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We are recruiting a Refugee Resettlement Support Worker!

Working directly alongside refugee families as they settle into life in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole and wider Dorset, our Refugee Resettlement Support Workers are resourceful, compassionate and great problem-solvers! It can be a challenging role, but always rewarding and worthwhile.

We asked one of our Resettlement team members to tell us a bit more about their work:

“Many of us know what it feels like to experience something new. The families we support have to navigate a situation where everything is new. New country, culture, people, and systems. Whilst also carrying with them the experiences of being in Afghanistan and travelling to the UK. Our aim is to support families to feel empowered living in the UK, such as managing their own utilities, attending appointments and accessing work and volunteering opportunities.

What I find worthwhile in my role is witnessing families become more confident. An example of this is a girl I support not wishing to attend crèche, with help of the ICN crèche and ESOL teams she has now attended crèche, nursery and she will be going into year one in September. We support families in problem-solving so that, when we are no longer involved, they know what steps to take to resolve situations themselves.

Families know that they can come to us for support even after their time with us has ended. Therefore, there is a sense of security and trust we build with families. This is especially for individuals who cannot read or write in their native language, those who are more isolated or those who are more vulnerable and require that extra support.

Regarding the positive impact on families, my perspective is that our support at ICN is very consistent. Initially, when families arrive, we see them more frequently and can tailor our support to the family we are supporting. We have the privilege of building positive working relationships with families, which helps them understand various tasks related to living in the UK. We are often some of the first people families see when they arrive at BCP/Dorset. We endeavour to create a welcoming and approachable environment for families.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about the role, or to put in an application, find the job description on our website  – applications close on Monday 7th September.

One of our most popular community activities at ICN is our cooking class. The group meet regularly to share some of their favourite recipes and learn from each other’s cultures.

Even when we don’t share languages, backgrounds or traditions, we often find that we all love to gather around the table and share a meal: food is a universal language!

Some of the women who take part in our cooking class shared their favourite recipes.

This Refugee Week, as we celebrate the courage of refugees, as the saying goes, ‘let’s build a longer table, not a higher wall’ – why not try out a new recipe and invite someone to share it with you?