111
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
1 collections
    1
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found

      The value and meaning of a community drop-in service for asylum seekers and refugees

      research-article
      Hannah Catherine Spring , Fiona Katherine Howlett , Claire Connor , Ashton Alderson , Joe Antcliff , Kimberley Dutton , Oliva Gray , Emily Hirst , Zeba Jabeen , Myra Jamil , Sally Mattimoe , Siobhan Waister
      International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
      Emerald Publishing
      Meaning, Occupation, Refugees, Asylum seekers, Community services, Cultural relevance

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisher
      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Purpose

          Asylum seekers and refugees experience substantial barriers to successful transition to a new society. The purpose of this paper is to explore the value and meaning of a community drop-in service offering social support for refugees and asylum seekers in the northeast of England and to identify the occupational preferences of the service users.

          Design/methodology/approach

          A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews was conducted with refugees and asylum seekers using a community drop-in service. In total, 18 people participated from ten countries. Data were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.

          Findings

          The value and meaning of the service was expressed through four key areas: the need to experience a sense of community; being able to make an altruistic contribution within the community; the need for societal integration; and having the opportunity to engage in meaningful and productive occupations.

          Practical implications

          Community and altruism have profound cultural meaning for asylum seekers and refugees and the need to integrate, belong and contribute is paramount to successful resettlement. Community-based drop-in services can aid this at deep, culturally relevant levels. This study may inform policy and practice development, future service development and highlight potential opportunities for health and social care services provision amongst this growing population.

          Originality/value

          To date there are no studies that provide empirical evidence on how community-based drop-in services for refugees and asylum seekers are received. This study provides a cultural insight into the deeper value and meaning of such services, and is particularly relevant for professionals in all sectors who are working with asylum seekers and refugees.

          Related collections

          Most cited references32

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: not found
          • Article: not found

          Reflections on Doing, Being and Becoming

            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: not found
            • Article: not found

            Occupational Justice: A Conceptual Review

              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Accessing the community: gaining insider perspectives from the outside.

              Accessing participants for research projects is often treated as unproblematic. However the experience outlined here of negotiating access to participants within a community setting illustrates the inherent difficulties of recruitment. The authors describe the techniques used and practical challenges faced when accessing participants within a socially deprived community for a qualitative research project on social capital. They used a number of different strategies to generate a diverse sample including advertising, snowballing, accessing gatekeepers, and street surveys. The value of a stakeholder analysis is described alongside issues surrounding the use of gatekeepers. Rather than acting as outsiders seeking participants at every available opportunity, a more fortuitous strategy involved the ethnographic approach of "being there" as active contributors to community life. Here, the cornerstones of credibility and trust were addressed in a process of continually negotiating access from a semi-insider position.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                IJMHSC
                10.1108/IJMHSC
                International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care
                IJMHSC
                Emerald Publishing
                1747-9894
                04 March 2019
                : 15
                : 1
                : 31-45
                Affiliations
                [1]School of Health Sciences, York St John University , York, UK
                Author notes
                Hannah Catherine Spring can be contacted at: h.spring@yorksj.ac.uk
                Article
                620618 IJMHSC-07-2018-0042.pdf IJMHSC-07-2018-0042
                10.1108/IJMHSC-07-2018-0042
                d4ecf2e5-fb58-4b33-b763-d08996b7324d
                © Emerald Publishing Limited
                History
                : 12 July 2018
                : 04 October 2018
                : 22 October 2018
                Page count
                Figures: 0, Tables: 1, Equations: 0, References: 65, Pages: 15, Words: 8380
                Categories
                research-article, Research paper
                cat-HSC, Health & social care
                cat-VG, Vulnerable groups
                cat-IDMG, Inequalities & diverse/minority groups
                cat-SOCY, Sociology
                cat-RES, Race & ethnic studies
                cat-MIN, Minorities
                cat-SOCY, Sociology
                cat-RES, Race & ethnic studies
                cat-MLT, Multiculturalism
                cat-SOCY, Sociology
                cat-RES, Race & ethnic studies
                cat-RIL, Racial identity
                cat-SOCY, Sociology
                cat-WEO, Work, economy & organizations
                cat-LMOV, Labour movements
                Custom metadata
                yes
                yes
                JOURNAL
                included

                Meaning,Cultural relevance,Community services,Asylum seekers,Refugees,Occupation

                Comments

                Comment on this article