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Mental health: how to support those seeking sanctuary

16 December 2024

Wherever we come from, we all have a right to feel safe. That’s our starting point at City of Sanctuary UK and that’s why city by city, community by community, we are building a more welcoming UK for people rebuilding their lives here, for people seeking sanctuary.

When we talk about people seeking sanctuary, we are talking about people who are seeking asylum and refugees, sometimes referred to as people from a forced displacement background or people seeking safety. These people are so much more than the experiences forced upon them and the labels that are so often dehumanising and arbitrarily assigned to them.

Our networks are made up of thousands of ordinary people all around the country who are stepping up to support people seeking sanctuary in our communities. At City of Sanctuary UK, we offer coordination and support to grow these networks of welcome. From community groups, to schools, colleges, universities, local councils to libraries and theatres, we work with individuals, groups and organisations in every area and in every sector to encourage inclusivity, solidarity and compassion for people from a forced displacement background.

It’s important to acknowledge mental health in relation to an individual’s lived experience; doing so both supports that individual and strengthens organisations through fostering a culture where people feel safe, understood and valued. 

So what does it mean to feel safe, both physically and psychologically, and how can we connect communities to ensure everyone feels a sense of inclusion and belonging? Framing organisational strategy and conversations to address physical and psychological safety and intentionally shape culture will positively impact your success in developing and adapting ways of working. Turning these statements into practical, tangible actions to support people who are seeking sanctuary will be critical for organisations who are striving to support the mental health and wellbeing of their learning communities.

In 2021, during my time working at Newcastle Council, we commissioned a report into the experience of people seeking sanctuary, to better understand their relationship with a new city and the support on offer. As part of this research, people seeking sanctuary in Newcastle were given a disposable camera and asked to take photos of places and spaces that meant something to them. The researchers then used the photos to draw out conversations with participants asking them about their experiences.

One of the findings, perhaps unsurprisingly, was that many of the places that people picked to take photos of were colleges, talking about the importance of this in their lives, both in terms of language learning but also in terms of relationships developed and developing a sense of belonging. We know that inclusion has a positive impact on mental health and wellbeing, supporting an individual’s sense of belonging, but it also provides opportunities to challenge stigma, to improve access to support, and to shape spaces so that we truly listen to diverse perspectives.

One of our Sanctuary Ambassadors, Grace Tessa Mbuende, perhaps puts it best.

“I have been in the UK for a number of years having left my country to rebuild my life once again as a single mother of two beautiful children. During my time in the UK I have been able to study, both at college and now at university,” she says.

“Access to education for people seeking sanctuary is an important issue to me and affected me personally. It was hard to navigate the different learning and courses on offer and to find the right people to ask about what my options were. It was hard to find out about and access additional support that was on offer as a person rebuilding my life in a new country. I know that this is often the case for other people who are seeking sanctuary as well.

“When I found the ​​right information and the right people to support me this made all the difference, and I know from others that this has been the same for them. For me this was finding someone at college that asked questions about what I needed, listened to me and then helped me to access therapeutic support in the community.”

So, what can FE providers do to put this into practice and ensure habits of inclusion are embedded to support inclusive behaviours across the whole FE community? There is a​​​​ whole load of information, support and resources for FE providers out there. From building professional expertise amongst staff to better understand the experiences of people seeking safety, to overcoming common barriers to equal access and progress in education, organisations can tap into a wealth of guidance and resources that have been developed alongside people with lived experience of seeking sanctuary.

FE providers are often the anchor institution within a community, offering a safe and welcoming place to everyone. City of Sanctuary UK strives to support education leaders to create an environment that is supportive and understanding of the mental health challenges that people seeking sanctuary may face, so that regardless of background or journey into FE, everyone experiences a sense of support and belonging. 

Rosie Tapsfield is the Director of Operations at City of Sanctuary UK. Rosie started working with City of Sanctuary UK earlier this year, having been a big fan of the organisation and having worked on City of Sanctuary initiatives in Newcastle for a number of years before this. She leads the College of Sanctuary programme of work and has seen first-hand how implementing inclusive practices within FE providers can positively impact upon people seeking sanctuary’s mental health and wellbeing.

To support this work further and to join our growing community, you can:

This blog is part of the ETF Mental Health and Wellbeing project, delivered by the AoC commissioned by the Education and Training Foundation on behalf of the Department for Education. The project is running a series of webinars, to spotlight effective practice in the sector and to support dialogue on the current issues impacting FE providers. You can book here.