Partnership
Partnership is very important to us. But it is an over-used and misused word. By ‘partnership’ we mean that we work with others towards shared goals which are about clients, not about organisations. We believe that our partnership approach has improved services to clients.
Partnership as relationships
… with clients We are committed to meeting the needs of refugees and asylum seekers as expressed by them. Our services were set up as a result of a consultation with refugees and asylum seekers, and are shaped by consultation with refugees and asylum seekers.
… with service providers Partnership with other providers is crucial – we promote collaboration and try to avoid duplication. In order to put refugees’ and asylum seekers’ needs as close as possible to the heart of what we do, we take time to plan our services and to talk to other providers. We share information about our work (not about individuals, unless we have their permission) openly with other organisations, we learn about what others offer. If another provider can offer a more appropriate service to a client, we refer. Or, if the client would benefit from two organisations’ involvement, we collaborate.
… with employers We are privileged in Oxfordshire to be able to work in partnership with committed employers. Oxfordshire County Council, the largest employer in the county, and Refugee Resource have a partnership agreement and the Council has offered several work placements to refugees and asylum seekers.
Partnership in management
The steering group for Refugee Resource’s services includes representatives from partner organisations, including Oxfordshire County Council’s Children Young People and Families Directorate, the Youth Mentoring Service, Oxfordshire Primary Care Trust, Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare Trust, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College and Asylum Welcome. This partnership steering group sets objectives, monitors progress, improves coordination across agencies, identifies gaps in service provision and discusses how to meet them, and aims to make best use of resources within the partnership.
Partnerships as structures
The Oxfordshire Refugee and Asylum Seeker Training, Education and Employment Partnership (ORASTEEP) has been meeting since 1999. It includes voluntary organisations like Refugee Resource and Asylum Welcome; the statutory sector: Oxfordshire County Council (Children Young People and Families, the Community English School), further education colleges including the Bridging Project (a support service for young learners) and Jobcentre Plus. At the quarterly meetings we share information, identify common difficulties or gaps in provision, and collaborate to enable all our services to work better together in the interests of clients. The ability to discuss difficulties and problems enables each partner to provide a better service.