Our strategy to end destitution

Our current strategy was launched in 2022 and our plan over the next four years is to learn, share, campaign for and support the implementation of plans to prevent and end destitution caused by the asylum and immigration system, to ensure that people can live with dignity and agency as a part of the community.

External ContextWayne2022-08-10T10:52:05+01:00

External Context

Conflict, persecution, environmental degradation, political crises and economic inequalities have fuelled exile and migration across the globe. Although the majority of refugees do not end up in Europe, deepening and extended conflicts and instability in countries such as Syria and Afghanistan have caused refugees and displaced people to come to Europe in numbers not seen since the Second World War.

At the same time, the combined effect of poor administration of the asylum and immigration system, and frequent legislative change by successive UK Governments since the nineties, has resulted in a rise in destitution for people subject to immigration control. Most recently, policies that seek to create a “hostile environment” for people seeking asylum and other migrants who have no clear documentation to prove their right to remain, continue to push thousands more people into destitution each year.

Our Strategic PlanWayne2022-08-10T10:46:18+01:00

Our Strategic Plan

In 2017 NACCOM produced its first strategy and theory of change. For the past five years it has directed the network to achieve significant impact for people seeking asylum, refugees, and migrants with NRPF through four strategic goals. The network has increased the reach and strength of its accommodation provision for destitute people in the asylum and immigration system, and advocated for changes to government policy and practice that improved their access to housing and financial support.

In 2020 NACCOM began a process of strategic review through to a strategy development phase that concluded in early 2022 and we are very grateful to members, volunteers, partners, people with lived experience, staff and trustees for their time and effort in attending meetings and workshops, reviewing draft strategies and theories of change along the way. As with that process, we start by looking back and then turn our faces to the future.

Our Focus for 2022 – 2026

Our plan over the next four years is to learn, share, campaign for and support the implementation of plans to prevent and end destitution caused by the asylum and immigration system to ensure people can live with dignity and agency as a part of the community.

Vision and MissionWayne2022-08-10T10:27:39+01:00

Vision and Mission

Our Vision

NACCOM’s vision is for the UK to have a fair, just and humane asylum and immigration system, which enables people seeking asylum, refugees and other migrants to be free from destitution and to live with dignity and agency.

Our Mission

We believe that destitution has no place in a fair, just and humane asylum and immigration system. Therefore NACCOM exists to promote solidarity, connections and good practice to assist the establishment and delivery of accommodation and support projects working with people facing destitution because they are in the asylum and immigration system in the UK. In addition, we work with member organisations, partners and supporters to use the evidence and testimony of NACCOM members and people with lived experience to influence change at a local, regional and national level to create better pathways out of destitution and end destitution for good.

We turn our Vision, Mission and Values into practice by:

Providing networking opportunities to connect members and facilitate the sharing of knowledge and promote good practice to provide pathways out of destitution. We do this through regular training and networking events, an annual conference, an online members forum and library of information and resources.

Gathering and disseminating data on destitution and using this to tackle the root causes of destitution through policy, lobbying and campaigning, both ourselves and in partnership with others.

Working with our members and with those with lived experience of being destitute to ensure that the human face of destitution is shared with the wider public and decision makers. We do this by training and supporting people with experience of the asylum and immigration system to research and communicate their findings and experiences, through media work and through supporting members with their communications.

Strategic Goals and ActivitiesWayne2022-08-10T10:14:10+01:00

Strategic Goals and Activities

To deliver our plan to #EndDestitution, the four key changes (strategic goals) we will seek to implement are:

1. The root causes and human impact of destitution and solutions to end destitution are better understood.

2. People with lived experience play a core and equitable role in highlighting the human impact of destitution and creating and sharing the solutions to destitution promoted by NACCOM.

3. More policies and practice exist to support the end to destitution.

4. More and better services exist to support people out of immediate destitution and provide long-term pathways out of destitution.

How will we do this:

1. Working with those that know best: We will ensure people with lived experience play a core and equitable role in creating and sharing the solutions to ending destitution promoted by NACCOM.

2. Being evidence-led: We will use the evidence from our members and our work with people with lived experience to push for policies and practice to prevent and support the end to homelessness and destitution.

3. Thinking local; influencing national: We will take a more localised approach to support members where they are and where they could be to design out destitution and influence change locally, regionally and nationally.

4. Building strategic partnerships: We will build more strategic partnerships across different sectors, making the most of our unique place sitting across the migration, asylum, welfare rights, homelessness and faith sectors and the ability we have to gather and present evidence on the experiences of member organisations and people with lived experience where these sectors meet.

5. Making sure our house is in order: We will ensure NACCOM is a well-run, well-resourced, strategic organisation that is meeting the changing needs of our network, for example through implementing the learning from our Design Lab research with members.

6. Modelling the way we want to see the world: Operating in a way that is demonstrable to our values that is transparent, inclusive, anti-racist and promotes well-being. This will include a refresh of our values to turn them into behaviours we can use to hold ourselves to account.

DOWNLOAD AND VIEW OUR FULL STRATEGY FOR 2022 – 2026

ValuesWayne2021-09-30T14:33:56+01:00

Values

The following are values that we hold dear at NACCOM. They are not an exclusive list, but rather a reflection of the way in which the network has operated since its inception in 2006, and values that we desire to underpin the ongoing work of the charity.

A thirst for justice

There can be no deviation from our mission until all destitution among people seeking asylum and refugees in the UK is eradicated.

Collective working within and beyond the network

We recognise the contribution that all our members can make, and value the expertise and input of others working for the same goals.

Solidarity

We stand in solidarity with those who have lived experience of destitution and those who support them.

Shared resources, knowledge, ideas, expertise and best practice

NACCOM is committed to sharing what we have with all who agree with our aims. Networking produces outcomes that cannot easily be measured.

Commitment to excellence

We strive to do everything to the best of our ability, and are not satisfied with anything less than the best quality.

Openness and transparency

Our members should be kept informed at all times and consulted on issues that may affect them. Our processes should be visible and accountable.

Accessibility

Our events and resources will always be affordable to all members, irrespective of their financial situation.

Empowerment for refugees and people seeking asylum with lived experience of destitution

Their voices should be heard, and their talents recognised and used. Wherever possible their opinions inform and influence NACCOM plans and policy.

Anti-racism statementWayne2021-10-07T11:33:26+01:00

Anti-racism statement

NACCOM is committed to being an anti-racist organisation.

The Black Lives Matter protests [of 2020] have been a rallying cry for us all to pause, reflect on, and take action against, the structural, political and institutional racism that is endemic in the UK.

As an organisation that exists to end destitution amongst those seeking asylum and migrants with no recourse to public funds, and to challenge Government policies that make destitution an inevitable and intended consequence of immigration policy for certain groups, NACCOM stands in solidarity with those who fight against racism in all its forms. We hope this statement goes some way in setting out our values and commitments in relation to tackling racism.

We understand that the UKs immigration system is born of racist and colonial legacies that continue to oppress people of colour today. We recognise that the basis for the governments ongoing hostile environment policy which includes enforced destitution is firmly rooted in our colonial past and the structural racism which permeates throughout our politics, economy, legislation, society and even the organisations which are set up to prevent injustices. It is this structural racism which re-affirms and legitimises the unequal treatment of people of colour.

The real world impact of this is all too apparent today in the racial inequality that the current Covid-19 pandemic has exposed, evidenced by the disproportionate number of deaths from Black and ethnic minority communities, and the recent Windrush scandal that subjected Black people to wrongful detention and deportation at the hands of the Hostile Environment.

We also recognise that as an organisation we have much to learn, develop and improve upon, and that this is an open-ended process. At times as an organisation we have lacked the courage to tackle this issue head on. As a charity working in the refugee and migration sector, neither should we be complacent that the nature of our work makes us exempt from actively looking at ways in which we can do better at tackling racism.

Over recent years we have been working to ensure that people who have experienced destitution have their voices elevated, can be part of our advocacy work and ultimately there is a shift in power to people who have lived experience of destitution. Doing this work meaningfully has been challenging, we have made mistakes and we know we have much to improve upon.

The actions we are currently taking and planning to take include:

Providing anti-racist training to our members
Providing training to our members on ways in which they can improve the way they involve people with lived experience to shape their services.
Facilitate the sharing of learning between members on how to support their own staff and volunteers and create inclusive and diverse workplaces
Fairly, and appropriately positively reimbursing people with lived experience for their time inputting into consultations and campaigning
Listening to and joining with campaigns led by people with lived experience of destitution
Ensuring that when we meet with policy makers and politicians, people with lived experience of destitution are represented at those meetings as much as possible.
Facilitating better public understanding of the issues experienced by people seeking asylum, refugees and people with no recourse to public funds.
Ensuring that our board comprises of at least 20% of people who have experience of immigration control and/or homelessness and they are properly supported and trained to enable them to carry out their role.
Reviewing our recruitment policy and procedures to increase applications from and appointments of people with lived experience of the immigration system.

NACCOM Staff and Trustees, 16^th June 2020