New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: Delivery Plan 2024-2026
This Delivery Plan sets out the actions that the Scottish Government, COSLA and Scottish Refugee Council will take forward with partners during the period 2024 to 2026 to support the integration of refugees, people seeking asylum and other forced migrants within Scotland’s communities.
Outcome 2: New Scots are able to access well-coordinated services, which recognise and meet their rights and needs.
Lack of access to appropriate services for New Scots is an issue that can be a real barrier to integration for many people. Without the services that recognise the barriers people face and meet the needs of those arriving into Scotland, many people will struggle to navigate often quite complex systems. Through the community consultation, New Scots highlighted the need for clear and accessible information to help people access services more easily. Furthermore, evidence and feedback has shown that there needs to be more sustainable and appropriate provision of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and provision that takes account of the varying learning needs of New Scots.
Individuals' mental health and trauma can be a barrier to integration. Appropriate and trauma-informed support for people's mental health and wellbeing is important to help with the impacts of navigating arriving into a new country as well as their past trauma. The mental health and wellbeing of people who are working with refugees and people seeking asylum can also be impacted. This needs to be considered to ensure that there is a trauma-informed approach to this work. Addressing the challenges many New Scots face when trying to access services more broadly, may also positively impact on people's mental health.
Actions under this outcome take account of longstanding issues on access to: information on rights and services available; ESOL; mental health support; employment challenges; child care; Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) support services; legal support and in relation to that rights and entitlements; and having access to accurate information more generally.
Long-term Outcome 2 (5+years): New Scots are able to access well-coordinated services,which recognise andmeet their rights andneeds. |
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Activities planned for short term outcome |
1: Lead 2: Other Partners 3: By when |
Short-term outcome (1-2 years) |
2.1 Information on rights and entitlements and roles of services is made available in different languages and accessible. |
1. Scottish Refugee Council - Refugee Support Service 2. New Scots communities, local authorities 3. 2024-2025 |
In line with the No Wrong Door approach, New Scots and receiving communities will have improved access to reliable information about their rights, options and the services they can access. |
2.1.1 Review existing information resources and work with New Scots, to develop, co-produce and disseminate information for refugees and those supporting them. 2.1.2 Develop resources to provide clear guidelines available in all relevant languages about access to lawyers, roles and expectations and to set out the difference between immigration legal advice and other legal advice. 2.1.3 Providing New Scots with access to information that allows them to understand the routes into employment based on their qualifications in identified sectors. |
3. 2024-2025
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In line with the No Wrong Door approach, New Scots and receiving communities will have improved access to reliable information about their rights, options and the services they can access. |
2.2 Convene relevant experts to consider the findings of the independent review of Community Learning and Development as they relate to New Scots, and identify potential solutions for effective ESOL delivery, including a regional approach to language assessment, and the role of different stakeholders within this. These proposals will be shared for review at a small conference of wider New Scots stakeholders. |
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Strategic approach to ESOL delivery is recognised and agreed by stakeholders. Delivery partners have a clear understanding of language learning needs across each region, with improved regional collaboration based on the language profile and learning needs of New Scots. New Scots understand their language level against a recognised framework. |
2.3 Work with the UK Government to improve information on the move-on process for people seeking asylum and to provide more information to enable local authorities and third sector organisations to support newly recognised refugees integrate and access services. |
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New Scots seeking asylum, and local authorities and third sector partners, respectively have all the information they require to make the move on process as smooth as possible. |
2.4 Create and use existing forums where people from different fields can share ideas and learn about the best ways to protect and integrate New Scots. Use the success of past projects and the research, monitoring, and evaluation as a foundation. |
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Local authorities, statutory services, third sector and other partners have access to best practice, tools for integration and forums for sharing experience . |
2.5 Engagement of New Scots communities on culturally relevant material on mental health through training and mentoring. |
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New relevant and appropriate mental health resources are available for use by New Scots and those supporting them. |
2.6 Develop and improve access to interpretation and translation services in Scotland, recognising existing skills of New Scots. |
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The establishment of a course in partnership with academics, to build on and complement existing interpretation and translation training provision. |
2.7 Review and critically assess the capacity of legal aid funded asylum and immigration advice in Scotland to assess the scale of needs across Scotland. |
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Legal asylum and immigration advice capacity in Scotland is well evidenced to plan appropriate provision for New Scots. |
2.8 Supporting refugee-led and refugee-supporting organisations to be sustained, effective organisations delivering integration activities across Scotland |
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New Scots will have improved social connections within their community through access to integration activities. |
2.9 Maintain and promote a directory of organisations and groups supporting refugees across Scotland and a forum to share information across practitioners working with refugees |
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New Scots will know where to find support. Refugee-supporting organisations will be informed about developments. |
2.10 Build on the New Scots website as a platform for information about the New Scots Strategy and a showcase of integration projects and practices for organisations developing new initiatives supporting New Scots employability, education, health and social and cultural connections. |
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Practitioners supporting New Scots will access information on successful initiatives that may be replicated. |
2.11 Engage with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to explore the possibility of replicating resettlement models for accessing benefits to newly granted refugees. |
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Newly granted refugees are more effectively supported during the move-on period. |
2.12 Encourage local faith groups to register their information on New Scots Connect and provide information about faith-based services (both general support and worship spaces) in multiple languages that are accessible for New Scots. |
1. Scottish Faiths Action for Refugees 3. 2024-2025 |
Increased numbers of faith communities registered on New Scots Connect. Improved access for New Scots to faith-based services. |
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