News -
Information on Swine Flu now available in several
languages
Anyone coming to live and work in Suffolk can find a wide range of
information on the
welcome
pack website. This site is translated into Polish,
Portuguese, Russian and Lithuanian. Visitors to the site can find
out about topics including employment, housing, education, health
and culture.
Migrant workers thinking of coming to the UK can also access
information on the new
National Migrant Workers Information Portal
before they arrive, and refer to it once they are here too. This
website aims to act as a single gateway to information, advice and
guidance for people moving to live or work in the UK.
Western Suffolk Local Strategic Partnership have developed
a guide to services specifically aimed at people arriving in
the west of the county and information about the services
available. The guide is available in English, Polish, Portuguese
and Russian.
There is also a telephone helpline. The META Hotline (Mobile
Europeans Taking Action) provides information, support and guidance
to migrant workers in the Eastern region. The hotline acts as a
‘first contact’, signpost to relevant services as well as enabling
migrants find out useful information in their own language. Advice
can be reached via the META Hotline on 0871 423 1334,
Tuesday and Wednesday 8.00am - 12.00pm and 2.00pm - 6.00pm.
Migrants speaking Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Lithuanian or Czech
are all able to call the hotline and when they identify the
language of their choice they will be connected with an assistant
who speaks their language and is trained in migration issues.
Guidance is available on where to get help and advice in the UK, as
well as information about rights to live and work in the UK,
welfare benefits, housing, public services, driving in the UK and
signposting to Consulates, Job Centre Plus, Adult Education and
other local service providers.
These projects are being co-ordinated by the Keystone Trust,
further information about their work can be found at:
www.keystonetrust.org.uk/communities/index.php?page=16.
Any migrant workers who need help or advice about the national
minimum wage can contact the National Minimum Wage hotline on:
0845 6 000 678, or visit the National Minimum Wage website
at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/nmw/index.htm.
Anyone who is concerned about loan sharks can find out more by
clicking
here.
Click
here to read tips about borrowing on the doorstep.
Other organisations
There is also help and support available for migrant workers
from other organisations in the county, these include:
Ipswich and Suffolk Council for Racial Equality
(ISCRE)
46A St Matthew's Street
Ipswich
IP1 1TE
01473 408111
www.iscre.org.uk/
ISCRE provides information, advice and support of a non-financial
nature to individuals and families who have experienced, or are
experiencing, racial discrimination/harassment or race-related
difficulties in circumstances where such information, advice and
support are not readily available from other local agencies. They
also provide information, advice and training on equality and
diversity to employers and service providers.
CSV Media
CSV Media Clubhouse – Ipswich
The Point
120 Princes Street
Ipswich
IP1 1RS
Telephone: 01473 418 014
Fax: 01473 287 138
Email:
ipswichmch@csv.org.uk
www.csv.org.uk/
Community Service Volunteers (CSV) is the UK's largest volunteering
and training organisation. The Clubhouse in Ipswich is a large
digital multimedia centre with music and community art facilities.
Amongst CSV's activities is work with Millenium Volunteers, the
hosting of Ipswich Communiy Radio and provision of Information,
Advice and Guidance sessions.
Suffolk Inter Faith Resource (SIFRE)
THE SIFRE CENTRE
Long Street Building
University Campus Suffolk
Rope Walk
Ipswich
IP4 1LT
Telephone: 01473 343661
Email: aa@sifre.org.uk
SIFRE was established in 1994 by a group of people representing the
faiths and cultures of the residents of Ipswich and Suffolk. Their
intent is to promote understanding between people of different
faiths and to provide a means by which those who wish to increase
their understanding of the different faiths have easy and ready
access to that possibility.
Citizen's Advice Bureau (CAB)
19 Tower Street
IPSWICH
Suffolk
IP1 3BE
Telephone: 01473 219777
Web site:
www.ipswichcab.org.uk
The Citizens Advice service helps people resolve their legal, money
and other problems by providing free, independent and confidential
advice, and by influencing policymakers. Above are the details of
the Ipswich CAB, but there are also CAB offices around the county,
find your nearest one using this link:
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/getadvice.htm
The Lowestoft International Support Group
15
Surrey Street
Lowestoft
NR32 1LJ
Telephone: 01502 501 444 and leave a message
E-mail:
lowestoftisg@yahoo.co.uk
Website:
http://www.lowestoftsupport.org
Supporting migrants and refugees in the Waveney area and open from
10am - 4pm Wednesday and Friday, and 3pm - 7pm Thursday.
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority
The Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) regulates those who
supply labour or use workers to provide services in agriculture,
forestry, horticulture, shellfish gathering and food processing and
packaging.
For more about what they do, how to find out which employers have a
license, and for more information if you are an employee, go to:
www.gla.gov.uk