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Services
Services for people from Central and Eastern Europe
This page provides information on entitlements, practical guidance and links to specialist services. Follow the links below to the relevant subject area.
We aim to keep all information up to date, however, this cannot be guaranteed and you should contact services to confirm availiability. If you are aware of any incorrect information please let us know. Please note that there are additional services working with this client group to those listed here. Visit homelesslondon for comprehensive listings.
Training (for organisations and A10 nationals)
Accommodation page
Visit our Accommodation page for information on accommodating Central and Eastern Europeans.
Health
The health section of the entitlements page, developed by Homeless link and the AIRE Centre, gives guidance on A8 and A2 nationals’ entitlements to NHS services, including access to primary and secondary care, and information about the European Health Insurance card.
The NHS has published Primary Care guidance for people who are new to the UK which includes information on how to register with a GP and access other NHS Services. It clarifies the processes involved and provides information about locating local healthcare services. The guidance is also available in Polish
Below are some agencies with specific health services for A8 and A2 nationals. You may also find listings of health services at homelesslondon
Project London
Information and support to help people register with mainstream health services and a walk-in health clinic to provide short-term health care until this is possible. They now have a drop in session at the Dellow Centre. More information can be found in Project London's information leaflet
Alcoholics Anonymous
Eastern European Drug and Alcohol Support Group
A new Eastern European Drug and Alcohol Support Group is running at Emmanuel's Church, Forest Gate, London E7 8BD. For more information call Svitlana on 020 8257 3068.
Advice and guidance
Housing rights website NEW
A new site launched by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CiH) and the Housing Associations' Charitable Trust (HACT) aimed at answering questions about the housing rights of new migrants. The site includes sections on the specific housing rights of new migrants who are:
· Refugees · EEA workers and other EEA nationals and family members · A8 nationals · Bulgarians and Romanians · work permit holders · people fleeing domestic violence · people with social care needs.
Visit the Housing rights website or for further information see http://www.hact.org.uk/article.asp?PageId=42&ArticleId=34 or http://www.cih.org/news/view.php?id=949
Migrant Gateway
Migrant Gateway portal aims to provide access to information, advice and guidance for EU and non-EU nationals who already work and live, or would like to come to work and live, in the United Kingdom (UK). It also provides information, advice and guidance to organisations and groups working with migrants. Information is available in Portugese, Czech, Lithuanian, Russian, Polish and English. Visit Migrant Gateway or call the telephone help line on 0871 4231334.
Enfield CAB Eastern European Migration Advice Project
Enfield Citizens' Advice Bureau has established an exciting outreach programme for the Polish and other Eastern European communities in Greater London, as the result of a grant from Citizens Advice Bureau Head Office in 2007. See their Eastern European Migration Advice Project webpage for more details.
East European Advice Centre (EEAC)
Advice for Eastern Europeans settling in the UK from the EEAC
Advice on Individual Rights in Europe
The Advice on Individual Rights in Europe (AIRE) Centre is a London-based charity providing free legal advice to voluntary sector agencies about people's rights under European Law.
Broadway Centre
The homelessness organisation Broadway have a worker who is an Eastern European specialist.
Ealing and Soutwark Outreach
Polish-speaking outreach worker based in Ealing and Southwark
Salvation Army - Rochester Row
Polish-speaking project worker based at The Salvation Army’s Rochester Row Day Centre
Manna Day Centre
Polish-speaking part-time worker based at the Manna Day Centre
Greenhouse Walk-in Centre
Polish directory
Polish directory 2007/8 produced by Federation of Poles in Great Britian. They also have a new edition of ‘How to Live and Work in Great Britain’.
Training
Homeless Link
Offers training courses on working with clients from the A8 member states. For more information visit the training pages
CSCS training in Polish and English
Ur4jobs at The Upper Room are running CSCS training on Friday 14th November 2008, from 14:00 to 18:00. Training will take place in the downstairs hall. See CSCS flyer for details.
St Saviour’s Wendell Park Church Cobbold Road LONDON W12 9LN
Hot Courses
Allows you to search for courses and colleges in your local area e.g. CITB - construction skills, English language (ESOL) and much more. Some of the courses listed are available free of charge.
NARIC
The National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (NARIC) that can ‘translate’ overseas qualifications by establishing the UK equivalents to clients' qualifications. NARIC is a branch of the DfES and the only official provider on the comparibility of international qualifications. Full information about the services they offer is available on their website.
VWP
The Vulnerable workers project offers Free training to deliver employment rights courses to groups of workers. See the course overview here.
Scene but unseen
Scene but unseen: assisting migrant gay men - In September 2008 the Terrence Higgins Trust launched a programme of work targeting men who have sex with men who have migrated to England and Wales to help reduce their vulnerability to HIV and poor sexual health. Resources include: Pocket-sized concertina leaflets in 6 languages (English, French, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish); Gay Britain website (this is for both migrant men themselves and professionals in the HIV/sexual health and immigration sectors); ‘Scene but unseen: assisting migrant gay men’ resource pack; Sector summary report; and Guidelines and audit tool for migration organisations.
See the programme briefing for more details and for information on ordering resources.
UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group
The UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group is running a training course on issues faced by lesbian and gay asylum seekers when claiming asylum in the UK on Friday 28 November 2008. For more information visit the uklgig website.
Crisis Skylight
Czech-speaking Project Worker based at Crisis Skylight
Communication
Homeless Link has produced two short guides to help homelessness organisations communicate with their Central and Eastern European clients:
- HOW TO: help your clients communicate
- HOW TO: recruit volunteers who speak Central and Eastern European languages, produced in partnership with Enfield CAB.
Free online dictionaries
Ectaco free online dictionaries can translate to and from all of the A8 languages. The Polish page also offers a service to translate larger sections of text. Do be aware however that these kinds of sites generally translate quite literally and do not necessarily amend the sentence structure appropriate to the language.
Language Line
Language Line - Telephone based interpreting service. They offer special rates for voluntary organisations. Please contact them directly for a quote.
Consulates
Most consulate websites have information on recommended translators and interpreters. See consulate information to get a list of these websites.
Leisure
Dance Movement Group
A dance movement group for Polish and Eastern European women is meeting on Wednesday evenings from 19:45 to 21:30 at St. Saviours Church, Wendell Park, Cobbold Road, W12 9LN. There are also one day events on Saturday 2nd May and Saturday 27th June 2009 from 10:00 to 16:00. See Bodyminder workshop flyer for more details or contact Katazyna on bodyminder@bodyminder.eu or 07886935716.
Classifieds/News
Foreigners in UK website
Foreigners in UK brings the latest news for migrants and foreigners living and working in the UK. Government immigration policy, developments in legislation, the crucial judicial pronouncements and all migration issues are reported by journalists and discussed by readers daily. News from the various communities in the UK, diaspora events, everyday heroes, insight on key places to visit abroad from locals and recipes from the world over, together with international beauty pageants and gossip from a different world show biz scene.
Fusion Magazine
Free magazine for Central and Eastern Europeans in the UK, distributed through tube stations, pubs and shops. Webpage includes classifieds for jobs, accommodation and goods as well as events listings etc.
The Pavement
The free magazine for London's homeless people; has a regular Polish feature.
MyOwnMedia
A unique free-press network designed to reach foreign-born readers in the places they live, work, travel and shop in. Publishes the Polish Observer.
Cooltura
Polish weekly magazine.
Back to the main Central and Eastern Europeans page
Contact joanne.crellen@homelesslink.org.uk for more information