Asylum seekers and refugees
The Asylum Seekers Team assists the following groups:
- Asylum Seekers - individuals awaiting a decision by the Home Office as to whether they can remain in the UK
- Refugees - individuals who have been granted permission to stay in the UK
- We also have a role in relation to European Union Accession State nationals
Our services are:
- Arranging accommodation and support for asylum seekers
- Supporting newly granted refugees to settle in the City (SUNRISE service)
- Working with partners to implement the New Lives Refugee Integration Strategy
- Co-ordination of the Gateway Protection Programme which enables vulnerable refugees to be resettled in the City
- Promoting awareness of the needs of asylum seekers and refugees
- Co-ordinating the City Council response to European Union Accession State nationals
The Asylum Team is funded by the Home Office through the following contracts:
- A contract for arranging accommodation and support for asylum seekers. This contract is in partnership with nine other local authorities in the region through the Yorkshire and Humberside Public Sector Group. The national dispersal system means that asylum seekers applying for accommodation may be required to move from London and the south east to northern cities, including Sheffield. The location and quality of the accommodation is on a no-choice basis for dispersed individuals. The Asylum Team procures its accommodation through Sheffield Homes, registered social landlords and private landlords.
- A contract for supporting newly granted refugees to settle in the city - through a Home Office pilot service called SUNRISE that offers 12 months' case work support to access a range of services. This contract is in partnership with Leeds City Council, the Refugee Council and Refugee Support.
The Asylum Team includes the following team members:
- Accommodation and Support Officers
- SUNRISE caseworker
- Business Support staff
The key managerial contacts are:
- Belinda Gallup, Service Manager
- Katie Drake, Assistant Manager - Operations
- Vacant post, Assistant Manager - Strategy and Partnerships
The Asylum Social Work Team is based within the Children's and Young People's Directorate. It provides services for:
- unaccompanied asylum seeker children
- families from abroad
To contact the Asylum Social Work team please telephone 0114 2734520
For more information please follow the links below:
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