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especially in the case of single non-dependent refugees who usually do not qualify for any money for furniture under the single payment regulations - even if they are part of a family. Without a continuous supply of donated furniture, families would be resettled without sufficient beds, chairs, tables etc.
The worker needs to work very closely with the family during the weeks before they are resettled; the family is involved in every stage of the move and no decisions are taken on their behalf.
It is apparent that the families who have come from refugee camps in Hong Kong need much more support during preparations for resettlement than families direct from Vietnam. For the refugees from closed camps, it is especially difficult to cope with doing everything that is necessary to go out and buy furniture to equip a house even with the support of a worker is a very difficult task for someone who has not even been shopping for everyday items for several years.
For refugees from both open and closed camps, the whole process of arranging housing and resettlement is further hampered by the fact that they tend to be extremely suspicious of the people working with them whether they are British or Vietnamese - this is not the case with refugees who arrive ' direct from Vietnam without staying in a refugee camp. their stay in Reception is relatively short, there is not the time to build up the trust that is needed. It is very difficult for a worker to give support and advice to families who do not trust the information they are being given.
Penny Dane