Responding to Coronavirus, adapting to change

​The impact of Coronavirus is profound. It poses immediate serious challenges and significant risks to our service users, staff and service delivery.  
 
In responding effectively, RETAS is living its core values and principles of listening, collaboration, adaptability, flexibility and resilience in order to meet the needs of refugees and asylum seekers. In doing so, RETAS continues to serve its core purpose of welcome and integration of refugees even in these difficult times.
 
So we want to let you know the nature of our service provision during this lockdown period and how the organisation as a whole is responding to the crisis.

​What is RETAS providing and how?
 
Our Advice & Support Services
 

• We continue to help newly granted refugees under the 28 Days Transition and New Roots projects- helping them to open bank accounts, apply for universal credit, accommodation support, access to ESOL, employment etc.   This is currently a telephone based service therefore limited.

 

• Our assistance for Syrian and other vulnerable resettled refugees under the Syrian Resettlement project is enabling clients to access ESOL and other interactive learning support via telephone, emails and social media. This is also telephone and online based support is provided by our project workers.

 
Our Adult Community Learning Service
 

• Our educational provision (ESOL, IELTS, Conversation Classes) are being delivered remotely.
• Learners have been issued with journals covering 2 weeks worth of learning activity and monitored by RETAS ACL team.
• ESOL Facebook page will be set up as a method to communicate with learners and teachers. It will act as a platform to post general useful information about wider support that can be accessed as well as links to learning materials and self directed learning resources.
• All E2/E3 learners will be linked to an email system whereby tutors will send on line learning /useful information links and also be available to offer support.

 

• WhatsApp platform will be set up for Pre entry – Entry1 learners, tutors will send on line learning/useful information links and also be available to offer support.

 

• All new learners that contact RETAS for ESOL will be contacted by phone for assessments and assigned to the appropriate learning category.

 

• We are in contact with Leeds City Council and other delivery partners regarding ideas for development work/ alternatives to traditional ESOL delivery for Term 3.

 

• Monitoring, review and evaluation by the ACL team is conducted regularly via zoom conferencing led by RETAS learning manager.

 
Our Volunteer Service
 
During this challenging time our volunteers remain integral to the services we provide. The current situation demands of our volunteer service to be agile, to adapt and flex to respond effectively to our client’s needs.
 

• Our volunteers will be providing telephone support across all projects by interpreting & translating, mentor support, contacting learners, signposting and helping us keep in touch with clients. 

 

• We would like to thank all our volunteers for their support over the last week. We will continue to support and develop our volunteers despite these challenging times by providing on line training and information sessions.

 

• Recruitment for new volunteers is currently on hold, we will review this at the end of April. 

 
Our commitment and overall goal
In this pandemic crisis despite its reduced service provision, RETAS remains committed to its core purpose and values. Our overall goal is to proactively respond to the needs and aspirations of refugees, the well being of staff and sustaining our strong partnerships.  These will be ensured by our capacity to flex, adapt, collaborate, be resourceful and working together in solidarity with hope to triumph over the current crisis.
 
Hope you find this helpful! 

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