“If You Could Do One Thing…” Local Actions to Promote Social Integration

“If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration Interim Report: Findings from the Call for Evidence, August 2017 By Dr Madeleine Mosse “If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration • • • “If you could do one thing…” Local actions Summary • • • to promote social 45 responses to the Call for Evidence received, integration alongside findings from five key informant Interim Report: Findings from the Call for Evidence, interviews. August 2017 Six “Key Themes” identified: Overview of evidence collected 1. Language Learning 2. Understanding how 45 responses to the Call for Evidence were received: Systems and Processes Work • 14 from Local Authorities: Bedford Borough Council; 3. Children & Young Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council; London City People Council; Leeds City Council; Carmarthenshire County 4. Building Trust in Council; Cambridge City Council; City of Bradford Local Communities Metropolitan District Council; Plymouth City Council; and Overcoming London Borough of Bexley; Sutton London Borough Grievances Council; Swansea City Council, Manchester City Council, 5. Women & Girls Coventry City Council, London Borough of Tower Hamlets 6. Employment & Training • 22 from Third Sector organisations, of which 3 were national, 18 were local or regional, and 1 was a national funding body From these findings criteria for Case Studies • 10 from academics has been proposed. 1 Introduction: The British Academy is examining successful integration projects from around the UK; drawing lessons from clear evidence about methods which are proven to improve integration and result in long term cohesion in our society. We believe this work is well timed, coming as it does at a stage when the global population is shifting and Europe is witnessing changing migration patterns. This call for evidence supported the development of research and case studies, funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, on the integration experiences of recently arrived migrants, with a particular focus on young people – how do their early interventions experiences impact long-term integration? Are there examples of innovative best practice at the local level which can highlight? The case studies accompany a collection of essays, which will draw on the expertise and experience of academics and practitioners to suggest interventions which might be implemented at a local level by local councils, businesses or voluntary sector organisations to promote integration. These contributions will cover integration issues both of long-standing communities, as well as those facing newly-arrived migrants including refugees, undocumented migrants and children. Key Findings: The data led to 150 new leads to local interventions, with a good spread across England and Wales. However, Scotland and Northern Ireland remained under-represented, and required additional research. Six major themes were identified from the data, representing needs, issues and types of interventions in local communities. These are as follows: 1. English language Overwhelmingly, respondents identified English language as a primary “key” or a significant “barrier” to the social integration of newly arrived migrants. For example, of 46 C4E submissions, 30 emphasized the importance of English language learning. The following responses are typical: The need for English Language training: “In our experience, learning English is key to integration (obvious, but true!), because this represents the passport to education, employment, improved social relations etc.” – The Harbour Project, Swindon “In our opinion the biggest barrier to integration is English language skills.” – Daisy Khera, The Women’s Help Centre, Birmingham “Teaching of ESOL [is an] absolutely essential first step on the road to integration.” – Bruce Macgregor, Ipswich Community Media “If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration • • • Need for more funding for ESOL was echoed across submissions, as was the lack of a consistent or effective strategy for funding and delivering English language training. Lack of English Language skills amongst migrants was also identified as placing a burden on public and third sector services: “Poor English language skills [place] real pressure on Council and voluntary agency resources” – Godwin Enyori, Bradford City Council Many submissions gave examples of how English language provisions have a positive impact far beyond simply learning the language, and are used to help migrants understand about British life, culture and values. English provisions also provide opportunities to connect people to services, provide advice and support, and build trust with the community through local volunteer English teachers, for example. 2. Understanding “how things work” and accessing public services The second common theme in the Call for Evidence data (which is linked to the first) was the need to connect newly arrived migrants with public services and to help new arrivals “understand how things work”. Not surprisingly, this theme encompasses a lot of different issues – from understanding how to enrol your child in school, to understanding the importance of insuring a vehicle (and therefore not breaking the law), to knowing your way around a city, understanding rubbish collection system, and registering to vote. "The two biggest needs for the majority of new migrants are to learn to speak English and understand how our systems and processes work." – Pria Bhabra, Leeds City Council Numerous examples of interventions that address this need were given, for example: Examples of initiatives that promote understanding of systems and processes: “We run orientation tours for new arrivals…From time to time, we accompany our service users, especially if their English is poor, to job centre interviews, GP appointments etc." – The Harbour Project, Swindon "We do a variety of sessions to help people feel involved and have a say, we held a session last year with [a] speaker from electoral services to talk about how to vote and dates and why." – Hikmat, Devon “One successful community scheme I am aware of is in Cornwall where a PCSO acts as a community liaison officer with migrant workers. She informs them of their rights…and also of their responsibilities (for example to drive only insured vehicles.)” – Dr Sam Scott, University of Gloucestershire 1 “If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration • • • 3. Children and young people Issues pertinent to children and young people were addressed across submissions in different ways. Issues ranged from the need to integrate young children who did not speak English into nursery, to the role that older children often play in helping their parents to integrate, to bullying and complex child protection and safeguarding themes. The findings can be categorised as follows: Pre-school children: ➢ The need for crèche facilities for parents to enable them to access services and opportunities; ➢ The reluctance of parents to enrol their children in pre-school out of concern for their wellbeing and because it breaks from cultural norms; ➢ The additional resources needed to integrate young children who do not speak English. The integration of Pre-school children “Mum expressed her fears of leaving Dalibor and said that she was afraid that: He might cry. He might not get used to the nursery. Staff might not look after him. [He] might struggle because he has always been with me at home.” – St Edmund's Nursery School and Children's Centre, Girlington, Bradford Dalibor with his mum “The crèche facility allows the women to concentrate on learning whilst assured that their children are being well cared for and also builds the English language and social skills of the young children in preparation for starting school.” – Ruth Gwilym Rasool, Red Cross South East Wales Refugee Women Support Programme Integration of school-aged children – in and out of school: ➢ Supporting migrant children to integrate within school, including tackling prejudice, English language skills, and low educational attainment; ➢ Creating opportunities for migrant children to integrate outside of school; ➢ The roles that teenagers take on to support their parents to integrate; ➢ The “generation gap” – whereby parents do not understand their children and their needs; ➢ Second and third generation young people still not fully integrated due to neighbourhood and school segregation. The need to address the integration of school-aged children “[It is] vitally important to work in partnership with the local schools in the most diverse areas. Recruiting community champions from those schools, providing additional activities for the children of migrant parents in after school clubs...” – Bruce Macgregor, Ipswich Community Media 2 “If you could do one thing…” Local actions to promote social integration • • • “Acrimonious interactions between identity groups have been observed to be played out within the school, across the community the school serves, and in feeder schools. These circumstances leave children from all communities feeling threatened, confused and isolated.” – Dr Richard Slade on behalf of the Rubic Project, Sheffield “It’s vitally important that parents’ integration keeps pace with their children’s integration in order not to have a wide cultural and generational gap.” – Daisy Khera, The Women’s Help Centre, Birmingham Examples of interventions that support the integration of children & young people are given here: Activities that promote the integration

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