Supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people
Resources for members of the public, providers and professionals
On this page
About young unaccompanied asylum seekers
A young unaccompanied asylum seeker is:
- a child who is under 18
- is applying for asylum in their own right
- has no adult relative or guardian in this country.
We have a duty to protect and support these highly vulnerable children while they are in our care.
The local authority supports the child by providing accommodation, meeting general needs, and supporting them as a care leaver when they reach the age of 18.
The journey to Oxfordshire
Most unaccompanied asylum seekers come to the UK from war zones. Some have endured dangerous journeys and been separated from their families. Some have experienced abuse or are trafficked.
When they arrive traumatised and exhausted, some may face hostility, disbelief and prejudice from the community. While a few are reunited with their families, many grow up in the UK care system, finding their own network of friends.
Asylum seekers, in general, face a long, anxious wait to hear whether they have been granted asylum. Some are directed back to their countries after they are 18.
Local and national services
Search for local and national services
- Refugee Council - referral, telephone advice, training and more
- Refugee resource
- EMBS Ethnic Minority Business School
- Asylum Welcome - Oxfordshire's support organisation for asylum seekers, refugees and detainees.
Helplines
Resources
- UASC health resources
- Doctors of the world website
- Care of unaccompanied migrant children and child victims of modern slavery - statutory guidance on GOV.UK
- National referral mechanism referral forms - modern slavery and human trafficking - GOV.UK
- Processing children's asylum claims - guidance on GOV.UK
- Channel and Prevent - multi-agency panel
Mentoring and befriending
Refugee Resource, Refugee Support Network and EMBS Community College provide volunteer mentors and befrienders to young unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees in Oxford.
The project aims to increase overall confidence among young people and their confidence in speaking English.
Young people are matched with a trained educational mentor, who will support them. This could be:
- practising spoken or written English
- helping with homework
- practising learning about specific subjects.
Controlling Migration Fund
Oxfordshire’s Programme of work to enhance our support to UASC
In December 2017, Oxfordshire County Council secured central government funding from the Controlling Migration Fund for a two-year programme to enhance support for UASCs and young people entering Oxfordshire.
Oxfordshire’s programme aims to support UASCs to thrive, integrate within their local community, and manage the impact on service pressures for the resident community, and to prevent community tension.
This programme of work includes:
- training opportunities
- counselling service for UASC
- mentoring and befriending service for UASC
- transition worker to support UASC into school, college, play and leisure opportunities
- a clinical psychologist who will work with UASC and professionals working with UASC.
Staff across the county will be more confident and better equipped to support children and young people arriving in Oxfordshire unaccompanied.
Controlling Migration Fund - Oxford City Council
Oxford City Council also received funding and has a series of projects underway to support refugee and migrating families and adults entering Oxfordshire.
These projects include:
- funding additional pre-entry English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants;
- funding mentoring and volunteering opportunities for refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants;
- developing updated and new information packs to inform vulnerable migrants of access to the availability of support services;
- tackling rogue landlords who let properties in poor and/or overcrowded conditions to vulnerable migrants;
- supporting migrant rough sleepers to access accommodation and support services;
- improving the community’s capacity to tackle anti-social behaviour, exploitation of migrants and human trafficking by gathering evidence.
Funded by Oxford City Council, Elmore Community Services is researching the nature and extent of modern slavery and human trafficking in Oxford City. Modern-day slavery encompasses sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced criminality and domestic servitude.
The research aims to generate a stronger evidence base on which city and county-wide bodies responsible for community safety can better:
- assess the threat, harm and risks posed by modern slavery to adults and children in Oxford: what kinds of exploitation are taking place, where, and who is vulnerable
- develop more effective responses to identify, protect, refer and support victims.
The evidence generated should also inform prevention work, from reducing vulnerability to disrupting criminal activities, making it harder for exploiters and traffickers to operate in Oxford.
Elmore Community Services would like to hear, in confidence, from anyone who is concerned about these issues and has knowledge to share that will support their research.
- JShackman@elmorecommunityservices.org.uk or 07975 615934
- FGell@elmorecommunityservices.org.uk or 07814 049177