New Trauma Recovery Support Service to help Ukrainian guests in Essex
Trauma recovery services for Ukrainian refugees living as guests in Essex.
Ця сторінка українською (this page in Ukrainian)
Kids Inspire, the specialist trauma recovery and mental health charity, is now welcoming referrals into their new trauma service. With a community of around 2000 Ukrainian guests in Essex, this specialist service will support families impacted by the war in Ukraine to recover from their experiences and rebuild their lives.
Those seeking safety in the UK are often deeply traumatised. Many of them have lived through dreadful experiences. All have lost their homes, their careers, and their communities and many will have made long and difficult journeys before they finally arrived here.
Over the next year the service will build on the support already given to local host families and professionals by the charity, which had highlighted a significant gap in mental health support for the Ukrainian guests, and indeed all survivors of war and conflict.
Referral is easy, and open to Ukrainian families, professionals working with them, and the 1,460 sponsors currently hosting a Ukrainian family in their Essex homes. Following assessment of need the service includes both individual and group therapy sessions, and where language may be a barrier, Kids Inspire’s creative therapists can work non-verbally and with translators.
Sue Bell OBE, Kids Inspire’s Clinical Director and CEO, commented: “Our focus is on helping the Ukrainian guests in Essex to heal from the impact of the trauma they have experienced. Our specialist team can provide tools to help individuals stabilise and move from responding with survival strategies of fight, flight, freeze, fawn, which will be having a negative impact on their lives. Those families engaging in support will feel better able to support their children’s emotional needs and the children will increase their capacity to manage adversity.”
This project is funded by Essex County Council specifically for Ukrainian guests in Essex on the ‘Homes for Ukraine Scheme’.
Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of Essex County Council, said: “We cannot underestimate the true impact that leaving their home country has had on our Ukrainian guests, or indeed anyone fleeing from war and conflict. As families and individuals continue to settle into Essex, their traumatic experiences remain with them as a constant reminder of what they have left behind. That’s why we are so pleased to work with Kids Inspire to make sure that children, young people and their families have specialist support. We might not be able to understand or change their experiences but we can help people to recover and look ahead to a more positive future.”
Services are available for referral now. Families, professionals, and sponsors can call 01245 348707 or email clinicaladmin@kidsinspire.org.uk More information can be found on the Kids Inspire website, including a contact us form.
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Terminology
The term "guest" in this release refers to the Ukrainian nationals and their families who have arrived in the UK and are currently staying in accommodation provided under the Homes for Ukraine scheme.
Who is eligible
This service is available for Ukrainian guests in Essex on the Homes for Ukraine Scheme. Exclusions are:
those living in Essex on the Family Visa route
those living in Southend and Thurrock authority areas.