This project was initiated following the research carried out for the Council’s Annual Public Health Report 2022-23 (On hold, the lived experiences of Asylum Seekers in Hounslow’s contingency hotels | London Borough of Hounslow) which highlighted the critical health and wellbeing issues faced by asylum seekers living in hotels in Hounslow and the urgent need for greater support for them.
- To identify the mental health and wellbeing needs of asylum seekers living in hotels in Hounslow and engage with partners to develop activities and other resources which improve wellbeing.
- There is minimal funding for this work and there are significant uncontrollable factors relating to the asylum seekers contingency hotels (such as the provision of food) as the programme is controlled by the Home Office. Despite this, due to the vast health inequalities experienced by asylum seekers, this was chosen as a Core 20 plus 5 project. It was recognised that there are opportunities to make small but impactive changes, provide additional support and raise awareness around the needs of this cohort amongst partners in Hounslow.
This work will be made up of a number of small projects, each of which will have their own deliverables/ outcomes.
The most recent project has focused on supporting asylum seekers to volunteer. Volunteering project events were held at three hotels and the contact details of 103 residents were taken. The outcomes will relate to the number of people who were supported into volunteering.
Other planned projects include, working with 60+ years asylum seekers, and developing a peer support project similar to Hounslow's Community Connector scheme. A steering group will oversee this project.