RAS 05

Ymchwiliad i ffoaduriaid a cheiswyr lloches yng Nghymru

Inquiry into refugees and asylum seekers in Wales

Ymateb gan: Bwrdd lechyd Prifysgol Hywel Dda 

Response from: Hywel Dda University Health Board

RE:     Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee

            Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Thank you for forwarding details of the Consultation on the Welsh Government’s Refugee and Asylum Seekers Delivery Plan, which Hywel Dda University Health Board is pleased to receive.

The Health Board feedback is as follows:

1. The pace and effectiveness of the Welsh Government’s approach to resettling refugees through the UK Government’s Syrian Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (SVPRS);

WG appear to have taken an incremental and paced approach to resettling refugees through the SVPRS.  Locally within the Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB)  areas, we have found the pace and effectiveness  of the approach to be appropriate and manageable as we work with partners in the Local Authority and other organisations.

2.  The effectiveness of the Refugee and Asylum Seekers Delivery Plan

The Refugee and Asylum Seekers Delivery Plan appears to cover a wide range of requisite elements to facilitate a seamless resettlement for refugees and asylum seekers in Wales.  Within the HDUHB areas, refugees and asylum seekers who have been resettled report a generally positive experience.  Locally, there have been press releases in the Welsh media and national press (Daily Telegraph)  about good experiences in Ceredigion; whilst in Carmarthenshire, there has also been positive feedback received through the steering group, for example, around  provision of/access to/delivery/quality of  dental services.

2.1  Action area 2 - Health, Wellbeing and Social Care

2.1.1.  Mental Health – bullet point 2 – we believe there is a point requiring clarification  “ In particular, the guidance will ensure the need for age appropriate mental health services which are capable of meeting the clinical needs of the individual asylum seeker/refugee .”.  How can guidance “ensure the need”?.  We would suggest an alternative to read “ensure the provision of age appropriate mental health services ....” 

2.1.2 Physical Health – bullet point 4 – it would be valuable to receive  assurance that  that the current problems being experienced within general medical services with a large number of GPs retiring would be taken into account during these discussions. 

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2.2 Action area 3 – Maternity and Children

2.2.1 Provision of health screening at initial assessment – would funding include additional funding to Health Boards to cover the costs of language interpreters?

2.3 Action area 5 – Education

2.3.1 Higher Education - How will advice available at the monthly surgery with Cardiff Metropolitan University be accessed by potential students living in other areas of Wales?

2.4 Action area 6 – Employment

2.4.1 Employment, Volunteering and Training – Will similar organisations to the Trinity Centre and the South East Wales Refugee Women Support Group which may exist  in North and West Wales be similarly funded by the Equality and Inclusion Grant?

2.5 Action Area 7 -  Gender based Violence, hate crime, modern slavery and community cohesion

2.5.1 FGM – Priority 2 – Will “the need to engage with Universities and Higher Education Establishments to introduce Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, FGM and anti slavery training to 1st year medical students” also be taken into consideration for Nursing students and students in professions allied to medicine eg.  Physiotherapists, Radiographers etc? 

Priority 5 – Can the accuracy and validity of this data be assured and in what way?

The Health Board is particularly  interested to note and would support  the proposal of the identification and promotion of a diversity/equal access kite mark for organisations across Wales to demonstrate equal access and support for all groups in society.

3. The support and advocacy available to unaccompanied asylum seeking children in Wales

It is reassuring to note from the delivery plan that training for key professionals will be funded in order to help them understand particular issues relating to asylum seekers and refugees.                 

4.  The role and effectiveness of the Welsh Government’s Community Cohesion Delivery Plan in ensuring the integration of refugees and asylum seekers in Welsh communities.

Community Cohesion - the Health Board has some concern that the Community Cohesion Delivery Plan (see Page 26) activities appear to be centred around Cardiff.  This may be where larger numbers of refugees and asylum seekers are resettled, but it will also be important to ensure that integration of refugees and asylum seekers resettled elsewhere in more remote, rural areas is similarly facilitated.  Within our area, we are working closely with voluntary sector organisations, such as the Ethnic Youth Support Team to support resettlement. 

5.  Action area 8 – Arts/Culture and Sport

Bullet Point 3 – How will refugees and asylum seekers who do not have access to a computer or whose internet links are poor in their locality be informed of the concessionary rates available to them? 

Do we know of any activities that have facilitated the increase the fitness of refugees and asylum seekers, particularly women – see example illustrated page 30?  An  example might be models of good practice that could be adopted and adapted locally.

In broad terms, Hywel Dda University Health Board welcomes the opportunities arising from the Refugee and Asylum Seeker Delivery Plan to work collaboratively with our public, private and third sector colleagues towards facilitating the resettlement programme and improving the lives of those who have been resettled within our communities.  The plan is holistic and wide ranging and we would also feed back that the easy read version of the plan is a good example of an accessible document.

Yours sincerely

Steve Moore

Chief Executive