Settling refugees
in the community
Rachel Kidd, Rachel O’Connor,
Judi McCallum
www.redcross.org.nz
Today
• NZ Red Cross
• Our resettlement programme
• Pathways to Employment
• Refugee youth resettlement support
One Red Cross
• Largest humanitarian
network involved in
conflict and disaster
operations in world
• Member-based
organisation. Over 10,000
volunteers and members
• National and
international
programmes
• Focus on unity
Three priorities
• Disaster management
and building stronger
communities
• International
operations
• Refugees and
vulnerable migrants
– Refugee Advisory
Committee
Our work with quota refugees
We aim to:
• empower former refugees to
achieve their goals and
contribute to their new home
• foster an inclusive, welcoming
community which values the
strength, resilience and skills
they bring
Settlement Programme
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Welcome
Orientation
Settlement plan
Practical and social support
Information and advice
Linkages to resources
Connection to community
Support with complex needs
Referral to specialist services
Goal: Independence and
integration
• Up to 12 months
Client Team
Social Worker
Volunteers/
Volunteer
Supervisor
Client
Resettlement
Case Worker
Cross Cultural
Worker
Volunteer Programme
• Recruitment
• Training
• Setting up houses, getting small
household items
• First 6 weeks: busy, practical
tasks
• 6 weeks – 6 months:
– Advocate for families
– Social outings
– Building a friendship relationship
with families and keeping in
touch
Orientation: 9 modules
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Introduction
Keeping safe in New Zealand
Financial literacy
Housing
Health
Emergency preparedness
Strong families and positive parenting
Education
Community support services
NZRC 2020 Strategy
BY 2020 WE WILL…
Understand and meet the essential needs
of asylum seekers, refugees and their families
by supporting them in their transition into
New Zealand society, without discrimination
and irrespective of their legal status
Restoring Family Links
Pathways to Employment
• Currently 2 pilot programmes –
Wellington and Waikato
• Expanding to Auckland,
Manawatu and TasmanMarlborough
• New services start 1
September 2014
• Goal is sustainable
employment
• Workshop and 1-to-1 support
Pathways to Employment
An individualised, developmental approach
Many steps concurrently:
• Comprehensive assessment
• Career and employment plan
• Referral to right services/training
at right time
• CV, job search and interview
skills development
• Guidance with identifying
relevant jobs and making
applications
• Sourcing work experience
• Understanding NZ employers
priorities and expectations
• On-going monitoring of progress
Pathways helped me
enormously in mentoring
my short term and long
term career. They helped
me apply online for jobs
and contacted
employers.
Pathways to Employment
Pathways Team
Assessor
Red Cross
Volunteers
advisor
Data entry
Client
administrator
Social
Enterprise
Team
Client
Services
(Resettlement
Team)
Employer
Liaison
Cultural
interpreter
Corporate
Partnerships
Team
Pathways to Employment
Creating Opportunities
• Accessing decision makers
• Working with employers to
understand benefits
• Providing support after
placement
• Preparing clients and helping
with paper work
• Accessing entitlements
• Finding partners
• Identifying champions
“In our business people need
tenacity Yodit fits well here”
Mike Egan (restaurant owner)
Pathways to Employment
Expected Outcomes
• All working-age new arrivals
attend workshop
• 290 clients registered as active
job seekers (language and
employment assessments,
plans with milestones, CVs
etc)
• 80% engage in relevant ESOL
• 60% gain ≤ 15 hrs pw work,
work experience, voluntary
work
• 37% gain ≥ 15 hrs pw work
• 10% start full-time further
study
“I did agricultural work
back in Myanmar, so
this was familiar to
me. I feel really lucky
to have a job here”
Refugee Youth Resettlement Report
“Then came reality”: Lived Experiences of refugee
youth in their first 12 months in New Zealand
Rachel.oconnor@redcross.org.nz
Refugee Youth Resettlement Report
“I avoided school for 2 months until they dragged
me down to enrol. I didn’t want to go to school. I
went through so many schools after so many
moves, with so many gaps. I didn’t want that feeling
that you are a ‘newbie’”
Refugee Youth Resettlement Report
“In Africa I thought ‘I will work like a slave [in NZ],
never any rest, I need money.’ But the first time
when I migrate…we said to our community who
were here ‘we need to work’ [they said]… ‘you guys
don’t know here’. They started laughing at us. ‘it’s
hard to find a job’”
Refugee Youth Resettlement Report
“I’m a talkative person; I like to communicate. But I
wasn’t communicating as much as I wanted to. It
was quite hard to interact with others. I felt lonely”
Refugee Youth Resettlement Report
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The need for service providers to ensure they have access to
cultural information and training on understanding the refugee
journey and resettlement experiences
Provision of language support is needed to ensure barriers to
participation is reduced.
Schools play a central role in education, integration and social
participation.
Orientation for youth needs to be increased across all priority
areas of employment, education, health and wellbeing and
social participation
Coordinated approaches across the sector to ensure youths
employment pathways are supported.