Why refugee volunteers?

1. Why refugee volunteers?

2. Why refugee volunteers? • Why should housing providers host a refugee volunteer? • That was the question we asked housing providers at the end of the Reach In project. • And they were clear about the business benefits. • These are their responses.

3. We understand refugees better • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ they had a broader insight into what refugees had experienced, before they fled and in the UK; • ･ they understood refugees’ entitlements and statuses; • ･ they were providing a more person-centred approach to refugee tenants; • ･ their awareness of refugees as service users had improved; • ･ and they had a better understanding of vulnerable clients generally. • “I think it’s really helped for a better understanding of some of the issues that people face: I don’t think we’ve always sort of appreciated the real challenges that they’ve faced before they’ve got to us.”

4. We understand worklessness better • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ they had developed their volunteering policies for all service areas, and made them more adaptable for local communities; • ･ they had mainstreamed volunteering into their organisation; • ･ they’ve increased volunteering opportunities to non-mainstream groups; • ･ they’re more able to help refugees, and other vulnerable clients, get jobs. • “As a result of Reach In, one provider was able to link refugees into a personal development programme with six months mentoring and a general employment programme linked to the 2012 Olympics. They now have the potential to support 250 people into volunteering and 120 into jobs.”

5. We’re more customer focused • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us they had: • ･ better practice in customer services, for example in how we communicate; • ･ revisited our customer profiles to ensure the needs of refugees, and other vulnerable clients, are met; • ･ been able to engage with isolated families and diverse communities; • ･ devoted more resources to how we provide services to vulnerable groups; • ･ expanded their customer forums to become more inclusive. • “The biggest impact was understanding how services as a landlord have an impact on non-mainstream tenants. It was useful for pulling back our focus and asking why we are doing things in a certain way.”

6. We’ve improved how we work • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ staff had been inspired to reassess their own attitudes towards work; • ･ the enthusiasm of refugee volunteers brought energy into the workplace; • ･ staff had benefited from mentoring and line managing refugees; • ･ staff found it useful for their personal development. • “Talking to someone who’s really made life changing decisions to actually leave their own country and come to London becomes kind of humbling. Having personal contact actually makes a bigger difference.”

7. It’s helped us as a business • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ they had reaped business benefits, because they had a higher public profile and were now seen as the local expert in refugee issues; • ･ they had developed new community-based initiatives, around, for example, neighbourhood safety; • ･ new approaches to volunteering had been adopted strategically; • ･ create an immediate perception that you’re more accessible to refugees. • “It has certainly moulded the way the organisation deals with vulnerability across the organisation. All the work with refugees has fed into protocols signed up with the local authority. We now work strategically as well as operationally.”

8. We’re more aware of diversity issues • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ they were more able to work with minority ethnic groups; • ･ staff were more able to communicate with different ethnic groups; • ･ they were more aware of other cultures, including those of new emerging communities; • ･ they had better awareness of translation and interpretation issues. • “The barrier has been broken because of the volunteers. Now staff can actually engage with customers from the same ethnic background as the volunteer. I know that staff are feeling more confident.”

9. We’ve improved our community links • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us: • ･ developed relationships and partnerships with refugee community groups (RCOs); • ･ embedded the ethos of engaging with RCOS into the organisation; • ･ been able to expand their reach into other RCOs and refugee networks; • ･ now recognised that the community was their partner; • ･ expanded their services wider then refugee communities. • “It’s the housing plus side for me: we’re giving something back within the community. We weren’t doing anything before for refugees, and now we’re fulfilling that.”

10. We benefited from their skills • Housing providers involved in Reach In told us refugee volunteers had: • ･ brought additional skills to the staff team and been a valuable resource for the organisation; • ･ undertaken set pieces of research or worked on specific projects; • ･ helped us to plan and organise community events; • ･ used their linguistic skills to help practically; • ･ facilitated contact with local refugee organisations and migrant networks. • “One of our best housing officers came from Reach In.”

11. We benefited from them • Housing providers involved in Reach In valued refugees volunteers as individuals because: • ･ they were energetic, enthusiastic and motivated; • ･ they were highly educated, and had a thirst for knowledge; • ･ they were committed to the organisation; • ･ they had good time management, good interpersonal skills and good communication skills. • “He had such a fantastic attitude. And coming from the place he came from, and the philosophies he had, it really boosted our morale in the team. He opened up our eyes.”

12. And they benefited from us • Since volunteering at the housing providers, refugees had: • ･ found work in housing: six had been employed by their host organisation • ･ found work, as a case worker for an MP, as a development worker in a local school or as a tenant support worker for a mental health organisation; • ･ started their own catering business; • ･ continued as a volunteer with their host organisation. • Just over 35% of the 75 refugee volunteers who have been part of the Reach In project have found a job. And just over 30% have been invited by their host organisations to continue volunteering with them.

13. We’ve benefited in unexpected ways • At one housing provider, young people and refugees were working together on a project. They got talking. And this opened the young people’s eyes to the reality of refugees lives. Both the young people and the refugees shared experiences, particularly in terms of a poor media perception. By working together, and talking with each other, each helped to change the other’s viewpoints. • Another housing provider said: • “The interesting thing for us as an organisation and for all those who’ve worked on this project is that we think we’ve learned more about ourselves than the actual placements got.”

14. Their advice to you • We asked the housing providers who took part in Reach In what they’d tell housing providers who were thinking of hosting a refugee volunteer. • They told us that if housing providers don’t host refugee volunteers, you will: • ･ miss out on a huge resource and skills base; • ･ miss out on understanding your clients, and their issues; • ･ not realise that volunteers are not a burden - they’re a valuable resource; • ･ not be able to see the prestige and value a refugee volunteer could bring to your organisation.. • “You’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain.”