Refugee group achieves results in community outreach project

A refugee group from Iraq have successfully completed a course on ‘Managing Behaviour’ in children and young people as part of a community outreach project delivered by York St John University.

A special ceremony was held at the University where participants were awarded with completion certificates by Vice Chancellor Professor David Fleming. The course was delivered over a two day period and saw 13 men and women, from the Hull Gateway Protection Programme, develop understanding behind different approaches to positive behaviour management and offered guidelines on how to respond to challenging behaviour and reward good behaviour in children and young people.

The group, who previously sought refuge in troubled Syria, arrived in the UK in November 2011. Originally from Iraq, the group escaped the conflict in Syria as a result of an application by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, who deemed them to be at risk of imprisonment, torture and death.

The Gateway Protection Programme is a programme set up by the UK Government and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, aiming to identify some of the world’s most vulnerable refugees in order to resettle them in the UK where they can rebuild their lives in safety. Hull is the second location in the Yorkshire and Humberside region to offer protection to resettled refugees.

The Managing Behaviour course was delivered by Katie Simpson, Deputy Head of External Relationships in the Faculty of Education & Theology at York St John University.

She said:

“Community outreach work is of central importance to the University, reflecting its aim to be inclusive and accessible by engaging with under-represented groups in the student population. The course delivered in Hull was a great success, with all participants gaining vital skills to put into practice in their care of children. It also raised aspirations for many to continue with other educational opportunities.”

Course participant Noreek Yousif added:

“The course was very clear and well delivered; introducing us to new methods of managing children, new rules to be aware of and understanding a child’s point of view. I am looking forward to investigating further courses to develop my knowledge further.”

The course builds on earlier work by York St John University, who previously delivered ‘Is higher education for me?’ to a group of Gateway refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo who were resettled in Hull.