online
How LASSN tries to help everyone to remain safe and well when working or volunteering with us. Volunteering is a key part of how we reduce the risks in people's lives by increasing their connections, building confidence, and giving them choices. We're keen to support our volunteers' efforts with clear guidance and processes which support your work. Each year, we review our existing policies to ensure they are up-to-date and in line with best practice. Here's a summary of how we do this We have a combined Safeguarding and Adults Policy (updated May 24) based on Local arrangements and good practice. We produce Staying Safe Summaries, which detail how we keep everyone safe in each of our projects: English at Home, Hosting and Houses, Welcome and Connect and all staff and volunteers are trained in these during their induction, and refreshed throughout their time at LASSN. We have a thorough recruitment and selection process for all paid Staff and Volunteers, which includes background checks and taking up references. You can find a detailed explanation of why we seek Basic Disclosures on staff and volunteers here. We have developed Volunteer Social Media Guidelines and a Volunteer Problem Solving Procedure to try and reduce the potential for online harm and to help volunteers know how we'll address any difficulties they may experience. Staff and trustees are pleased with these policies, which we hope will help keep LASSN a safe place to volunteer and reassure the people we support of our commitment to everyone's welfare and security. All of the documents referred to on this page can also be found in the Volunteer Information Pack.
There are loads of online resources aimed at young people, to help them to understand more about refugees, asylum seekers, and what they can do to help. We've selected a few of the resources we've found most helpful - books, websites, and films - to help young people find out more for themselves. You can find these at https://lassn.org.uk/resources-for-young-people/ along with downloadable resources for parents and teachers. And of course, if we've missed off your favourite - please let us know, by emailing [email protected]
We held our AGM on 30th September 2016 at Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel. Here are the draft minutes of proceedings from the meeting. Highlights include a presentation by our outgoing Chair of Trustees, David Cundall a summary of our financial situation by our Treasurer, Katherine Wyatt a fond thank-you and farewell to our outgoing Trustees: Ruth Woodhead, Alexandra Huddart, and Solomon Kidane, the election of new Trustees: Ruchi Gulati, Paul Broughton, and Bill Urry LASSN members voting to change LASSN's Memorandum and Articles of Association, to enable LASSN to offer help to people who may not be asylum seekers and refugees, but who still find themselves unable to get help from Public Services, and a long way from home. Thank you to everyone who attended. AGM Minutes from Sep 16 AGM Minutes from October 15
We've just been told that we are to received more than 370k of Lottery funds to provide one to one English lessons to asylum seekers and refugees in Leeds who can’t access ESOL classes. Last year our English at Home programme enabled 140 people to learn English who couldn’t go to mainstream English classes because they had young children or disabilities. The 113 volunteer tutors provided 1,655 hours of one to one teaching. This grant will safeguard the service for the next 5 years, as well as increasing the number of lessons by 75%. "We’re really chuffed that the Lottery see the need for such a project in Leeds" said Jon Beech, Director of LASSN. “Cuts to mainstream English classes make it harder than ever to get a place, especially if you’ve got kids or a disability, or the classes are two bus rides away. 80% of the people we teach are women with children. The ability to write and speak English gives people confidence and enables them to take control of their lives, and to give something back. Saying hello to your neighbour, helping your child to read, or being able to understand your post – it sounds like a little thing – but it can be life changing. An hour a week spent learning English with one of our trained volunteers helps people make a home, helps people settle, and helps people to integrate.” LASSN will be recruiting two new Volunteers Managers immediately to meet the demand for lessons. “It’s such a shame” said Jon Beech “We have 5 or 6 people approach us each week, asking if they can volunteer to help someone learn English, and we have 5 or 6 people asking to learn English each week. For the last 2 months we’ve been turning volunteers away, because we don’t have the staff to train or support them. This funding is brilliant, because we can start saying yes again.” The two Volunteers Managers created by this funding posts have just been advertised, and details can be found here.
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On 19th July 2016, Amber Rudd, the new Home Secretary announced the launch of a Community Sponsorship Resettlement Scheme for refugee families. The scheme aims to open up a new resettlement route for refugee families to settle in the UK, and is based on community organisations taking on the responsibility for planning and paying for and arranging the wrap-around resettlement of a refugee family. Additional guidance for people wishing to find out more about Community Sponsorship can be found here. To be successful, the scheme (and sponsors) will rely on the active support of the Local Authority and advice of the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership. Although this initiative has been announced, the fine detail has yet to be worked out, and Leeds City Council and Migration Yorkshire (the Regional Strategic Migration Partnership) are still working out how this scheme might work in Leeds. LASSN works closely with both Leeds City Council and Migration Yorkshire and we share a common aim of involving people and communities directly in the welcome and resettlement of refugees in Leeds. LASSN would like to see an increase in the number of refugees resettled in Leeds, and will continue to encourage our partners to support this. For the time being, we're seeing how things work out, and we will keep you posted on developments. If you wish to get involved in this scheme, you could follow the instructions in the guidance above and contact Migration Yorkshire for more details. However, we will update our information as soon as we have more details to share.
We've updated all the pages describing the difference we make through our various projects Befriending We matched 51 volunteers with 54 asylum seekers and refugees. Most referrals for befriending come from health and children’s services, who recognise the significant impact that loneliness can have on both physical and mental health. Volunteers provide support for about 9 months, although some matches can continue for several years. Volunteers also provide practical support to the people they are matched with: helping people to access health and social care services, to make stronger connections with community organisations and to make friends. Befriending underwent a full evaluation during this period and can be downloaded here. We secured 3 years National Lottery Funding to sustain and grow the project English at Home In 2015/16 we offered tailored English lessons to 140 people from 15 different countries, who would otherwise be excluded from learning English. We increased the number of volunteer tutors to 113, who in turn provided almost 1,655 hours of teaching. Our 6 month reviews with learners found that in all cases there had been an increase in the level of confidence, with nearly all clients reporting that they now used English much more outside the home. By building people’s confidence, we have supported 11 people to successfully take up college courses and 15 to move on to weekly classes outside the home. We've published all our learning materials online so that anyone can use them, and we also keep a list of online resources that other people have produced. In addition, you can download a full Evaluation of English at Home 2013 - 16 Grace Hosting In 2015/16 84 guests spent a total of 1289 nights staying in emergency accommodation – about the same number of guests as the previous year, with people staying on average 15 nights - a week longer than people did in 2014/15. The number of people staying in longer stay accommodation halved to 6 (from 12) and Guests stayed a total of 1587 nights. The average length of stay increased slightly from 40 weeks to 45. Between September and December 2015 we recruited and trained 27 new hosting households - making a total of 49 places that people can stay. Overall, in 2015/16, Grace Hosts provided more than 2876 nights of accommodation: more than 410 weeks, or the equivalent of almost 8 years. Information and Awareness We lobby Government and submit evidence to help improve the situation of refugee and asylum seekers We appear in the local and national media, commenting on issues, and trying to make sure voices of experience are part of the discussion We give talks and host discussions of asylum and migration issues, at community groups, places of worship and in schools and colleges - here's the presentation on Migrant Families Under Pressure that we we did for social care students at Leeds Trinity in March 2016 We collaborate with Journalism and Media students, to help broaden their understanding of the issues, and challenge misconceptions - here's the [...]