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Enabling Roma through the National Careers Service
Report for the West Yorkshire Area
Careers Europe, May 2013
Enabling Roma through The National Careers Service
Report – West Yorkshire area
Contents
1. Introduction..........................................................................................................................2
2. Project Research Methods...................................................................................................4
3. Desk research – Quantitative...............................................................................................4
4. The Focus Groups – Questionnaires and Interviews........................................................15
5. Summary of issues facing Roma........................................................................................17
6. References...........................................................................................................................20
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1. Introduction The Enabling Roma Project aims to meet Equality Duty and LSIS’ project themes by embedding
Equality and Diversity activities for Roma clients at the National Careers Service. Since EU
enlargement in 2004 and 2007, a number of local Roma communities have been formed in West
Yorkshire. In Bradford, 800 Roma have used the National Careers Service (2011-12) though a range of
specific issues related to this group have been identified as limiting progression. A service tailored to
the specific needs of Roma clients is currently either not provided or it is very limited often because
advisers lack awareness and/or practical knowledge. The Enabling Roma project aims to equip
careers advisors in the West Yorkshire and the Humber National Careers Service with a wider
knowledge of specific Roma needs and issues, so that they can help and encourage the increasing
number of job seekers from this specific target group to integrate into work, cultural and societal
contexts. It also aims to encourage Roma clients to access the National Careers Service for guidance,
practical information and help finding employment.
Since the spoken word is powerful in the Roma community, a video resource will be produced in
Slovak and Czech languages (with English subtitles) and will communicate several points. It is possible
the resource may also be produced in Polish; however given the timeframe and resources of the
project this is less of a priority as the National Careers Service already provides a telephone helpline
for Polish speakers. The video will firstly provide an insight into Roma culture and the challenges
Roma communities face in finding employment. It will also include Advisers presenting the National
Careers Service and an example of local Roma who have been successful. The aim of the video is to
show the National Careers Service as an accessible, friendly service for people of Roma backgrounds
and to also demonstrate that finding work and training in the region is achievable. It will be
disseminated to various National Careers Service providers nationally and locally, as well as groups
working specifically with Roma communities. It will also be available publically on the internet via
YouTube and Vimeo and uploaded the Careers Yorkshire and the Humber website.
The overall aims of the Enabling Roma project are to:
Identify the main challenges that Roma clients have to overcome as jobseekers
To characterise the Roma specific needs and to identify the training needs of the
professionals who provide careers advice
Develop resources to help Advisers at the National Careers Service better understand Roma
issues
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Increase the number of Roma customers accessing the National Careers Service
Disseminate the project resources to 200+ Advisers
Contribute to the Equality Duty’s aim to advance equality of opportunity for the specific
target group
In order to achieve these goals, Careers Europe and C&K Careers have been working with a range of
various organisations dealing with Roma issues in West Yorkshire. The video resources will be
produced by Bradford Foyer – an organisation that supports young people who, for a number of
reasons, are unable to live at home. The Foyer has a Community Film School whose aim is to re-
engage young people with the creative and technology-based skills training.
The Enabling Roma project is based on detailed research which has been organised to meet the
following objectives:
To engage a minimum of 30 Roma for quantitative research
To engage a minimum of 20 Roma for qualitative research
To produce this report assessing the cultural barriers, main challenges and specific needs of
the target group
To produce a resource for advisers at the National Careers Service – good practice guide
To produce a video resource encouraging Roma clients to access the National Careers Service
(in Slovak and Czech with English subtitles)
To hold/attend National, local and regional dissemination events - including one in Bradford
and one in Halifax
To upload the research reports, video and further resources onto the Aspire-I, C&K and CYH
websites
To disseminate Europe-wide through the Euroguidance network via (Careers Europe, part of
Aspire-i)
2. Project Research Methods A methodology for data collection and analysis has been adhered to in order to ensure a
consistent quality for the research across the partners’ areas and to build up a comprehensive
picture of Roma issues in West Yorkshire. Careers Europe adapted the research methodology
from a previous successful European project (Mol@m), which examined accession country
nationals’ employment needs. The research has been limited to the West Yorkshire sub-region,
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in particular Leeds (due to their previous experience on projects with Roma communities),
Bradford and Halifax (areas of high incidence of Roma communities within West Yorkshire),
and the data has been collected through a combination of qualitative and quantitative
approaches:
a) Desk Research/Quantitative: The desk research aimed at identifying the core issues in the
context of employability of Roma in the UK; a literature review and a study of the existing
support services in West Yorkshire will reveal the current state of knowledge on Roma issues.
b) Focus Groups/interviews/Qualitative: Several focus groups and interviews were carried out
in Bradford and Halifax, led by Careers Europe and C&K Careers and based on the
experiences of Roma who have arrived in the UK in the past 15 years. An interview
questionnaire was designed to capture the views of Roma jobseekers and their specific needs
in finding work. The idea was to capture their individual experiences in order to understand
the challenges they faced and needed to overcome in order to integrate into work, cultural
and societal contexts.
3. Desk research – Quantitative
3.1 Literature ReviewRoma SOURCE [Sharing of Understanding Rights and Citizenship in Europe ] is a two year project co funded by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme. Roma SOURCE is a European project that aims to combat and reduce discrimination through developing mutual understanding between Roma and mainstream communities, promoting equal rights and highlighting best practice. Migration Yorkshire is coordinating the European project as the lead partner, and is running one of the regional projects – Yorkshire and Humber Roma SOURCE.The Roma Source research reports are products of the transnational partnership project. They offer a range of insight, from best practice across Europe to statistics, focus groups and e-learning. Research has been broken down into four main categories; Children, Employment, Citizenship and Health. The E-learning platform is a free, online tool aimed at anyone wishing to learn more about Roma in Europe. It offers information on the current situation of Roma and shares best practice in the employment of Roma. Users can access the site a login, this should be requested by sending an email to: [email protected]
http://www.romasource.eu/resources/research#reports
The Gypsy, Roma Traveller Achievement Service encourages Roma children in the Leeds area to access education. The service has produced a Good Practice Guide, which is targeted at
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teaching professions and aims to improve education outcomes for GRT (Gypsy Roma Traveller) pupils. It includes many case studies from the local Leeds area, which demonstrate different strategies of supporting the target group and their families. The guide can be used by Careers Advisers to improve understanding of Roma issues; however the activities and strategies outlined are specifically related to children in a learning environment.www.grtleeds.co.uk/downloads/GRTAS-good-practice-guide.pdf
The Laco Project is community centre project based in Thornbury, Bradford. The team works with Slovakian and Polish Roma to support integration and citizenship in the UK. This presentation introduces the project and outlines the six “steps” carried out by the project leaders/trainers (Recruitment, Engagement, Training, Contract, Sessions, Going Out). The steps are based on an understanding of Roma issues; they are led by Roma trainers who recruit Roma “cascaders” to promote the project throughout their communities. The overall aims are to provide awareness of health issues, whilst engaging and sustaining a relationship with these local communities. It can be used by Advisers as an example of how to engage and gain trust with Roma groups. http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/userfiles/attachments/pages/613/rs-health2_bradford-
laco-health-cascaders-en.pdf
Presentation by the multi-agency “Roma Partnership” in Leeds . The partnership unites different agencies and institutions working with Roma communities in the locality to share insight and experience. This presentation highlights common issues experienced by the different organisations. The focus is mainly centred on healthcare; however the “wider determinants”, such as housing and employment, are explored as factors which may eventually lead to health problems.
http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/userfiles/attachments/pages/613/rs-health7_leeds-
roma-hna-framework-jan-2013.pdf
Big Issue article entitled “Proud to be Roma”. Report on Roma experiences with discrimination and prejudice, it highlights several initiatives in the Manchester and West Yorkshire regions which promote Roma culture and inclusion.
http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com/2010/10/%E2%80%98we-are-not-ashamed-we-are-proud-
of-being-roma%E2%80%99-8/552
Article from The Independent entitled “Roma shown to be Europe’s poorest and most reviled people”. Reviews an Amnesty report and highlights the deep-rooted, often institutional discrimination demonstrated against Roma communities across Europe. Where previously
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anti-Roma platforms were limited to far-right groups, the article suggests a shift of these views to mainstream politics. It also highlights the need for “Roma to ensure they are viable partners for states to work with.”http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/roma-shown-to-be-europes-poorest-and-
most-reviled-people-7609052.html
Article from The Independent entitled “Outsiders: The trouble with Roma”. This article dates back to 2010 following French President Sarkozy’s policy of targeting Roma communities for repatriation. It explains the background to Roma migration in Europe and how governments dealt with new communities. It particularly focusses on negative government responses in France and Italy, which turned into “a test of wills at the European level”.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/outsiders-the-trouble-with-the-roma-
2096671.html
3.2 Support systems currently available
There are a number of different projects aimed at supporting Roma integration in the West
Yorkshire area. These range from small community-run initiatives, to nationally funded services
and EU funded projects. Interventions to support Roma Communities are based on
entitlements under English Law e.g. school places and health care. The specialist projects to
assist the Roma communities in accessing these entitlements and to ensure that all statutory
and voluntary agencies provide appropriate responses. To facilitate this, the following have
been established:
Multi – agency Working Groups/ Partnerships
Roma Projects (Laco Project, Bradford)
Consultation with Roma Communities (through various contact points)
Advice sessions in community centres and churches– connecting Roma communities to
statutory and voluntary services
Interpretation services – point of access to healthcare/schools
The New to English Contingency Grant: a one off payment of £500 per child to schools
admitting New to English Learners (conditions apply)
Migration Impact Fund: national government funding
Standards Funding: Education Service for New Communities
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Local projects/services
The Laco Eastern European Migrants Project
The Thornbury Centre, Leeds Old Rd, Bradford, BD3 8JX
Tel: 01274 666649
Contact: [email protected]
Website: www.thornburycentre.com/community-projects/laco
The Laco Project is funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust and provides case worker
support for new Eastern European Migrants. This project has been working with Polish and
Slovakian Roma communities in Bradford for over 4 years and has drawn its team of workers
from these communities. The team is therefore well placed to understand the cultural barriers
that Roma face, and can offer an advocacy/ mentor service on how to overcome these
challenges. Workers themselves have a Roma background and all English speakers so are,
therefore, good examples of Roma success in the district. The Laco project states that “it is
vital to see Roma not as a problem, but people with problems”, and so their work seeks to
empower community members, improve understanding, integration, citizenship and cohesion,
and ultimately move Roma to greater independence.
An outreach service ensures that new arrivals are accessing all the support that is available to
them across all sectors e.g. financial, housing and health and social care; they provide lessons
in basic English; offer CV building and job seeking workshops and are on hand to help with any
further questions. The Thornbury centre also supported the formation of the West Yorkshire
Roma Association and the Romano Drom music and dance group.
Careers Europe were fortunate enough to work closely with workers from the Laco Project at
The Thornbury Centre in Bradford during the research phase of this project, in particular with
David Gorol a key worker on the project who facilitated and interpreted for our focus group
sessions with Slovak and Polish Roma (see Focus Groups chapter).
Gypsy Roma Traveller Achievement Service
6th Floor West, Merrion House, 110, Merrion Way, Leeds, LS2 8DT
Tel: 0113 395 2826
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.grtleeds.co.uk
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The GRTAS has been running since 1975, it started with a single teacher and has developed
into a nationally recognised and well reputed service. The organisation has strong links with
different GRT (Gypsy, Roma, Traveller) communities and collaborates with Early Years Centres,
Nurseries, Schools and Colleges in the area. The service focuses mainly on encouraging GRT
communities into education. They provide training programmes and workshops for teaching
staff which aim to improve the knowledge, skills and understanding of the specific educational
needs of GRT pupils. The service has produced several publications including a Good Practice
Guide (see Literature Review) and other resources. These resources and training programmes
are particularly targeted at schools/teaching staff.
Roma Partnership Group, Leeds
This network links a number of agencies in Leeds together and discusses Roma-specific issues.
The idea is to take a holistic approach to addressing the common problems of the target group.
The partnership aims to share best practice and provides professionals working with Roma
groups with information and advice, such as a forum for networking, exchange of information,
project and planning updates. The organisations involved in the partnership include: Advocacy
Support Leeds; GRTAS; NHS Leeds Children services; GRT outreach; Children’s Society; WYPS
CHIVA; Job Centre Plus; Coop Academy Harehills primary; Harehills Children’s Centre and
more.
Central and Eastern Europeans Working Group, Bradford
Bradford Central and Eastern European Working Group (BCEEWG) is a voluntary unfunded
partnership that works with the newly arriving accession state migrants from Central and
Eastern European countries. The group has representation from a broad cross-sector of service
providers, community organisations and voluntary sector organisations.
The group is currently active in a number of strands of work including:
Improving data;
Language support;
Learning and Skills Council, Yorkshire and Humber
Hosting visits;
A8 migrant workers project (pilot project, Bradford College);
Sharing good practice (Diversity Exchange)
Development of resources
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Awareness training (Diversity and Inclusion Project, Education Bradford)
Neighbourhood work – developing and supporting local networks;
Supporting the most vulnerable (Social Services)
Halifax Central Initiative
Queen’s Road, Halifax
Tel: 01422 365948
Email: [email protected]
A community initiative offering support to all residents of the Central Halifax area. The centre
at Queen’s road has good links with other agencies including the National Careers Service with
which there are regular cross referrals.
Activities include:
Co-ordination of Ward forums
Community clean ups
Keep fit; support and advice
Training sessions for local professionals, information on Roma culture and backgrounds
Bringing local workers together to discuss issues and to plan future actions
Advice from Citizen’s Advice Bureau with Czech and Slovak interpreters
Weekly Work Club, providing support with on line job searches - Czech and Slovak
interpreters available.
St Augustine’s, HalifaxHanson Lane, Halifax, HX1 5PGTel: 01422 352492
The St Augustine’s Centre is a charity-based voluntary organisation, reliant upon grants and donations. The Centre is based in an area of great religious and ethnic diversity and where there is also a high degree of deprivation. The centre aims to encourage integration between the various groups offering qualified advice sessions, social support, groups and community forums. It offers people a chance to have their voices heard, share stories, gain new friends and knowledge of our society, enabling people to improve their lives and reduce the barriers that can cause poverty and isolation. Services on offer include a weekly drop in/appointments with a National Careers Service Adviser to discuss education, training, employment, benefits, health and housing. This includes support on filling in forms. The centre also runs a weekly workshop with a Czech interpreter, providing help with online job searches, applications and CVs.
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Roma specifically seek out the National Careers Service Adviser as she has been recommended by other members of their community; evidencing the power of the spoken word and personal recommendation.
http://staugustinescentrehalifax.org.uk
Education Service for New Communities and Travellers, Bradford
Children's Services, Future House, Bolling Road, Bradford BD4 7EB
Tel: 01274 385558
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://bso.bradford.gov.uk/Schools/CMSPage.aspx?mid=170
The Education Service for New Communities and Travellers works on a basis of identified need with families and schools in the Bradford District. Like the National Careers Service, there has been a difficulty in actually encouraging many Roma families to correctly ascribe. The service explains that there is a “fear of authority and the expectation that they may be discriminated against; our role is to get these families to trust schools and the local education authority and in turn help the children reach higher standards in their education.” In order to achieve this goal the Service provides:
Advice regarding educational and education social work issues Interpretation and translation (Czech, Polish, Slovakian, Russian and Ukrainian) Culturally relevant resources (DVDs,) Facilitating home-school liaison Training sessions, including a free awareness and ascription training for teaching staff
Roma Source Project (Migration Yorkshire)
Leeds City Council, Civic Hall, 2nd Floor East, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 1UR
Tel: 0113 395 2437
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.romasource.eu/about-us/migration-yorkshire
The Roma Source Project was a two year partnership project funded by the European
Commission and carried out by Migration Yorkshire in Leeds. Migration Yorkshire is a local
authority-led regional migration partnership hosted by Leeds City Council. The organisation
works with national and local government, amongst others, to ensure that Yorkshire and
Humber can deal with, and benefit from, migration. They also collaborate with agencies across
the statutory, voluntary, community and private sectors to help support the delivery of high
quality services to migrants in a way that benefits everyone living in local communities. 10
Roma SOURCE aims to tackle discrimination and exclusion of Roma; it also addresses social cohesion between Roma and native communities. The partnership identified four key areas on which they based their work:
children citizenship employment health
The Roma Source project reached completion in March 2013. Results of the project were inclusion in local areas; greater understanding between communities and tangible policy change. A wide range of resources have been produced throughout the project, including reports, good practice guides and case studies (see Literature Review).The success of the project means that another round of funding has been approved from April
2013 until March 2015. Roma MATRIX follows on from Roma SOURCE – it will be coordinated
by Migration Yorkshire and is 3 times as large, with 19 partners in 10 countries.
www.twitter.com/romamatrix
During our research we discovered a number of other small community, charity and voluntary
organisations across the West Yorkshire region offering support and English lessons to
incoming migrants. These organisations mainly work from churches or community centres.
Advisers at Aspire-i and C&K Careers deliver the National Careers Service which supports Roma
clients on a one-to-one basis. However, formal links with Roma support agencies are currently
limited and need to be developed at both C&K Careers and Aspire-I. There are some promising
signs of improvement - a representative from Aspire-I now sits on some of the Eastern
European Migrant Working Group meetings, a multi –agency meeting which takes place once
every 2 months to discuss how to better serve Eastern European migrants (including those of
migrant origin) in the Bradford area.
3.3 Challenges of Roma migrants
This section summarises the findings of a range of organisations in the region with regards to the challenges faced by Roma workers.
Language – No affordable access to ESOL classes (The Thornbury Centre)
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Mobility – Financial factors mean Roma have little access to transport (The Thornbury Centre)
Education - Less than half of Roma children complete primary school and a very low number attend secondary school (Roma Source)
Health - Roma have a life expectancy 10 years lower than other European citizens (Roma Source)
Housing Issues – Poor living conditions and overcrowding (Roma Health Needs Assessment)
Employment and Income - Employment rates are lower for Roma than the general population (Roma Source)
Prejudice and Discrimination from existing communities and other migrants – an Amnesty International report has described this problem as the root of all Roma challenges, “These are not simply the consequences of poverty; they are the result of widespread, often systematic, discrimination and other human rights violations”.
The organisations previously mentioned are working to address these issues, however the
focus of these activities seem to be mainly centred on education and health. Professional
advice about jobs, training and employment is not yet completely accessible to all Roma
communities in the region. With particular regard to employment and skills, the following
concerns have been identified:
Low levels of English
New arrivals to the UK barely had access to basic information in their native countries, let
alone English lessons. Many can live in the UK for years in small, Roma communities without
having to learn English. Low attendance at school means that generations of Roma are growing
up in the UK without even the basic language to find a job or go to the doctors. This makes it
difficult when coming into contact with official agencies or services. The National Careers
Service in Bradford meets many Roma customers who cannot express their needs to Advisers
without an interpreter. In turn the Adviser cannot communicate information quickly and
effectively.
The Thornbury Centre provides basic beginners English to help Roma with everyday life, such
as going to the doctors or supermarket etc., however, there is a need to expand and promote
free ESOL classes. Currently Jobcentre Plus provides funding for ESOL classes; however this
funding is terminated when jobseekers eventually find work. Many of these classes can be
taken up with other issues that the Roma need to sort out rather than learning English (e.g.
getting their CV written, filling out JCP forms).
A conference held by the Community Development Mental Health Organisation – Sharing
Voices concluded that, “As in other localities, finding staff with appropriate language skills to
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work with migrants groups – including Roma – is a significant problem in Bradford.” Some
schools employ non-Roma from the same CEE countries as Roma in order to fill the gaps in
provision this situation creates, but as in other places this often recreates the problems Roma
experience in their home countries. There are clearly Roma in the city with the appropriate
skills and knowledge to fill this gap, but as of yet, they remain unidentified
(http://orca.cf.ac.uk/42241/1/routes_report_030113.pdf )
Informal labour market and employer exploitation
Research has shown that migrant workers are not always made aware of their employment
rights in relation to their terms and conditions of employment - hours and overtime directives,
minimum and overtimes pay rates etc. They are not put into contact with trade union or other
worker representatives. Following on from above, there is evidence that migrant workers often
work in unsafe and/or unhealthy working conditions which do not comply with the standards
of the UK. Health and language difficulties exacerbate these problems as warnings and signs
cannot be read and fully understood. Not only are Roma workers often in ignorance of their
rights, they are unable to put forward a coherent argument in the language of their employer.
Few UK ‘rights’ documents are translated into EU languages. There is evidence that a far higher
proportion of migrant workers than indigenous employees work to short term contracts,
making it more risky for them to complain about injustice or malpractice.
Racism and prejudice
This is a particularly important issue that needs to be addressed if Roma wish to access the
National Careers Service. Our research (from interviews with National Careers Service advisers)
revealed that Roma who attend the National Careers Service often deny that they are in fact
Roma for fear of discrimination. As Aspire-I and C&K Careers both deliver the National Careers
Service, in areas with significant Roma communities their Advisers meet Roma customers on a
regular basis. When starting our research on Roma communities, we found that organising an
effective focus group with these customers was extremely difficult as many Roma identified
themselves as Slovak, Polish or Czech and not Roma. Further reports of discrimination came
from our focus groups at The Thornbury Centre. Roma participants told us that they had
experienced discrimination from other migrant groups in the UK, such as white Polish migrants.
They believe they have been refused work contracts by Polish recruitment agents solely on the
basis that they are Roma.
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These three major challenges often lead to low aspirations and job prospects within the Roma
community, and so the support organisations look for ways to break this cycle. Despite this,
there are still gaps in the careers and employment services available to Roma. Below are some
suggestions as to how The National Careers Service can further their E&D programme to
include Roma customers:
Raising awareness of their services and building trust with Roma communities (through
increased positive contact)
Providing awareness training for Advisers
Providing job seeking skills and self-employment skills workshops aimed at Roma
customers
Encouraging initiatives for Roma to access new sectors of work
Network with other organisations such as Roma Source who report on European best
practice and the GRTAS who offer training for teaching staff
Representatives of the NCS to attend working group meetings to better understand the
support organisations in the region and how they can work together better
4. The Focus Groups – Questionnaires and Interviews
Careers Europe worked in partnership with The Thornbury Centre in Bradford to carry out three
focus groups with people from local Roma communities. C&K Careers held a further 12 individual
interviews with Czech participants at St. Augustine’s in Halifax.
As discussed in the desk research chapter, The Thornbury Centre provides a range of services for this
particular group, from basic healthcare to English classes and CV writing. Careers Europe spoke with
20 Roma in total, 15 of whom were Slovak and the remaining 5 Polish, though it is worth noting that
their views and answers did not differ much based upon nationality. In order to get the maximum
benefit from our focus groups we conducted them in the groups’ own languages - David Gorol from
the Laco Project speaks Slovak, Polish and English, and so acted as interpreter throughout the
sessions.
The groups presented us with a range of different ages, though there were very few aged over 50.
The length of time they had been in the UK varies considerably from 2 months to 13 years. We aimed
to have a mix of genders, though of the 20 participants only 5 were male.
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In this section we summarise the main findings from these sessions and explore the first hand
experiences of those recently arrived in the UK.
4.1 Focus Group 1The first group consisted of five Slovak women, two of whom were younger (18-24) and three of
whom were older (35-50). All were Slovak speakers and they all knew each other as friends. Their job
situations were as follows:
1. Cleaner at a local packing company (Millway) - Living in the UK for 8 years
2. Cleaner at Bradford Academy Clinic - Living in the UK for 9 years
3. Pregnant, not in work - Living in the UK for 2 years
4. Pregnant, not in work - Living in the UK for 3 years
5. Cleaner at the Park Lane Fitness Centre - Living in the UK for 4 years
4.2 Focus Group 2The second group was a mix of five Slovak men and five Slovak women; they ranged from very young
(late teens) to more mature (50 years), their job situations were as follows:
1. Cleaner - Living in the UK for 1 year2. Self-employed cleaner - Living in the UK for 5 years3. Cleaner - Living in the UK for 1 year 4. Unemployed - Living in the UK for 2 months5. Unemployed - Living in the UK for 3 months6. Packing - Living in the UK for 2 years7. Packing - Living in the UK for 1 year8. Car wash - Living in the UK for 1 year 9. At school – Living in the UK for 5 years10. Car wash - Living in the UK for 1 year
4.3 Focus Group 3The third group was a group of five Polish women; they ranged from late teens to adults (up to 40
years), their job situations were as follows:
1. Used to work in fabric factory but recently made redundant – Living in the UK for 13 years
2. Used to work as a cleaner in a factory but recently made redundant – Living in the UK for 8 years
3. Used to work in packing at a chocolate factory but was made redundant - Living in the UK for 8 years
4. Made redundant now a student - Living in the UK for 8 years5. Made redundant now pregnant - Living in the UK for 8 years
4.4 Interviews at St Augustine’s in Halifax
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Interviews were carried out with a group of thirteen people at St Augustine’s in Halifax. The group
were all Roma from the Czech Republic and have been in the UK for varying lengths of time (from 2
up to 10 years). Several arrived in the UK as asylum seekers.
5. Summary of issues facing RomaIn the experience of our participants, most migrants came to the UK on the recommendation of
friends and family rather than professionals and sought advice, work and accommodation through
the help of their compatriots already living in the UK, as well as local community groups, rather than
through official channels. This was the same for all groups regardless of their native country
(Slovakia, Poland and Czech Republic) and is possibly due to a lack of information about official
channels in their home countries. The main reasons for migration were to improve job prospects
(either to avoid unemployment or to work under better conditions), to increase income, live in a
better “system” and access better education for their children. But there were also social motives
(family reunification, friends) and all participants expressed a desire to escape discrimination in their
own countries.
We asked our participants what barriers they faced as jobseekers in West Yorkshire. The following is
a summary of their responses:
English Language level – this was common and key to all participants (hinders integration,
lessons are too expensive or far away)
Everyday life in the UK (high price of food and accommodation, getting used to a different
currency and health system, personal safety, expensive transport…)
Lack of available general information on jobs (average salaries, pay scales, job fields, labour
law – difficult to understand/find)
No practical help or advice from their country of origin
Lack of practical help with paperwork
Lack of education and qualifications
Low self-esteem/aspirations (if they could do anything in the world, no matter what their
qualifications and experience were - many said their ideal job would be a cleaner)
Lack of ICT skills
Access to housing and health services in the UK
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For many large, extended families, a tipping point has been reached, where most of the young
people of working age have moved to the UK, leaving the elderly behind. As health concerns increase
about elderly relatives, they are often brought to the UK as well. Some migrants move backwards and
forwards between the UK and Slovakia/Czech Republic/Poland, and are therefore not permanent
residents in wither country. Others go back at times of crisis, however this causes problems in losing
jobs, places in schools and access to health services and housing. Others would like to return to
Slovakia/ Czech Republic/Poland, but no longer have the links there, making it difficult to do so.
We also asked our participants to assess what information and skills they needed in order to carry
out successful job searches in the UK.
These are the areas they prioritised:
English Language
Ideally free ESOL classes in the local area
More opportunity to practice language skills
Other
Help finding and accessing training courses
Help with application forms, paperwork and phone calls
Skills courses such as mechanics, police, interpreter, cooking
Courses on job seeking, CV writing etc.
Courses would be better 2 days a week, during the day
Telephone Helpline
All the Polish and Slovakian participants agreed that if there was a telephone helpline in their language they would use it (National Careers Service helpline is currently available in Polish)
The Czech participants said they would not use a telephone helpline, they would prefer face to face support from a trained adviser
The National Careers Service has three channels of delivery, telephone, web and face to face; therefore, taking into consideration the findings of this project and subsequent summary of Roma needs, the National Careers Service is ideally placed to support the Roma community with looking for learning and work in the UK.
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Our intention is to promote these findings across the wider National Careers Service to raise awareness of these issues and subsequently improve the Roma community integration into UK society.
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6. References
Bradford Education Service for New Communities and Travellers: United Kingdom: Serco http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CDsQFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euromanet.eu%2Fdocuments%2FBradfort.ppt&ei=gweRUavlCcK3O_-7gbAL&usg=AFQjCNEOmZW3owvL6dPbccFgZrI26GSD3g&sig2=kBcw90Ad_FOiJcS5esDiNQ&bvm=bv.46340616,d.d2k
GRTAS Good Practice Guide, November 2011: www.grtleeds.co.uk/downloads/GRTAS-good-
practice-guide.pdf
Roma Source project research reports:
http://www.romasource.eu/resources/research#reports
Roma Partnership Leeds, presentation Jan 2013: http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/userfiles/attachments/pages/613/rs-health7_leeds-roma-hna-framework-jan-2013.pdf
The Laco Project, presentation http://www.migrationyorkshire.org.uk/userfiles/attachments/pages/613/rs-health2_bradford-laco-health-cascaders-en.pdf
Report into the impact of multi-agency work supporting Roma children in education, BHA
December 2012: http://orca.cf.ac.uk/42241/1/routes_report_030113.pdf
The Big Issue, 24 October 2010:http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com/2010/10/%E2%80%98we-are-not-ashamed-we-are-proud-
of-being-roma%E2%80%99-8/552
The Independent, 3 April 2012:http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/roma-shown-to-be-europes-poorest-and-
most-reviled-people-7609052.html
The Independent, 4 October 2010: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/outsiders-the-trouble-with-the-roma-2096671.html
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