Welcome Hackney – refugee, migrant and asylum seeker service

We have many individuals and families in Hackney who are in need of a re-match host. This could be because their sponsor withdrew at the last moment. The accommodation was unsuitable or their original sponsor is no longer able to host. This places the guest in a difficult situation, as they battle against time and the current housing crisis to find alternative accommodation.

If you’re interested in becoming a rematch host, either temporarily or on a long-term basis, let us know. Email homesforukraine@hackney.gov.uk. We would support you and the guest(s) throughout the process. We might also be able to support you to become a resident landlord, if you and the guest(s) wanted to convert the sponsorship arrangement into a longer-term rental agreement.

We also know that many more Ukrainians are still living in danger and are seeking sanctuary in the UK. If you’re interested in sponsoring someone to travel to the UK, visit Home for Ukraine.

You will need to be able to host someone for a minimum of six months and meet the sponsor eligibility requirements.

If you are on a Homes for Ukraine visa

If you are being sponsored in Hackney, you will be assigned a dedicated Support Worker. They will meet with you and your host during your first few weeks in Hackney to make sure that you have access to the information and support that you need. If you are unsure who your Support Worker is, contact us.

We will administer your £200 welcome payment. You need to visit us at the Hackney Service Centre to collect this payment.

We will provide information and resources to help you to settle into life in Hackney and the UK.

We can provide advice and guidance on a range of issues including housing, benefits, employment, ESOL, health and education. We will also signpost you to services that can further support you in these areas.

We can explain housing options and work alongside you to find longer-term housing. We will also support you to access a homelessness assessment if you are at risk of becoming homeless.

If you are a Homes for Ukraine host

We will carry out initial housing and DBS checks to ensure that the sponsorship is suitable for you and your guest.

We will administer thank-you payments for each month that you are hosting a Ukrainian guest(s).

We will provide advice and guidance throughout your time hosting. This includes advice on how to support your guest(s) when they arrive. Also, how to help them to move on from your home when you decide to end the sponsorship.

If you are on another visa type (for example Family Scheme Visa)

We can provide advice and guidance on a range of issues including housing, benefits, employment, ESOL, health and education. We will also signpost you to services that can further support you in these areas.

We are not able to:

• find a sponsor for Ukrainians who are still in Ukraine or are living in other parts of the UK
• provide immigration advice – however, we will do our best to direct you to immigration advice services
• act as a guarantor for private rentals

We encourage our guests and hosts to think about longer-term housing arrangements as early as possible. This allows time for the guest(s) to consider their options and seek support if needed. The main options for accommodation beyond the original hosting arrangement are:

• continue with your original host sponsor by converting the sponsorship into a resident landlord agreement (after a minimum 6 months of hosting) – this means that you would pay to rent the accommodation from your host
• find a new host sponsor
• secure your own private rented accommodation

There’s currently a shortage of affordable housing in Hackney and London in general. You are likely to have to consider areas outside of London where rental prices are lower. Our housing team can explain the options available to you and complete an affordability assessment to assist you in your search. We may also be able to offer landlord incentives and/or the deposit and first month’s rent to help you to secure a property.

The more time spent planning and organising, the greater the chances of a smooth transition into independent accommodation when the time comes.

If you would like support to find private rented accommodation, email our Housing Supply team: HFU.Housing@hackney.gov.uk.

• Hackney Homes for Ukraine noticeboard
• Hackney Homes for Ukraine information pack (available in English and Ukrainian)
• Homes for Ukraine guidance for guests
• Homes for Ukraine: Sponsor Guides
• government updates to Ukraine Visa Schemes- February 2024
• guidance on finding housing
• mental health support for Ukrainian refugees

Email: homesforukraine@hackney.gov.uk

Telephone: 0208 356 3111, option 2 (leave a message on our voicemail service to request a call back)

Visit us: Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman St, London, E8 1DY

Tell the reception that you would like to speak to someone from the Homes for Ukraine team. We are a small team and there may not always be someone available in person in the building. However, if you leave your details with the customer service team, we will arrange a call back as soon as possible. We can set up an appointment if necessary.

You can also visit us at our weekly Welcome Hackney Drop-In at Dalston Library.

We are here to help and we value your feedback. If you have any concerns or comments about the service contact us.

If you have received a response to your asylum application and have been granted permission to stay, you need to contact one of our teams as soon as possible. We can help you find a home to rent in the UK. This is because you will have to leave your current Home Office accommodation 28 days after you have been granted asylum.

The Refugee Next Steps service will then help you find somewhere in the UK to rent. Housing is very expensive in London, so this is likely to be somewhere else in the UK. There is a long wait for social housing, so we will help you find somewhere to rent from another type of landlord.

Our teams can also help you claim money from the government to which you’re entitled, including Universal Credit. Universal Credit is a payment to help with your living costs.

If you have a child:

• ensure you have your asylum decision letter from the Home Office – you don’t need to have your Biometric Residence Permit yet
• phone 020 8356 2929 and ask for Refugee Next Steps or walk into Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, E8 1DY and ask for Refugee Next Steps

If you do not have children in your household in the UK:

• ensure you have your asylum decision letter from the Home Office – you don’t need to have your Biometric Residence Permit yet
• phone 077 9157 7930 and ask for Refugee Next Steps, or email RefugeeSupport@shp.org.uk

Refugee Next Steps – service description translated leaflets:

• Refugee Next Steps – Albanian (PDF 360kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Amharic (PDF 395kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Armenian (PDF 369kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – English (PDF 359kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Spanish (PDF 360kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Persian Farsi (PDF 379kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Georgian (PDF 427kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Kurdish Kurmanji (PDF 362kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Kurdish Sorani (PDF 399kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Persian Dari (PDF 381kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Pashto (PDF 388kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Russian (PDF 376kb)
• Refugee Next Steps – Tigrinya (PDF 392kb)

We have commissioned a partner organisation to deliver a Casework and Outreach Service in hotels housing asylum seekers. They will run a drop-in every week at each hotel. If you are living in one of these hotels, you can speak to them if you are experiencing issues or need help accessing support.

• housing advice
• Universal Credit and other benefits
• finding ESOL classes
• GP registration
• employability and volunteering
• school registration, free school meals and uniforms
• wellbeing and local support services
• family and children’s services

• immigration advice or help with asylum or citizenship applications
• legal advice
• emergencies – we are not a crisis service

• Thrive London – wellbeing guidance in 36 languages
• Doctors of the World – keeping young people healthy
• Doctors of the World – wellbeing guidance
• British Red Cross – wellbeing translated resources

The City and Hackney Centre for Mental Health have a 24 hour mental health support helpline – 020 8510 8117.

• Get talking therapy if you are registered with a GP in City and Hackney
• NHS – City & Hackney Centre for Mental Health
• Hackney – mental health support
• CAMH – information in other languages
• Good Thinking – five ways to good mental wellbeing & Islam in English, Bengali, Gujarati, Urdu, Hindi, Somali, Arabic, Pashto, Dari
• Good Thinking – ways to support with anxiety, stress, low mood and trouble sleeping in English only
• Good Thinking – coping with trauma in Dari & Pashto
• Good Thinking – bereavement guides in English only
• Hackney – bereavement support

• Get vaccinated locally in Hackney
• NHS – COVID-19 vaccine videos
• Doctors of the World – COVID-19 information in your language
• Doctors of the World – COVID-19 vaccination childbearing & pregnancy
• Doctors of the World – COVID-19 booster vaccination information
• Doctors of the World – COVID-19 information for people without an NHS number
• Doctors of the World – COVID-19 vaccinations for children aged 5-11

• Doctors of the World – flu vaccine information

• Diabetes UK – diabetes information in different languages and formats

• Macmillan – cancer information and help in your language

• Doctors of the World – oral health guidance

See our pregnancy resources (google doc)

Read the latest edition of the City and Hackney Public Health Community Champions newsletter.

If you have received a questionnaire from the Home Office, you can find translated guides for the streamlined asylum process, by visiting Refugee Council.

Community Bilingual Advocacy Service (for GP appointments, information and community health services)

• Email huh-tr.advocacy.communityrequests@nhs.net
• Telephone 020 7683 4024

Homerton Hospital Bilingual Advocacy Service (for hospital appointments and information)

• Email huh-tr.advocacy.hospitalrequests@nhs.net
• Telephone 020 8510 7179

If you or someone you know needs support, the following organisations can help:

• ‘Find support services’ can help you find support with a wide range of needs.
• Ukraine Advice Project is a group of volunteer legal professionals who are providing free legal advice on UK immigration, visas and asylum from qualified and regulated lawyers.
• Hackney Migrant Advice are offering immigration, housing and welfare advice at their face to face appointments every Wednesday.
• Hackney Community Law Centre is a charity employing solicitors and caseworkers to provide free and independent legal advice and representation to people living, working or studying in Hackney and surrounding boroughs.
• Praxis is a charity for migrants and refugees which offers immigration advice.
• Derman is a charity for Kurdish and Turkish communities in Hackney.
• Xenia is a charity that helps refugee women in Hackney, including opportunities to practise English.
• Hackney Refugee Forum is an umbrella network for refugee organisations, hosted by Hackney Council for Voluntary Service. You can find out more by contacting Caroline Hickey: caroline@hcvs.org.uk
• The community navigator programme can help with social isolation – ask your GP for a referral.

The Mayor of London created a map of services for migrants, refugees, and newly arrived communities.

If you have lost contact with a loved one and have been unsuccessful in contacting them through the normal means of communication because of recent events, the British Red Cross International Family Tracing service may be able to help. Get in touch with your nearest family tracing office.

Walk-in Crisis Café is a safe, supportive & therapeutic place for anyone struggling and not coping with life. It offers one to one telephone support for up to half an hour.

Walk-in Crisis Café is open:

• Monday to Friday 6pm to 10pm
• Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 5pm

Telephone 07393 762366, or email elft.crisiscafe2@nhs.net

Hackney has 58 parks and green spaces, including some with play areas for children.

Visit Hackney City Farm, explore Hackney Museum and use Hackney libraries for free.

Find more ways to keep active in Hackney.

See what’s going on for young people in Hackney. 

Doctors of the World’s clinic in Stratford, East London, is currently open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 10am. Tuesday is a women-only day and is open to anyone who needs support accessing healthcare. They see people on a first-come, first serve drop-in basis. You can also book an appointment by calling their advice line on 0808 164 7686.

They refund travel expenses of up to £10.

Anyone can self-refer by contacting their advice line. Their advice line is open Monday to Thursday every week from 10am to 12pm.

The advice line can:

• support you with booking appointments to their clinic
• provide support over the phone if someone lives outside of London
• provide translation services where needed

You can refer anyone to Doctors of the World. To refer someone email clinic@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk for a referral form. They review all referrals on a weekly basis.

DOTW is not an emergency medical service. Anyone who has an urgent medical need should:

• contact 999
• attend their nearest A&E department
• contact 111 for advice as appropriate

DOTW’s clinic, advice line and casework services can help with:

• registering with a GP
• consulting with a medical professional (a GP or nurse) if available
• completing a HC1 form to help with the cost of prescriptions, dental care and glasses (an HC1 form), if someone does not work
• accessing antenatal care
• support to end a pregnancy
• testing and advice for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections
• advising on contraception
• supporting people to understand their rights to NHS hospital care in the UK, and what happens if someone gets charged

They are not able to provide the following support:

• medico-legal reports; fit to fly letters; sick notes
• letters to request exemption from Home Office reporting
• waiving or cancelling charges for hospital care (they can only give general advice
• if someone is already registered with a GP and would like a second medical opinion
• ongoing clinical support (for example mental health support)
• prescriptions for medications that need medical monitoring

They also have a Hospital Access Project. You can access the project through their advice line, at their clinic or by emailing casework@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk. They can advocate on someone’s behalf if it appears:

• they’re refused immediately necessary or urgent care on the basis of their immigration status
• the reasons for refusing their treatment is unclear
• support and advice on establishing an exemption if treatment has already been received and completed, if someone has been charged due to capacity limitations, they are unable to provide direct support for the following:
  • setting up a payment plan/speak to a hospital if someone is unable to pay their bill 
  • if someone’s unsatisfied with treatment they have received in hospital
  • transferring care to another hospital 

If you have any questions, email clinic@doctorsoftheworld.org.uk.