International Care Network: Unaccompanied Children

Unaccompanied Children

Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC – 16-18yrs)

Over the past years we have cared for over 90 asylum seeker minors (UASC) aged 16 – 18 yrs. The majority of these have been sent to us from the Social Service departments of Surrey, Croydon, Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset, Kent and Suffolk with whom we enjoy a good relationship.
ICN staff work in partnership with the UASC appointed Social Worker on all matters relating to their asylum application and well-being. At our peak we had 28 boys from Afghanistan, Iraq (Kurdish), Iran, Somalia, Uganda, Albania and Moldova. Our service is run on the basis of preparing for independant living. We have four high quality 5/6 bed properties one of which has a live-in worker to help settle and train new arrivals. Once an individual has settled in and is ready we move him on into one of the other properties where he receives a daily visit from one of our minors care workers.

On arrival these young men are often traumatised and unsure of their surroundings and future, this is where our work starts.
Our role is as follows:

To help acclimatize and become friends
Provide good quality, secure accommodation.
To attend to all healthcare needs
To accompany to all Home Office visits
To monitor & progress Asylum applications with solicitors
To enroll them on English classes (We work in partnership with
To liaise with Connexions, E2E courses etc.
To carry out regular one to one reviews
To work with them on parallel planning i.e. dealing with the
To organise socials and activities where they can mix with team members and other refugees.

Our aim is to prepare them for an adulthood where they can stand on their own two feet from a place of confidence and security.
We encourage them to make the most of the opportunity to learn English and prepare to enter work as soon as they are able.
When they turn 18 we offer leaving care support. We also work with IOM.