Drop-in Service

Our general drop-in service is run by RSD’s drop-in coordinators, Kiven and Valentina, and provides practical support for refugees, asylum seekers and undocumented or otherwise vulnerable migrants on a wide range of issues, including help to communicate with other organisations, assistance to find legal representation and general help navigating life in the UK. Support is available as a one-off, or over a longer term. When support is required for complex or long term issues RSD will provide a personally tailored package that may include assistance on an outreach basis as well as through our office based services.

Kiven and Valentina are supported by a team of skilled volunteers and have strong links with other local and national services to ensure people can be signposted to the most appropriate agencies if RSD cannot help. 

Supporting Asylum Seekers in Devon Hotels

In February 2022, the Home Office opened the first Initial Accommodation Hotel for asylum seekers in Tiverton. Since then, further hotels have opened across Devon. In each case, RSD has played a leading role in bringing together local refugee support organisations, providing training, interpreting support, immigration advice, SIM cards, clothing and a toolkit of resources to strengthen the local response.

Currently, we provide direct support in one hotel near Exeter, which houses women, children, and families. Thanks to funding from local authorities, we have a dedicated support worker who is regularly present at the hotel, offering frontline assistance to residents.

While the scale of need is greater than any one organisation can meet, RSD remains committed to being at the forefront of coordinated support for asylum seekers in Devon.

Refugee Resettlement

This service is offered specifically to refugee families who have been relocated to Devon under government resettlement schemes, either as a result of the war in Syria or following events in Afghanistan in August 2021. Our resettlement coordinator, Souad, provides tailored packages of welcome and integration support, helping families settle into their new homes and familiarising them with their local area (shops, schools, bus routes etc.). Souad also offers assistance with a range of topics, including registering with doctors, dentists and education services, making benefit applications, understanding tenancy agreements, paying bills and navigating day-to-day life in the UK, supporting the families as they integrate into their new communities.

Appointments for home visits and office clinics by arrangement with Project Coordinators.

Immigration Advice Clinic

RSD has been accredited by the Office of the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) to provide advice relating to asylum & protection and immigration since 2018. Volunteer Tony is accredited at Level Two, and Senior Drop-in Coordinator Kiven and volunteers Alex and Suzy are accredited at Level One. Our immigration advice is offered free to asylum seekers and refugees living in Devon and, outside of Plymouth, RSD is the only organisation in the county which offers this service free of charge.

The team have also developed experience assisting people to apply for Exceptional Case Funding for Legal Aid, and can assist persons with No Recourse to Public Funds. With increasing networking with other immigration legal services RSD will help people to find legal advisors to represent them when Level 2 is not sufficient for a case.

This service is only available to refugees and asylum seekers living in Devon. Unfortunately it is not available for EU nationals or their family.

Opening Hours: Please e-mail info@refugeesupportdevon.org.uk or call our office on 01392 682185 to make an initial enquiry.

Education for Integration

Developing English proficiency helps to increase opportunities for employment and integration into the local community. Our education for integration coordinator, Rebecca Michel, coordinates a team of skilled volunteers to provide ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) tuition in classes and one-to-one. Volunteers also run a Book Club for learners who wish to improve their language by reading and discussing simplified books. RSD has joined with another voluntary group, Read Easy, to allow selected clients to develop their literacy skills by working individually with a tutor.

RAMP (Refugees As Medical Professionals)

Our RAMP project is aimed at finding ways to help forced migrants who are qualified and registered health practitioners (doctors, dentists, nurses, pharmacists etc.) in their own country fast-track into their chosen fields in a cost-effective way to fill the many vacancies that currently exist locally in the NHS. 

The pathway into work will generally involve an English test (IELTS or OET), followed by professional and clinical skills exams. We then work to facilitate ‘taster days’ or longer placements in NHS setting. We have a team of language tutors and medical professionals who support our clients with their English and medical exams and act as mentors during the process of gaining clinical experience and employment.

If you are a medically qualified refugee and you would like to join the RAMP project or if you are a qualified medical practitioner in the UK and you would like more information about current volunteering opportunities in our RAMP project please e-mail esol@refugeesupportdevon.org.uk .

Community Garden

RSD’s Allotment is located near Exeter City Centre, with good local transport links and fine views across the city towards the Cathedral. It offers a safe, friendly and welcoming environment where refugees and asylum seekers can enjoy growing vegetables, fruits and flowers alongside RSD's team of allotment volunteers in a healthy, peaceful environment, and there is always the added bonus of being able to harvest and enjoy their own organically-grown produce. For some of our clients on low incomes this food can be crucial, and this project is of particular importance to those living in flats or properties without gardens. Any surplus produce is always distributed amongst those clients on low incomes or in hardship.

Women’s Group

Our Women’s Group generally meets monthly, on a Saturday, and offers a chance for our female clients to get together in a fun, educational and relaxing atmosphere. A different activity is chosen by the group each month and these typically involve cooking, arts, music, exercise, excursions to local places of beauty or interest, and talks from invited speakers about issues relating to women and life in the UK. A crèche, with fully qualified child minders, is provided when funds permit, which gives mums a break and allows them to fully immerse themselves in the activities.

The women’s group provides opportunities for women to increase their social and support networks, make friends, combat loneliness and learn new skills. Souad coordinates a team of volunteers to make this happen each month, and once or twice a year an invite is extended to the women’s families for fun days, ‘men included’.

Events

RSD runs events throughout the year to raise awareness and to raise much needed funds. Refugee Week in June (June 20^th each year is World Refugee Day) is our main events period where we aim to facilitate a programme of exciting and varied events over a whole week throughout Devon. We encourage other organisations to join us and host events in their local communities too.

Throughout the year RSD aims to have a presence at many other events hosted by other organisations, such as Exeter Respect Festival, Exeter Pride, Holocaust Memorial Day, School Fetes and Church events, to name just a few. Check out our news and events page for information about upcoming events and reviews of those already happened.