North Yorkshire Council
Children & Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee
18th June 2025
Minority Inclusion Support Team (MIST) Update
1.0 Purpose of Report
1.1 This report provides an overview of the purpose and core activities of North Yorkshire’s Minority Inclusion Support Team (MIST), along with a detailed update on the team’s development and progress since its transition from the School Improvement Team to the Children & Families Early Help service in December 2022.
2.0 Background
2.1 Prior to 2019, in North Yorkshire, support for the relatively small number of children who were international new arrivals was primarily provided within schools through the county’s English as an Additional Language (EAL) team. This team received partial funding from delegated EAL allocations provided by the Department for Education, as well as additional refugee resettlement funding from 2016 onwards.
2.2 In response to government policy to delegate all EAL funding to schools from 2019, the EAL team underwent restructuring. The team of five EAL consultants and sixteen Advanced Teaching Assistants was reduced to a much smaller model with one EAL consultant and three Advanced Teaching Assistants.
2.3 The primary remit and funding allocation of the restructured EAL team focused on providing school-based support to the 50 families who arrived in North Yorkshire between 2016 and 2020 through refugee resettlement programmes, including the UK Resettlement Programme.
Additionally, the EAL team delivered traded services, encompassing EAL training and consultancy, as well as interpreting support for schools.
2.4 Following discussions between the Refugee Resettlement Manager, the Head of School Improvement and the Head of Early Help, it was agreed that from December 2022, the EAL Team would move from School Improvement to Early Help:
· Increasing numbers of international new arrivals and requests for emergency responses to international crises
· Reduction in funding due to the delegation of EAL Funding directly to schools and academies
· Recognition that much of the success of an education placement is around school applications, settling in and home school liaison led to the suggestion that the team would fit better into Early Help
3.0 Progress to Date
3.1 The Minority Inclusion Support Team is now made up of thirteen staff county-wide, serving three key roles:
i) Supporting education placements for children who arrive in North Yorkshire through resettlement programmes.
Since December 2022, the Minority Inclusion Support Team’s focus has been to identify and secure education placements for children aged 0-19 who arrive in North Yorkshire through refugee resettlement schemes, including the UK Resettlement Scheme and Afghan citizens’ relocation schemes.
The team collaborates closely with the North Yorkshire School Admissions Team, North Yorkshire Migrant Programmes Team, and the Refugee Council, implementing clear processes to facilitate the swift integration of children and young people arriving in North Yorkshire through resettlement schemes. These processes ensure access to appropriate schools or educational settings, including eligibility for two-year-old funding and FEAST programmes, as soon as possible after their arrival.
Where details of families are available prior to arrival, school applications are made in advance so the children can resume their education as quickly as possible.
Staff in the team also work closely with Further Education colleges to secure places for +16-year-olds and young adults.
The team offers ongoing support and advice to schools and families on home-school liaison, facilitating smooth educational transitions from nursery to reception and primary to secondary school. Additionally, the team collaborates with relevant agencies and teams throughout the various stages of the EHCAR process to ensure appropriate support for children arriving in North Yorkshire with significant special educational needs (SEN).
The MIST Team worked with Refugee Council and Early Help colleagues to create a ‘Living in the UK: Support for Families’ presentation which is delivered to new families within their first two months of living in North Yorkshire. Delivered in families’ home languages, the presentation includes essential information and guidance around education, health care and internet safety, as well as signposting and guidance on independently accessing available sources of support including the Solihull Approach and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s parenting resources and app, which are available in a wide range of languages.
Team members attend regular multi agency drop ins organised by the Refugee Council in Ripon, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Scarborough, Selby, Catterick and Northallerton, as well as being available to resettling families by phone.
ii) Providing Key Worker Support for up to 40 Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children who are living in Supported Accommodation in Knaresborough, Scarborough and Northallerton
Seven additional staff were recruited in early 2024, mainly to provide key worker support to Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children (UASC) aged 16-18 living in Supported Accommodation in North Yorkshire, but also for the increasing number of children arriving through the Afghan ARAP/ACRS schemes.
For children living in Supported Accommodation, MIST Support includes:
· Provision of a Welcome Pack on arrival. These packs contain basic food items, clothing, toiletries, bedding, towels and some home comforts including a bar of chocolate.
· Ongoing support across multiple aspects of well-being, including emotional and mental health, physical health with access to medical care and fitness opportunities, as well as education, employment, and training. Guidance is also offered on household financial management, social, religious, recreational, and cultural opportunities, alongside essential information on personal safety and the development of social and family networks. Additionally, support is provided for the completion of home and accommodation agreements and maintaining a clean and organised living environment.
Progress towards independence in these areas is continuously monitored through regular reviews and tracked using the ‘Life Skills and Learning Ladder’ tool.
· Liaison with other professionals supporting the young people, including Social Workers from North Yorkshire’s Refugee and Asylum Seeker Team, the Virtual School, colleges, mosques and churches, libraries and the Refugee Council.
iii) Collaborate with the School Admissions Team, Migrant Programmes Team and relevant partner agencies to establish a rapid, coordinated and effective response to securing and supporting short-term education placements for refugee and asylum-seeking children whose families arrive in North Yorkshire as a result of international emergencies.
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Dates |
Area of need |
Location |
Number of education placements secured |
Additional support |
Partner teams/agencies |
|
August 2021- July 2022 |
Emergency arrival of families from Afghanistan Afghan Relocation and Assistance Policy and Afghan Citizens Relocation Scheme. (ARAP and ACRS)
|
The Clifton Hotel in Scarborough Yorkshire Gateway Hotel in Selby |
459 children |
Liaising with neighbouring authorities to ensure secure transfer of information to |
NYC School Admissions, Refugee Resettlement, Early Help, Schools, Refugee Council, DHLUC, Home Office |
|
August 2022-31st March 2025 |
Homes for Ukraine
|
Countywide. |
474 children |
Weekly online EAL training and development sessions for school staff. Website with resources to support families and schools,
|
NYC School Admissions, Homes for Ukraine Team, Early Help, Schools, Refugee Council, DHLUC, Home Office |
|
February 2022-April 2023 |
Opening for first North Yorkshire hotel for asylum seeker families |
Green Gables, Scarborough |
MIST directly applied for suitable education placements for 276 children |
Support families with access to donated uniform, Free School Meals, college transport and bursaries and FEAST activities. |
NYC School Admissions, Refugee Resettlement, Early Help, Schools, Refugee Council, DHLUC, Home Office, Mears Housing
|
|
April 2023-May 2025
|
Second North Yorkshire hotel for asylum seeking families. |
Northallerton |
138 children
|
Support families with access to donated uniform, Free School Meals and FEAST activities. |
NYC School Admissions, Refugee Resettlement, Early Help, Schools, Refugee Council, DHLUC, Home Office, Mears Housing
|
|
November 2024-May 2025 |
Operation Lazurite |
Catterick |
primary 76 secondary 26 FE 21 Total 123 |
School application, induction and support with uniforms, transport and support for college assessments and interviews for 16-18 year olds, commendations to schools following completion of the operation. |
NYC School Admissions, Migrant Programmes Team, Early Help, Schools, Refugee Council, Ministry of Defence.
|
For children and families in emergency short term accommodation (except for Homes for Ukraine when host families supported access to education) MIST support includes:
· initial meeting with the family including eligibility for services and document checking.
· completion of school, college and nursery application forms.
· liaising with the schools, school admissions team, Mears Housing and families, to organise initial visits
· liaising with Refugee Council volunteers to support families with the purchase/loan of school uniforms,
· supporting families to access to Free School Meals
· ensuring schools and the Children Missing Education (CME) Officer are made aware of all departures and ongoing destinations, to avoid the risk of children becoming missing from education
3.2 In addition, the team offers ongoing
4.0 Contribution to Council Priorities
4.1 In coordinating education placements for children who arrive through refugee resettlement programmes and as asylum seekers – whether accompanied by family members or not – MIST plays a vital role in maximising the potential of international new arrivals to North Yorkshire.
4.2 The MIST Team supports North Yorkshire Council in fulfilling its resettlement obligations effectively and constructively, including:
· National Transfer Scheme
· UKRS
· ARAP/ACRS
· Homes for Ukraine
4.3 All MIST have completed Therapeutic Crisis Intervention training, equipping them to support children and families who have experienced trauma, helping to ensure the children and families are safe, healthy and living well.
4.4 While recruitment to the team has been open to all, seven current members arrived in North Yorkshire through refugee resettlement schemes. They bring valuable knowledge, cultural insight, and lived experience, alongside multilingual skills, enabling them to provide sensitive and effective support to new arrivals who have faced similar journeys—helping them to live safely, healthily, and well in North Yorkshire.
5.0 Impact on Other Services / Organisations
5.1 In relation to asylum-seeking families and those who have arrived in North Yorkshire through resettlement programmes, plays a pivotal role in enhancing the effectiveness of a wide range of services and partner agencies, including:
· Supported Accommodation Service
· Refugee and Asylum Seeker Team (RAST),
· Virtual School,
· Refugee Council,
· North Yorkshire Schools Admissions Team
· North Yorkshire Inclusion Team
· North Yorkshire No Wrong Door
· North Yorkshire Migrant Programmes Team
· Mears Housing
· Ministry of Defence
· Public Health Team
· Youth Voice and Creative Engagement, Team
· Local childcare providers, schools, academies and colleges
· Children Missing from Education Officers
6.0 Funding
6.1 Current funding for MIST is through Migrant Programmes grants (including resettlement and Homes for Ukraine) and UASC funding. It is important to note, these funding streams are subject to change according to demand.
6.2 There are no additional financial implications to North Yorkshire Council arising directly from this report.
7.0 Legal Implications
7.1 All MIST staff regularly undergo compulsory information security and data protection training.
7.2 Information sharing agreements are in place with partner agencies and organisations including Mears Housing, the Home Office and the Ministry of Defence.
7.3 All MIST staff have completed Appropriate Adult training.
8.0 Equality and Diversity
8.1 MIST plays a fundamental role in enabling North Yorkshire to effectively meet the needs of its allocated quota of refugees arriving through resettlement schemes, as well as Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children arriving via the National Transfer Scheme.
8.2 The composition of the MIST Team – of which 75% of members are from ethnic minority backgrounds - makes a significant contribution to the cultural diversity of North Yorkshire’s workforce which has a declared ethnicity of 3.8% from minority ethnic backgrounds.
9.0 Community Safety
9.1 MIST staff work closely with the Refugee Council to offer ‘Living in the UK: Support for Families’ presentations around social and cultural opportunities and expectations within their new communities for all families arriving through resettlement schemes and for asylum seeker families living in temporary accommodation in Allerton Court hotel. Delivered in families’ home languages, the presentation includes essential information and guidance around education, health care and internet safety, as well as signposting and guidance on independently accessing available sources of support including the Solihull Approach and Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust’s parenting resources and app, which are available in a wide range of languages.
9.2 The MIST Team coordinates fire safety visits to all Supported Accommodation settings and is collaborating with YorSexual Health and Children and Families Intervention Worker Teams to develop a bespoke Personal, Health, and Social Education (PHSE) programme for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children, whose previous education may not have included guidance, information, or support in this area.
9.3 MIST workers all attend Prevent training and are aware of how to seek support and advice if they have concerns related to exploitation and radicalisation.
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10.0 |
Recommendation
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|
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That the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee notes the progress of the Minority Inclusion Support Team in North Yorkshire.
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Report Author – Sue Wadsworth, Senior Early Help Consultant - MIST
Presenter of Report – Barbara Merrygold – Head of Early Help