(iv) Child-care - families deprived of the support of the extended
family have sometimes had difficulties in coping adequately with young children.
(v)
Stress In all the above areas, as well as in dealing with other stress-related problems, the agencies will seek to provide adequate individual and family counselling while developing the provision of special support services. In family break-ups there must be a capacity to respond quickly and effectively.
(vi) Vulnerable groups
Particular attention is needed by
certain vulnerable sectors of the Vietnamese population, such as the elderly, young singles and the handicapped. Provision is in cooperation with the specialised statutory and voluntary services.
The
(vii) Family reunion counselling Refugees need advice regarding
procedures for family reunion and counselling when disappointed by the rejection of their applications. agencies will monitor arrivals and make alternative arrangements if a family reunion breaks down.
(viii) Social benefits Access to all social benefits and welfare
services to which refugees are entitled must be ensured, and agency staff are available to act as interpreters in court or elsewhere.
(f) Education, Training and Employment
îne agencies will undertake the following activities:-
(i)
(ii)
Advise individual refugees, and ensure their access to higher or further education.
In cooperation with the MSC and other statutory bodies ensure that the refugees are enabled to take full advantage of new initiatives to assist the long-term unemployed. They will also assist them in the establishment of small businesses and in seeking work and in developing other work opportunities.
(iii) Again in cooperation with the MSC and other bodies, ensure
that the refugees have access to relevant training courses, particularly those which combine English language tuition with the acquisition of skills or transferring of existing skills.
(g) Community Building
The agencies recognise that the development of community associations may provide a significant long-term source of support for the Vietnamese from within their own community. Experience in other countries, and with other refugee groups in this country, shows that such developments cannot be forced onto refugees by the host community, that they may take many years to develop any substantial impact, that their relevance to the community may be reduced by political in- fighting, and that there are certain areas of psycho-social support to individual refugees which such associations can rarely provide. spite of these reservations, the agencies will be awake to any opportunities to encourage and support initiatives which refugees may be willing to take in this field.
In
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