"The first thing to do is to bring together a group of at least five people to form a community support group. This could be friends, family, neighbours, or perhaps people who work together, attend the same place of worship, or it could be a combination of all of these. As a group you can then work through the 5 steps of the Community Host Programme and access the range of resources that are designed to ensure that the generosity and kindness of hosts and local communities is sustained, supported and enhanced. By establishing a community support group and utilising the resources available, you will be able to work together to help the family or individuals being welcomed to access all of the supports and services they need to settle into their new lives." - Conor Platt, The Open Community
You have up to 30 days to complete the 5 steps.
Start your community support group
One of the most effective ways to make sure you are able to respond effectively to any challenges that may arise is to establish a Community Support Group. Hosting refugees
in your home or community is a big responsibility, but finding a core group of people who can assist and support can make a huge difference. We recommend that this group
should be at least five people.
As a group it will be easier to share roles and work together to make sure you can meet all of the needs of the refugee family or individuals, as well as ensure hosts are also well-supported.
Our short online training has been developed through consultation with hosts and with input from leading subject area experts. You can complete the training in stages by watching to the short videos in your own time.
The training covers:
Everyone who completes the training will receive a downloadable certificate - you can upload one of these to your ChangeX page to show that the training has been
completed.
Click here to access the training.
TheSWIFT Integration app is designed to make resettling in Ireland easy and it is available in English, Arabic, Pashto, Dari and Ukrainian.
The app provides clear and concise information on a range of areas of life in Ireland such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and employment. A dedicated section for
Ukrainian Citizens has been added to the App and is updated regularly.
You can download the app for free now by searching ‘Swift Integration’ in the Apple app store or Google play app store.
Hosted by The Open Community in collaboration with Regional Support Organisations (RSOs), experienced hosts and sponsors and other invited experts, the online support
sessions are an opportunity for hosts and community support groups to share information, have key questions answered and raise concerns or areas that need further
development or resourcing.
You can sign up for free on The Open Community website.
You may have already welcomed a refugee or family into your home or might be considering it. The Home Sharing Agreement helps hosts and guests estblish simple guidelines for how to live comfortably together. There are some basic examples and questions provided to help you start the conversation on how to share the space and agree basic rules that can be followed and suit the needs of you new extended household. The Home Sharing Agreement is available in both English and Ukrainian and encourages both families to keep open lines of communication to ensure the normal and natural challenges of home sharing can be addressed.
The plan can be downloaded on The Open Community website.
Now that you are aware of the 5 steps please click the ‘start’ button on the top right of this page to begin – we recommend opening a new window or tab on your
browser.
