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Guides and Downloads
Guidelines and Downloads on Refugee and Asylum Seeking Children
This page provides access to valuable international, governmental and non-profit organisational agencies' and charities' guidelines on many challenges faced by refugee and asylum seeking children including education, healthcare, social welfare, legal and human right matters, whilst settling in the UK.
These guides and downloads aim to help health and social care practitioners and agencies working with refugee children to inform them and their families of and/or assist them to seek their rights and entitlements.
These guides and resources have been produced by Dr Farkhondeh Farsimadan, a Chartered Counselling Psychologist who is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and an HCPC registered psychologist.
Please use the categories and links provided below to view the resources.
Education
- British Red Cross Positive Images - Migration and Development: a toolkit for teachers, youth workers and other educators to teach young people about migration and development.
- British Red Cross Refugees and Migration Teaching Resources. British Red Cross.
- City of Sanctuary UK resources are intended for organisations wishing to support people seeking sanctuary. These resources are available in packs and by City of Sanctuary groups and can be accessed via link below:
- Education briefing paper. Collaboratives on addressing racial inequity in COVID recovery. Lander, V., Holloman, T. R., & Tan, J. (2021). Race Equality Foundation.
- Education for refugee and asylum-seeking children: Access and quality in England, Scotland and Wales. Gladwell, C. & Chetwynd, G. (2018). Refugee Support Network, RSN & UNICEF UK.
- Education: needs, rights & access in displacement. Forced Migration Review issue 60, March 2019. FMR is published by the Refugee Studies Centre in the Oxford Department of International Development, University of Oxford. The FMR 60 issue is available online and in print in English, Arabic, Spanish and French and is available in English in audio podcast format.
- Educational needs and experiences of refugee children in Scotland. McBride, M., Lowden, K., Chapman, C., & Watson, N. (2018). What Works Scotland, WWScot, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Scottish Government.
- Frequently asked questions for asylum seekers and refugees are answered on the UNHCR's page below:
- How are schools integrating new migrant pupils and their families? Manzoni, C., & Rolfe, H. (2019). National Institute of Economic & Social Research, NIESR.
- How can schools and teachers help displaced children? Chinnapha, J.M. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Learning challenges of culturally and linguistically diverse students: A framework for psychological assessment. Khawaja, N., & Wotherspoon, J. (2022). Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1017/jgc.2022.2
- Learning disability briefing paper. Collaboratives on addressing racial inequity in COVID recovery. Burk, C.K, & Ong, L. (2021). Race Equality Foundation.
- Newcomer pupils in Northern Ireland. Briefing paper. Delvin, N. (2022). Research and information service. Northern Ireland Assembly.
- Preparing minority children for starting primary school: integrating health and education. Chowbey, P., Garrick, R., & Harrop, D. (2015). Better Health Briefing Paper 35. Race Equality Foundation.
- Promoting the education of looked-after children & previously looked-after children. Department for Education. (2018). UK Government.
- Promoting effective integration of migrants and refugees in education: experiences from Spain, Serbia and Belgium. Bunar, N. (2019). European Trade Union Committee for Education, Stockholm University, & European Federation of Education Employers.
- Protecting refugees in the UK. UNHCR, UK.
- Refugee Children's Education: a review of the literature. McBride, M. (2018). What Works Scotland, WWScot, is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council and the Scottish Government.
- Responding to unaccompanied minors in Scotland: policy and local authority perspectives. Rigby, P., Fotopoulou, M., Rogers, A. & Manta, A. (2018). University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
- Safeguarding Strategy: Unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children. Department for Education and Home Office. (2017). UK Government.
- Schools of Sanctuary resources: teaching resources, lesson plans and fact and figures about refugees for schools, as well as refugee stories videos. These resources can be accessed via the links below:
- Supporting refugee children with special educational needs in Northern Ireland. Elliott, C., Fitzpatrick, A., McNally, S., Percy, A., Robinson, S., Simmons, Z., & Tennyson, C. (2021). School of Psychology, Queen’s University, Belfast.
- Welcoming and supporting refugee children: Information for schools. Division of Educational and Child Psychology (DECP), the British Psychological Society, BPS (2021).
- Working with young unaccompanied asylum seekers & refugees. (2021). Education Scotland.
- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR Teaching About Refugees page provides free and adaptable teaching materials on refugees, asylum, migration and statelessness for all age groups in primary and secondary education with a section dedicated to professional development and guidance for primary and secondary school teachers on inclusion of refugee children in their classes.
Health and Wellbeing
- Challenges and Potentials of Refugee Children: Data Review. UNHCR. (2017).
- Children with chronic diseases in refugee and disaster settings. Holsinger, E. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Children's health: migrant health guide.
Advice and guidance on the health needs of migrant patients for healthcare practitioners. Public Health England. (2021). UK Government.
- Child health promotion for refugees and other vulnerable populations. Srour, M.L. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- COVID-19 in the Somali Community: urgent briefing for policy makers in the UK. The Anti-Tribalism Movement. (2020). London, UK.
- Going full circle. The primary needs and experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum. (2022). The London Refugee Advocacy Forum & Refugee Council.
To download the report, please follow this link.
- Health needs of refugee children identified on arrival in reception countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Baauw, A., Kist-van Holthe, J., Slattery, B. et al. (2019). BMJ Paediatrics Open 2019,3: e000516.doi:10.1136/ bmjpo-2019-000516.
- Health challenges in refugee reception: Dateline Europe 2016. Blitz, B.K., d'Angelo, A., Kofman, E., & Montagna, N. (2017). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 14,12, 1484.
- Health of refugee and migrant children: technical guidance. World Health Organisation, WHO Europe. (2018).
- Improving the health care of pregnant refugee and migrant women and newborn children.
Technical guidance on refugee and migrant health. WHO Europe. (2018). WHO.
- Preparing minority children for starting primary school: integrating health and education. Chowbey, P., Garrick, R., & Harrop, D. (2015). Better Health Briefing Paper 35. Race Equality Foundation
- Refugee children and their families: the bigger picture. Harkensee, C., & Walpole, S. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Website
- Refugee and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people: guidance for paediatricians. Royal College of Paediatrics & Child Health, RCPCH (2018).
- Responding to separated and unaccompanied minors in Scotland: policy and local authority perspectives. Rigby, P., Fotopoulou, M., Rogers, A. & Manta, A. (2018). University of Stirling, Stirling, Scotland.
Legal and Human Rights
- Advice after you get refugee status.
- Asylum Intake Unit. You must register and have a screening at an asylum intake unit if you're in the UK and want to claim asylum. You should telephone to make an appointment. However, you will have your asylum screening at the UK border if you claim asylum as soon as you arrive in the UK.
- Asylum Policy Guidance is used by UK Visas and Immigration to make decisions on asylum applications involving children. UK Visas & Immigration.
- Please see below for the collection of children's asylum policy guidance:
- Age assessment: joint working. Home Office. UK Government. Website.
- Assessing age for asylum applicants. Home Office. UK Government. Website.
- Family reunion for refugees and those with humanitarian protection. Home Office.
UK Government. Website.
- Processing children's asylum claims. Home Office (2022). UK Government. Website.
- Tracing family members of unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. Home Office (2020).
UK Government. Website.
- Best Interests Procedure Guidelines (BIP Toolbox): assessing and determining the best interests of the child. UNHCR (2021). The BIP describes UNHCR’s case management framework for refugee and asylum-seeking children.
- Captured childhood: introducing a new model to ensure the rights and liberty of refugee, asylum seeker and irregular migrant children affected by immigration detention. International Detention Coalition, IDC (2012).
International Detention Coalition publications
- Detention, denial and death: migration hazards for refugee children. Fazel, M., Karunakara, U., & Newnham, E.A. (2014). Lancet Glob Health, 2, 313 - 314.
- Dublin III Regulation: transferring asylum claimants into and out of the UK where responsibility for examining an asylum claim lies with the UK or with another EU Member State or Associated State. Home Office (2020). UK Government.
- First generation immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees: learning from case reviews – summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice. NSPCC (2014). The NSPCC Information Service.
- Global points of 'vulnerability': understanding processes of the trafficking of children and young people into, within and out of the UK. Hynes, P. (2010). The International Journal of Human Rights,14, 6,952-970.
- Heading Back to Harm: a study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking, ECPAT (2016).
- The Impact of Brexit on Children and Families Crossing Borders: a fact sheet for professionals protecting children. Children & Families Across the Borders, CFAB. (2019).
- Left behind: How the world is failing women and girls on refugee family reunion. Care International. (2017).
Mental Health and Human Rights Info (MHHRI) Database. MHHRI (2023). MHHRI provides a valuable database of search including references, publications, guides, organisations, etc., covering core topics of mental health and human rights violations in disaster, war, and conflict areas. The information is presented as thematic pages, which are available in English and Spanish.
In addition, the MHRRI website provides Gender Based Violence Training Manuals for those working with or assisting survivors of gender-based violence or involved in the training of professionals working directly with survivors. These manuals address working with women, with boys and men and with children. The manuals are translated into several languages.
The three manuals, which respectively address working with women, with boys and men, and with children, can be downloaded from the MHHRI website viathe links below:
- Neither safe nor sound: unaccompanied children on the coastline of the English Channel and the North Sea. UNICEF France, French National Committee for UNICEF. (2016).
- NSPCC's Child Trafficking Advice Centre (CTAC) provides free guidance, support and training to professionals concerned that a child or young person has been or is about to be trafficked into or out of the UK.
- Protecting refugees in the UK. UNHCR, UK.
- Refugee and asylum-seeking children: interrupted child development and unfulfilled child Rights. Vaghri, Z., Tessier, Z., & Whalen, C. (2019). Children, 6, 11, 120.
- Refugee children: guidelines on protection and care. UNHCR (1994).
- Safeguarding strategy: unaccompanied asylum-seeking and refugee children. Department for Education and Home Office. (2017). UK Government.
The Scottish Government supports refugees and asylum seekers through below policies:
- - Funding work with refugees and asylum seekers
- - New Scots: refugee integration strategy 2018-2020.
- - Unaccompanied children
- - Working with partners
- The rights of refugee children and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Lawrence, J. A., Dodds, A.E., Kaplan, I., & Tucci, M.M. (2019). Law, 8, 3, 20.
- Towards integration: The Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Scheme in the United Kingdom. UNHCR (2017).
- Young refugees & migrants: what we do & our work. The Children's Society.
- UK refugee resettlement: policy guidance. Home Office. (2021). UK Government.
- Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: national transfer scheme. UK Visas & Immigration. UK Government.
Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children: national transfer scheme - GOV.UK
Mental Health
- A systematic review of school-based social-emotional interventions for refugee and war-traumatised youth. Sullivan, A. L., & Simonson, G. R. (2016). Review of Educational Research, 86,2.
- Bridging the gap in global youth mental health. Dawson, K. (2017). University of New South Wales & the World Health Organisation, WHO. Research presented at NSW, Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors, STARTTS, Annual Research Symposium.
- Challenges and Potentials of Refugee Children: Data Review. UNHCR. (2017).
- Coping with cultural differences. Olness, K. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Ethnographic assessment of psychosocial needs of children at Vasilika camp: summary report. Jones, L. (2017). International Medical Corps, IMC.
- Going full circle. The primary needs and experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum. (2022). The London Refugee Advocacy Forum & Refugee Council.
To download the report, please follow this link.
- Guidance for clinicians when working with refugees and asylum seekers. Tribe, R. & Farsimadan, F. (2022). International Review of Psychiatry, DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2022.2131377.
https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2022.2131377
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540261.2022.2131377
- Guidelines for psychologists working with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK - Summary. The British Psychological Society, BPS. (2018).
- Guidelines for psychologists working with refugees and asylum seekers in the UK - Extended Version. The British Psychological Society, BPS. (2018).
- Guidance for psychologists on working with community organisations. The British Psychological Society, BPS. (2018).
- How to help parents and other caretakers. Goodfriend, M. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- The impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the mental health and well‐being of children and young people. Cowie, H., & Myers, C. A. (2021). Children & Society, 35(1), 62-74.
- The importance of counselling support for refugee children. Pezerović, A. & Milić Babić, M. (2016). Ljetopis socijalnog rada, 23,3, 363-380.
- The importance of promoting mental health in children and young people from black and minority ethnic communities. Lavis, P. (2014). Better Health Brief Paper, 33. Race Equality Foundation.
- In or out? Barriers and facilitators to refugee background. Young people accessing mental health services. Colucci, E., Minas, H., Szwarc, J., Guetra, C., & Paxton, G. (2015). Transcultural Psychiatry, 52, 6, 766 – 790.
MHHRI provides a valuable database of search including references, publications, guides, organisations, etc., covering core topics of mental health and human rights violations in disaster, war, and conflict areas. The information is presented as thematic pages, which are available in English and Spanish.
In addition, the MHRRI website provides Gender Based Violence Training Manuals for those working with or assisting survivors of gender-based violence or involved in the training of professionals working directly with survivors. These manuals address working with women, with boys and men and with children. The manuals are translated into several languages.
The three manuals, which respectively address working with women, with boys and men, and with children, can be downloaded from the MHHRI website via the links below:
- Mental health and wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees: evidence review and scoping. Sneddon, H. (2018). Public Health Agency, PHA, Northern Ireland.
- Mental health of Somali adolescent refugees: The role of trauma, stress, and perceived discrimination. Ellis, B.H., MacDonald, H.Z., Lincoln, A.K., & Cabral, H.J. (2008). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 76,2,184-93.
- Multi-tier mental health program for refugee youth. Ellis, B. H., Miller, A. B., Abdi, S., Barrett, C., Blood, E. A., & Betancourt, T. S. (2013). Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81,1,129-140.
- New approaches to interventions for refugee children. Vostanis, P. (2016). Journal of the World Psychiatric Association, WPA, 15,1, 75-77.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder. Guidance. National Institute for Health & Care Excellence, NICE. (2018).
- Potential barriers in the therapeutic relationship in unaccompanied refugee minors in mental health. Majumder, P., Vostanis, P., Karim, K., & O’Reilly, M. (2019). Journal of Mental Health, 28,4,372-378.
- Preventive mental health interventions for refugee children and adolescents in high-income settings. Fazel, M & Betancourt, T. (2018). The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, 2,2, 121–32.
- The right location? Experiences of refugee adolescents seen by school-based mental health services. Fazel, M., Garcia, J., & Stein, A. (2016). Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 21, 3,368-380.
- Suicide raises alarm about the UK's treatment of child refugees. Gentleman, A. (2018). The Guardian.
- Working with Afghan Sanctuary Seekers: A guide for Mental health professionals. Jannesari, S., Khyber, O., Modasser, E., Yousofi, T., Amini, A., & Akbari-Noor, R. (2022).
Social Welfare
- Children & families briefing paper. Collaboratives on addressing racial inequity in COVID recovery. Mehay, A. (2021). Race Equality Foundation.
- Cross-border child safeguarding: challenges, effective social work practice and outcomes for children. Children and Families Across Borders, CFAB. (2018).
- Directory of services & organisations for refugees, asylum seekers & migrants in the UK & beyond: 2024 edition. Refugee Mental Health & Wellbeing Portal. University of East London. UK. Farsimadan, F. (2016-2024).
- Ethnographic assessment of psychosocial needs of children at Vasilika camp: summary report. Jones, L. (2017). International Medical Corps, IMC.
- First generation immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees: learning from case reviews – summary of risk factors and learning for improved practice. NSPCC (2014). The NSPCC Information Service.
- Global points of 'vulnerability': understanding processes of the trafficking of children and young people into, within and out of the UK. Hynes, P. (2010). The International Journal of Human Rights,14, 6,952-970.
- Going full circle. The primary needs and experiences of refugees and people seeking asylum. (2022). The London Refugee Advocacy Forum & Refugee Council.
To download the report, please follow this link.
- Heading Back to Harm: a study on trafficked and unaccompanied children going missing from care in the UK. Every Child Protected Against Trafficking, ECPAT, (2016).
- The impact of Brexit on children and their families crossing borders: a fact sheet for professionals protecting children. Children and Families Across Borders, CFAB. (2019).
- Learning disability briefing paper. Collaboratives on addressing racial inequity in COVID recovery. Burk, C.K, & Ong, L. (2021). Race Equality Foundation.
- Local Government Association, LGA, page is a one-stop resource containing valuable and up-to-date information and guidelines for councillors, council officers and other professionals who provide support to refugees, asylum seekers and unaccompanied children.
- Neither safe nor sound: unaccompanied children on the coastline of the English Channel and the North Sea. UNICEF France, French National Committee for UNICEF, (2016).
- NSPCC's Child Trafficking Advice Centre, CTAC, provides free guidance, support and training to professionals concerned that a child or young person has been or is about to be trafficked into or out of the UK.
- Refugee and asylum-seeking- children: interrupted child development and unfulfilled child rights. Vaghri, Z., Tessier, Z., & Whalen, C. (2019). Children, 6, 11, 120.
- The Scottish Government supports refugees and asylum seekers through below policies:
- Funding work with refugees and asylum seekers
- New Scots: refugee integration strategy 2018-2020.
- Unaccompanied children
- Working with partners
- Scottish Refugee Council's library of resources. These resources are organised by topic and are free to download.
- Social work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in Scotland. Ramsey, A. (2020). The Institute of Research & Innovation in Social Services, IRISS, Insight 51.
- Towards integration: The Syrian Vulnerable Persons' Resettlement Scheme in the United Kingdom. UNHCR, (2017).
- Unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and leaving care: funding instructions. Guidance. UK Visas & Immigration. UK Government. Instructions to local authorities about funding for the support and care of former and unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC).
- Unaccompanied minors. Al Salehi, S.M. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Universal credit: Immigration and residence conditions
- Working together to safeguard children: a guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children. Department of Education. (2018, Updated 2022). UK Government.
Working with Interpreters
- Breaking down language barriers: a practice-near study of social work using interpreters. Westlake, D. & Jones, R.K. (2018). British Journal of Social Work, 48, 5, 1388-1408.
- Child interpreting in social work: competence versus legitimacy. Lucas, S.E. (2015). Transnational Social Review, 5, 2, 145-160.DOI: 10.1080/21931674.2015.1028814
- Ethics training for humanitarian interpreters working in conflict and post-conflict settings. Luchner, C.D., & Kherbiche, L. (2019). Journal of War & Culture Studies, 12,3, 251-267. DOI: 10.1080/17526272.2019.1644412
- My languages matter: the multilingual outlook for children in care - a White Paper. Costa, B., Dioum, M., & Yorath, S. (2015). The Victoria Climbie Foundation UK and Mothertongue.
- Spoken language interpreters in social work. Lucas, S. (2020).The Institute of Research & Innovation in Social Services, IRISS, Insights 52.
- Support for children using their interpreting skills. Mothertongue. (2015). Mothertongue multi-ethnic Counselling.
- Working with interpreters: guidelines for psychologists. The British Psychological Society, BPS. (2017).
- Working with interpreters in a humanitarian setting. Harkensee, C. (2021). In Harkensee, C., Olness, K., & Esmaili, B.E. (eds). Child Refugee and Migrant Health. Springer, Cham.
- Working with Interpreters in Mental Health. Good practice guideline. Tribe R., & Thompson K. (2021). In Bhugra, D., Moussaoui, D., Ventriglio, A., & Tribe, R. (eds). Mental Health, Mental Illness and Migration. Mental Health and Illness Worldwide. Springer, Singapore.
