Homelessness & Migration Conference – Working Towards Better Solutions Together
On 17 March we hosted a national, day-long conference equipping homelessness services and commissioners with the information and tools they need to better support homeless migrants.
Dozens of experts shared best practices with hundreds of people attending from all over the country.
Here you can now find all the session recordings from the day.
The conference was delivered in partnership with Homeless Link and the Pan-London Migrant Frontline Network.
Open plenary: The current picture of migrant homelessness
This opening plenary explores why this conference is important and why now. The panel discusses how cross-sector working is possible and why it’s necessary. We also hear from Iffy who spent 17 years on the streets due to restrictive immigration policies.
Speakers:
Chair: Sally Daghlian, CEO, Praxis
Bethan Lant, Casework, Quality & Training Manager, Praxis
Andy Jolly, Research Fellow, Institute for Community Research & Development (ICRD)
Improving services and support for homeless migrants: The Connections at St Martin's toolkit
Between 2018 - 2020, The Connection at Saint Martin's ran a project which looked at how non-commissioned and commissioned homelessness services were currently working with destitute migrants, and how they could improve their collaboration and co-working for this client group. The toolkit created from the project provides some practical findings, stories and ’tips’ from this project. Referring to the toolkit, this session looks at how services can improve their engagement with destitute migrants and work better together.
Speakers:
Lidia Estevez Picon, Greater London Authority,
Ceri Hutton, Freelance
Helen Ukbay, The Connections at Saint Martin's
NRPF - What is it and why does it matter?
This workshop looks at the meaning of No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and who is affected by it, as well as the impact it has on homelessness. Speakers highlight what services those with NRPF can access and will look at the most common pathways from no recourse to recourse.
A talk by Ruth Jacobs, Andy Jolly and Bethan Lant
Crisis, Institute for Community Research & Development (ICRD) & Praxis
Migrant health and access to services
Everyone has everyday health needs that would benefit from referral to NHS services. However, many migrants face serious barriers that prevent them from accessing the healthcare they need, and that they're entitled to. People don't know their rights, and neither do the organisations that support them. This session will explore barriers and entitlements to NHS services for migrant communities, including vaccinations, and will discuss how traumatic journeys and experiences can often shape mental and physical health needs of this broad group.
Anna Miller, UK Policy & Advocacy Manager, Doctors of the World
Jill O'Leary, Lead doctor for the Medical Advisory Service, Helen Bamber Foundation
Chair: Phil Veasey, Public Health Consultant, London Borough of Newham
Sharing issues & solutions - Morning session
An open session facilitated by Sirea, where participants share particular issues around migrant homelessness that they are encountering and discuss possible ways forward.
Chair: Sirea Jabar, Partnerships Manager, Homeless Link
Modern-day slavery and homelessness
This workshop will be looking at the link between modern slavery and homelessness. Speakers provide an overview of modern slavery, discuss how it intersects with homelessness and highlights the importance of partnership working and multi-agency approaches to support survivors of modern slavery.
A talk by Ian Fiddes, Jenny Harrison and Julia Tomas
Project Liberty, Hestia & The Passage
Brexit – what does it mean for migrant homelessness?
The entitlement of EU nationals to housing support was a complex issue while the UK was in the European Union. What changes does Brexit bring and why is June 30th 2021 an important date? How might these changes affect the support you can offer? This session aims to provide some ideas and information about preparing for change and delivering services within any new rules.
Benjamin Morgan from the Public Interest Law Centre will examine the legal side and Matt Lambert from Enterprise Homes will explain their approach. The session is chaired by former MEP Jean Lambert.
Challenges when commissioning of NRPF services – both immigration advice and housing
This session considers the challenges and opportunities for Commissioners looking to address local needs with the migrant sector. It explores the national context in relation to the Rough Sleeping Strategy, highlights innovative commissioning taking place by the Greater London Authority and looks at the commissioning journey undertaken by Newcastle City Council over a number of years in relation to asylum.
A talk by Catherine Bennion, David Eastwood, Rowenna Foggie, Jason Marriot and Peter Smith
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Greater London Authority, Newcastle City Council, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government & Homeless Link
Accommodation solutions for people with NRPF & people leaving the asylum system
This session will be looking at accommodation solutions for people with No Recourse to Public Funds, what has worked and what organisations have learnt from the ‘Everyone In’ government scheme under Covid-19.
Paul Catterall, Network Development Worker, NACCOM
Phil Davis, Director, The Hope Projects
Sylvia Tijmstra, Head of Services (rough sleepers and migrants), St Mungo's
Chair: Maria Iglesias, Head of Operations & Business Development, Praxis
Data sharing and confidentiality – ensuring trust and safety in homelessness services
This session explores the issues, challenges and good practice around client confidentiality in homelessness services and the sharing of information with the Home Office. It looks at concerns with the role of Home Office engagement in rough sleeper services, legal frameworks, a look at firewalls in other public services and good practice policies on client confidentiality for homelessness organisations.
A talk by Jacqueline Broadhead, Jennie Corbett, Alex Skerten and Sylvia Tijmstra
COMPAS, Homeless Link, Southwark Council and St Mungo's
NRPF, homelessness and women and families
This workshop will hear from leading organisations in support for women, children and families subject to immigration control and explore the different routes open to support and help with accommodation and the prevention of homelessness. The workshop will explore statutory support for children and families under Section 17 Children Act 1989 as well as special considerations, such as women who are victims of domestic abuse. The workshop aims to equip practitioners with the basic knowledge needed to support women, children and families as well as signposting to organisations and tools that are useful in working with this group.
Vicky Marsh, Co-Director Services & Strategy, Safety 4 Sisters
Abi Brunswick, Director, Project 17
Chair: Nick Watts, Director, Child & Family Practitioner, Together with Migrant Children
Building partnerships for quality commissioning: inclusive services for homeless migrants
In this workshop we will be hearing from Dave Stamp of ASIRT and Arten Llazari of the Refugee & Migrant Centre (RMC) in Birmingham, to explore their relationship with the Local Authority, and how they have found ways to work together more effectively and use existing commissioning frameworks to address the needs of migrants experiencing homelessness. Local Authorities are bound by tight resources and the absence of statutory rules in providing support to people who have no recourse to public funds, or have complex immigration cases. However, the need for support and help still exists, and so the relationship with voluntary sector partners in the migrant rights sector is critical and never more needed.
Arten and Dave will talk about the challenges and learning from their experience of building and being part of a partnership approach to this issue.
Speakers:
Arten Llazari, Sabrina Pathan & Dave Stamp
Refugee & Migrant Centre, London Borough of Hackney & ASIRT
Sharing issues & solutions - Afternoon session
An open session by Bethan, where participants share any particular issues around migrant homelessness that they are encountering and discuss possible ways forward. .
Bethan Lant
Training, Development and Advocacy Manager, Praxis
Closing plenary: Panel discussion, looking to the future at positive solutions
The closing plenary sums up the themes and solutions from the day and focus on where to go from here. Panellists consider what opportunities there are for the homelessness and migrant sectors to work together.
Speakers:
Sally Daghlian, Alison Bacon, Lidia Estevez Picon, Rick Henderson and Renae Mann
Praxis, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater London Authority, Homeless Link and NACCOM