About the New to Scotland Team
Inverclyde’s New to Scotland team support people living in the local area who have been forcibly displaced or are making a claim that they have a well-founded fear of persecution. The term includes people who have been granted refugee status or another form of humanitarian protection, and their dependents; people seeking asylum, and people seeking protection because of displacement, exploitation or political persecution.
We work with local and national partners, including both Scottish and UK Governments, to provide Integration Support, and are guided in our interventions by the Scottish Government’s ‘New Scots Refugee Integration Strategy: 2024’ and Inverclyde Health and Social Care Partnership’s ‘Strategic Partnership Plan: 2024-2027’.
The team can provide assistance to access housing, education, healthcare and ESOL provision, refer on to specialist services and third sector partners, and address any safeguarding concerns. Support is then provided on an ongoing basis, dependent on assessed need, to maintain this access and develop independence.
The team consists of 4 Integration Officers, a Family Support Worker, 2 Social Workers, a Co-ordinator, a Team Lead, 2 Business Support Workers, with additional input from an Advice Services member of staff.