Campaigning Together

1
LATITUDE CARE NETWORK (LCN) Care and
Compassion in the Community, by the Community,
for the Community Conference Older Refugees
From Isolation to Integration At Greater London
Authority - City Hall Wednesday 9th January
2008 Grace Adok Founder, Director and Programmes
Co-ordinator
Campaigning Together
2
Background History

• LCN
• Is an international charity incepted 2003 under
  different name.
• Established as a charity, constituted and
  re-named LCN 2005.
• Overall aim is to preserve and protect physical
  and mental health of the most vulnerable and
  disadvantaged members of society through
  appropriate service development and delivery.
• Operates in UK London area supporting
  older/elderly, people with disabilities, life
  threatening or terminal illnesses, refugees and
  asylum seekers, poor single parents and
  unemployed.
• Operates elsewhere Africa, particularly in the
  region of Northern Uganda supporting people
  affected by war, poverty, diseases and natural
  disasters with particular focus on older/elderly,
  disabled people, child mothers, orphans and
  people affected with HIV and AIDS living in
  Internally Displaced People Camps, care centres
  and refuge as a result of civil war.

3
LCN Services

• LCN main services comprises
• Health Care Support
• Social Care Support
• Information and Advice
• Liaison and Advocacy
• Education, Training and Employment support
• Social and Cultural Event
• Sponsor or Undertake Research
• Psychosocial Support
• Humanitarians Relief

4
Older Refugees

• Who are the older refugees we support?
• Age 50 years and above
• Arrived UK as an older refugee
• Or may have become one since resettlement
• Asylum Seekers not yet granted permission to
  stay
• Those with or without family members or friends
• Predominantly Northern Uganda community, but not
  exclusively
• We do not discriminate. Where we can help, we
  accept older refugee from any background
• If unable to help, we refer or re-direct them to
  appropriate services or organisations

5
Barrier to accessing services and integration

• Regardless of age, there are many barriers
  preventing refugees from accessing services and
  integrating into the receiving community. These
  include but not limited to
• The background of refugees
• Lack of knowledge of the British Systems
• Language difficulties
• Lack of employment and unrecognised qualification
• Inadequate access to information
• Physical disabilities and mental health
• Racism
• Family and Ethnic Segregation
• Welfare benefit Policies
• Lack of ethnic support and inadequate community
  network
• Lost of social status and cultural identity
• Many of these barriers are interrelated.

6
Strategy Overcoming the Barriers

• Despite special Needs, older refugees can make
  substantial contribution to the resettlement
  process and therefore their integration into the
  community is very important.
• Our strategy for overcoming barriers, we have
  taken a holistic approach to services delivery
  of
• Health Care Access Support
• Befriending Community Outreach Scheme
• Social Support Programme
• Education, Training and Employment Support
• Relief/Practical Assistance Programme

7
Health Care Access

• Older Refugees
• We ensure they have been informed and referred to
  specialist services e.g. GP, hospital or clinic,
  statutory or voluntary for individual needs.
• We encourage and support those inactive,
  particularly the elderly to engage in moderate
  physical activities such as few minutes walking,
  dancing and stretching.
• We regularly liaised with health agencies on
  their behalf depending on individual needs or
  health circumstances.
• Language interpretation and translation
• Provide personal care
• Accompany them to appointments or recreational
  activities
• Make regular friendly visit when admitted to
  hospital etc.

8
Befriending Community Outreach Scheme

• The scheme is aimed at preventing isolation and
  loneliness.
• It is delivered through volunteers community
  outreach to individual clients to provides
• Regular telephone
• Companionship
• Emotional support
• Practical/domestic help
• Information and Advice
• Advocacy and liaison
• Language Interpretation and translation
• Home Administration
• Transportation and escort
• Outing and social connection
• General Literacy including English, Numeracy,
  IT etc

9
Social Support Programme

• We encourage older refugees to participation in
  recreational activities which provide opportunity
  for socialising, building friendship networks,
  reducing social isolation and enhance community
  wellbeing. These ultimately leads to improved
  physical and mental health.
• The programme support older people with but not
  limited to
• Social Support Groups Home Rota and Cultural
  Dance
• Religion Practice and Social and Cultural
  Interaction
• Ethnic Community Meetings to Discuss Community
  Issues
• Community Involvement, Participation and
  volunteering
• Bereavement an other Crisis Support
• English, Numeracy and IT Learning
• Social and Cultural Event

10
4. Education, Training and Employment

• We
• Give information to those who wan to pursue
  education or gain employment.
• Provide basic general literacy learning on
  one-one basis or group workshop.
• Give them opportunity for training courses
  offered to us.
• Encourage and recommend them to Adult Learning
  programme
• Provide Volunteering opportunity for work
  experience.
• Support with Job search, filling application
  form, interview preparation and technique, CV and
  provide reference.
• Accompany to learning centres - libraries and
  open colleges.

11
Relief/Practical Assistance Programme

• The practical assistance is available to help
  individuals, new comers and families when they
  are experiencing difficulties causing financial
  hardship or disadvantaged.
• Small financial
• Food items.
• Material Aid in form of second hand cloths,
  household and furniture.
• Advocacy and referral service to negotiate with
  other services providers and utilities.

12
Suggestions

• Suggestions generated with input from older
  refugees clients
• Older refugees should be recognised as special
  need group and consulted rigorously on policies
  or decision making on issues that affects them.
• Government should relax and speed immigration
  processing to increase opportunities for family
  reunification.
• Family members or relatives may not be
  appropriate to provide interpretation. Older
  people may not open up to them or they may
  incorporate their opinions.
• Community organisations from same ethnic
  background or professional interpreters can be
  effective translators.
• Functional literacy classes for improving access
  to information, employment, and understanding
  British systems and policies.

13
Suggestions Continue

• Mainstream service providers should partner
  frontline service refugees or community
  organisations working with older refugees under
  the guidelines of government policy.
• Essential to meeting the needs of older refugees
  is the recognition that integration is a life
  long process in which issues may arise at
  difference life stage. There must be approach
  where policy and funding guidelines for services
  are develop between both parties.
• For the very old learning language etc, is best
  tutored in-house or one-one basis to suit
  individual needs or slower learning ability.
• Let us embrace culture, traditional belief and
  practice but also should not be afraid to
  challenge those which hinder integration.
• Mainstream service providers and funders, please
  do not underestimate the voluntary commitment,
  knowledge and experience of Smaller Refugees or
  Community Organisations.

14
THE END

• THANK YOU
• Contact
• lcn_thecharity_at_yahoo.co.uk
• 020 8452 7267