Rough sleeping Roma in the City of Westminster June, 2016 Authors: Dragica Felja & Laura Greason, Roma Support Group Project management: Sylvia Ingmire, Roma Support Group Roma Support Group (RSG) The Roma Support Group is the largest Roma-led charity organisation (Charity No: 1103782) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (Company Registration Number 4645981) in the UK. Since its founding in 1998, the organisation has assisted thousands of Roma families in accessing welfare, housing, education, health and employment, as well as empowering Roma communities through a wide range of advocacy and cultural programmes. During the last 18 years we have built a wealth of expertise on Roma issues and have become the leading experts in this field. We have developed models of good practice regarding integration and empowerment of Roma communities which has led us to become advisers to governments, statutory and non-statutory agencies nationally and internationally. For more details about RSG expertise, please see appendix 7.5. Please see our website for information about our services: www.romasupportgroup.org.uk Acknowledgements The Roma Support Group would like to thank St Mungo’s for commissioning this report, their staff members Petra Salva, Luton Sinfield, Karen Savant, Svetlana Lopotenco, Sergiu Sidei, Ariel Tone, Beatrice Orchard and Dan Dumoulin for giving us their time and sharing their experience and knowledge. We would also like to thank other homelessness services in the City of Westminster, including the charity sector and faith organisations; Mircea Rostas , Prof. Thomas Acton (OBE), Prof. Margaret Greenfields and Arthur Ivatts (OBE) for their editorial support, guidance and encouragement. We are grateful to all Roma community members: Przemek Kierpacz, Bobi Rostas, Maria Rostas and Mura Hamza who participated in this research and offered us guidance and support and above all - to homeless Roma for sharing their life stories with us. 1 Contents Executive Summary 3 1. Introduction 7 2. Literature review 8 3. Research methods 12 4. Research limitations 14 5. Research findings 16 5.1. Interviewee profile (country of origin, 16 age, health status, housing/employment status, vulnerability) 5.2. General responses to the 10 interview 19 questions (analysis of answers) 5.3. Visits to homeless projects (key 25 findings) 28 5.4 Conclusions 6. Recommendations 33 City of Westminster 33 Homelessness sector 35 GLA 35 Central Government 36 7. Appendices 37 7.1 Roma (historical overview) 37 7.2. Roma in Romania (socio-economic 39 data) 7.3 Roma evictions in Europe 44 7.4. Fafo Research Foundation findings 45 7.5. RSG expertise 46 Bibliography 48 2 Executive summary Background Romanian nationals have been identified as the fastest growing group of rough sleepers across Greater London and particularly within the City of Westminster. According to official data, at the end of March 2015, there were 1,388 Romanian rough sleepers. This represents 18.7% of all rough sleepers in Greater London, second only to UK nationals. The data also shows a sharp rise in the number and of percentage of Romanian rough sleepers thought to be of Roma ethnicity. Agencies working with rough sleepers currently have less knowledge of Roma migrants compared to their other clients, including the unique challenges facing Roma migrants and how this impacts on their ability to move away from rough sleeping. In the absence of better information, there is often a perception that Roma are not sleeping rough by circumstance but by choice and that they have come to the UK for the purpose of begging. This view has been reinforced by both media coverage and political discourse in both the UK and Romania. In order to better understand the wider cultural issues and support needs of the Roma rough sleepers, St Mungo’s, with the support of Westminster Council, commissioned the Roma Support Group to conduct a research project from September 2015 until January 2016. The aim of the research was to provide a greater understanding of the ‘pull’ factors leading to rough-sleeping in the borough of Westminster and to provide insights that could be used to develop a strategy for reducing rough-sleeping amongst Romanian nationals of Roma ethnicity. Main findings A total of 64 Roma rough sleepers were interviewed over 12 street outreach visits. In addition, front line staff from homelessness services and independent consultants were interviewed. All of the rough sleepers interviewed described their situation in Romania as one of high unemployment, poor housing conditions within predominantly Roma settlements, low levels of education and qualifications and poor access to health services all of which combined to a general lack of opportunity. 92% had left children back in Romania with either a partner or family members. Their intention in coming to the UK was to find employment and send money back home. Those with long term health complaints described having large debts for medical services and paying off these debts was one of the main reasons for coming to the UK. 90% of interviewees said London was their only experience of migration, while 10% had worked in other European countries previously but had to move on to new destinations when work became scarce. 100% of interviewees reported that they chose to stay in Westminster as it was a busy area at all times of day and night and this made them feel safe. They also felt there was a greater likelihood of finding work and had become familiar with the area. 3 While interviewees were coming to the UK for the purpose of employment, in the absence of the right support and advice, it had become difficult for them to move on from rough sleeping. As a result some had resorted to begging as an alternative source of income. Other interviewees explored other income generating options, including busking and selling flowers. Only 3 interviewees had managed to find casual employment, receiving approximately £30 per day for twelve hour shifts. All interviewees requested support in finding employment. None of the interviewees had any knowledge of the UK welfare system. 87% of interviewees reported that they had had limited interaction with homelessness services and struggled to communicate with front-line staff. 86% of the homelessness professionals we interviewed had very limited experience of working with Roma and had little understanding of the culture or community. In line with other unemployed EEA migrants, Roma rough sleepers have very restricted access to housing benefit and other welfare support. This severely limits the support and services that homelessness services in the borough can offer. In addition, the limited number of Romanian or Romanes speaking outreach workers makes communication, assessing need and signposting to services very difficult. Where practical advocacy and employment support has not yet been implemented, services at all levels coming into contact with Roma rough sleepers are simply making an offer of reconnection. It is also noted that existing sources of information and guidance for the sector on reconnection has an inadequate amount of information in relation to Romania. Conclusions The research highlighted a number of key issues which include but are not limited to the following: Current provision for homeless people in the City of Westminster aims to provide a network of support for rough sleepers with different needs. However, our research has identified that the needs of Roma rough sleepers are unique and are not currently catered for. At the same time, there is now a high degree of mistrust about existing services amongst Roma rough sleepers. Since January 2014, welfare reforms have impacted on entitlements of Romanian nationals to housing and welfare support. This puts homelessness sector professionals in a difficult position where they feel they have a lack of tools to support EEA national rough sleepers, including Roma. Currently there is no defined strategy for supporting Roma rough sleepers, either at a borough or pan-London level. Current commissioned services have a small number of Romanian speakers and no Roma representation which creates immediate communication barriers and has significant impact on all levels of engagement. Assessments are not sufficiently tailored to enable front line staff to offer adequate support services to Roma clients. This increases the risk that vulnerable individuals, such as pregnant women, trafficked individuals or people with complex medical 4 needs, are not receiving appropriate protection and services in the City of Westminster or in Romania. In the absence of any alternative offer, there is a strong emphasis on reconnection as a tool to combat rough sleeping amongst EEA nationals but currently a lack of evidence regarding impact of reconnections on Roma rough sleepers on their return to Romania and how this limits the likelihood of them returning to rough sleeping in London. Recommendations The research recommends a number of short, medium and long term actions which should be taken by key decision makers in order to improve engagement with homeless Roma to move them away from rough sleeping. The recommendations include: A firm commitment to employ and develop Roma mediators within commissioned services. Adopt fresh approaches to working with groups of Roma rough sleepers, including partnering with specialist Roma organisations. Increased understanding about Roma amongst front-line homelessness sector workers through bespoke training, an information pack and a multimedia toolkit for use in outreach work. Commission a pilot project for Roma rough sleepers which should be integrated within existing services in the City of Westminster to ensure that the needs of Roma are seen as comparable with those of other rough sleepers. Amend existing assessment forms and processes for Roma service users to place the emphasis on employment history and skills in addition to the existing consideration of housing history in the UK. A clearer protocol agreed between the local authority and homelessness services on the duty of care and clear processes for supporting pregnant rough sleepers and other vulnerable adults.