Women, Destitution & No Recourse to Public Funds
The Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership (GVAWP) are delighted to announce the launch of the Women, Destitution & NoRecourse to Public Funds Project, developed by the Women, Asylum, Immigration and Refugee Working Group (WAIR).
The project is a joint initiative between the GVAWP, Glasgow Women’s Aid and British Red Cross and has been funded by GCC Financial Inclusion Services.
The Project was developed based on the shared concerns about the increasing numbers of women subject to ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ (NRPF) condition because of their immigration status. NRPF restricts access to certain public services and benefits, defined in UK immigration rules, this applies to most income-based benefits, local authority housing allocations and homelessness services.
Many women have no control over their immigration situation due to experiencing all forms of gender based violence and abuse. Access to the right information for women is key and particularly access to information regarding their immigration and support options which are often intertwined.
What They Are Doing
Delivering a project that organisations or services including Immigration Lawyers can apply to on behalf of women:
- To provide a basic safety net and prevent crisis
- To inform and develop inclusive and trauma informed responses to women with NRPF who are experiencing/fleeing/affected by any form of male violence (against women & girls)
- To access safe housing for up to 14 days
- To facilitate access to healthcare
- To access cash based living allowance for food and other essential needs
- Access essential specialist immigration advice and benefits information to allow women to safely enter mainstream services
- Raise awareness of the challenges experienced by women subject to immigration controls
- Identify pathways which prevent destitution, highlight and inform the development of good practice
- Inform GVAWP, COSLA and Scottish Government of the needs of this vulnerable group of women
Referral Criteria
- Women aged 18 years or over without children, adult or other dependents
- Women must be living and/or connected to the Glasgow City Council authority area
- Experiencing or fleeing male violence as recognised by the GVAWP definition of violence against women and girls and seeking alternatives to being at risk of, destitution, homelessness or rooflessness, abuse, further exploitation or harm
- Be subject to No Recourse to Public Funds
- No previous involvement in the asylum system
To Make A Referral
- The project is managed and delivered by Glasgow Women’s Aid and British Red Cross
- To request a referral form or further information contact [email protected]
The project operates Monday to Friday within office hours.
Wise Women - Women's Safety in Glasgow
Wise Women are a voluntary sector organisation in Glasgow, established in 1994, that supports women to improve their personal safety and confidence.
Tget are currently working in partnership with Glasgow Girls Club, Commonplace and Glasgow Violence Against Women’s Partnership to gather information on women’s safety in the city.
To achieve this they have developed an app that women can download to their phone that will give them access to an easy to use heatmap. This will allow women to input their experiences. The heatmap will be available until 1st March 2022. More information can be found at www.womenssafety.scot.
Any information gathered from the app will then be presented to Glasgow City Council decision makers for consideration in working groups and strategic forums.
Information from Wise Women; published 19 January 2022
Play by the rules - keep everyone safe
8 September 2020 -
People in Glasgow and surrounding areas need to play by the rules – as Covid cases continue to rise in the area.
The warning comes from one of Scotland’s leading Public Health voices, Dr Linda de Caestecker of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Dr de Caestecker said: “We are seeing increased number of cases in this area, often due to house parties but some also relate to visits to bars and restaurants. Nobody wants to see pubs and restaurants have to close down again.
“When we examine the rate per 100,000 population it is highest in West Dunbartonshire where many cases relate to family gatherings and parties. The next highest rate is in Glasgow City where more cases are associated with visits to bars and restaurants. Only the Inverclyde rate is remaining relatively low at present.
“I would like to thank members of the public who are abiding by the rules, and for those who aren’t, ask them to remember that they are putting themselves, their loved ones and their work colleagues at risk. As the First Minister keeps saying, things should not feel normal yet. So going out and about, visiting three or four pubs a night just doesn’t work.
“By all means go to the pub and see friends, but if you do, you must socially distance. If you go somewhere and it’s busy, you should leave and find somewhere quieter - and safer. If you are out, pick a bar and stay in that one place, as moving between venues just increases your chances of catching the virus.
“Nobody wants to back to into lockdown. Nobody wants to be forced into only seeing friends on a screen again. So if we want to continue to meet our friends and family to enjoy a night out then we all need to play by the rules.”
Linda is NHSGGC’s Director of Public Health. Her team has been at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 since February and they have also developed the local Test and Protect system which contacts people who need to self-isolate.
She added: “There’s no doubt that our job is made much harder in tracing close contacts when a person has been in several different places over one night. However, more importantly, people are increasing their risk by going to multiple venues with large groups.
“Remember you are infectious for around two days before you get any symptoms, so everyone should be limiting their ‘contacts’ all the time. My advice is go around with the thought that you could be infectious and meet as few people as possible within two metres and remember FACTS.”
Facecoverings
Avoid crowded places
Clean your hands regularly
Two metre distance
Self-isolate and book a test if you have symptoms
Dr de Caestecker said: “It’s very simple. We all need to play by the rules or risk a return to even tighter restrictions, such as bars and restaurants being forced to shut. This is in our hands – so let’s take control and make this work.”
Please attend NHSGGC appointments as scheduled
2 September - All patients with appointments at NHS sites across Greater Glasgow and Clyde should continue to attend as normal unless specifically told otherwise.
Outpatient appointments are totally unaffected by new lockdown restrictions within Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Jonathan Best, Chief Operating Officer for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said:
“It is essential all outpatients continue to attend appointments as normal, as these are not impacted by the new restrictions in place and it’s extremely important we’re able to continue delivering care and treatment to patients across Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
“Patient safety remains our top priority and across sites there are a number of established pathways in place to ensure the ongoing safety of patients and staff.
“Similarly, our emergency departments and other unscheduled care routes have appropriate front door signposting to ensure people are directed to the most appropriate service in the safest and most efficient manner possible.”
Full guidance on local lockdown restrictions is available on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-local-measures/
Public message about Covid testing
25 August 2020
NHSGGC’s Public Health team has made an appeal, following a rapid rise in requests for Covid-19 tests.
Since schools went back recently there has been a sharp spike in testing requests, particularly from parents concerned for their children.
Dr Linda de Caestecker said: “In order to ensure we do everything we can to prevent a rise in cases, we need to remind people how the testing system works.
“Firstly, only people who are symptomatic need a test unless you are explicitly asked to get a test by public health as part of the management of an outbreak. The symptoms are the onset of a persistent cough, or a temperature/fever or a loss of taste or smell. You only need one of these to be tested. This can be done by calling 0800 028 2816 or visiting the NHS Inform website – www.nhsinform.scot. You do not need to call NHS 24 to organise a test.
“I also want to stress that while family members need to self-isolate if someone in their household develops symptoms, they do not need to be tested unless they themselves go on to develop symptoms. If you are contacted by Test and Protect to tell you that you are a close contact of somebody with Covid-19, you do not require a test but you must isolate for 14 days. A test will not change the need to self-isolate.
“Another important point is if you do develop Covid symptoms and are ill and are worried about your health, you should call NHS 24 on 111. Please do not call NHS 24 unless you feel you need medical advice to deal with your illness.
“I want to thanks everyone for their continued patience with the system. We all need to work together as we enter this next phase in the fight against the virus.”