Analysis has shown that asylum seekers, refugees and BME communities are disproportionately concentrated in deprived areas and experience all of the problems that affect other people in these areas. People from these communities also suffer the consequences of racial discrimination; services that fail to reach them or meet their needs; and cultural and language barriers in gaining access to information, advice and services. The government report on Minority Ethnic Issues in Social Exclusion and Neighbourhood Renewal acknowledges that Black People "are more likely to live in unpopular and overcrowded housing are more likely to be poor and unemployed do not do so well at school are disproportionately excluded from school are more likely to report suffering from ill health".

Action for Social Integration believes that without information and advice, individuals are not able to make the right decisions about their own lives. Clients need information to enable them to make informed decisions about available services in their community.

Readily available information, signposting local people to service providers should aid referrals and help local people become better informed about health issues and services. Multiple disadvantages that asylum seekers, refugees and other people from BME communities can be addressed through advice and integrated support, to enable individuals to progress and develop their full potential. The prospects of becoming economically active and getting involved in community and voluntary sector activity is enhanced, representing an important - and often overlooked - investment in people as part of wider efforts to regenerate places.

Where there are problems relating to debt, families, substance misuse, housing and so on there are often limited prospects of engaging individuals in community and economic activities.

If people don't know what is available to help and enrich their lives, how can they ask for it? It's up to the individual to decide if they would like advice about a particular issue or not, but making sure that the information is available empowers the individual to make that choice in an informed way. Without advice and information people are confused as to how to proceed. Information and advice services, when made available to communities, are able to support people to identify their needs and then enable them to resolve their issues.

Information and advice gives our clients the opportunities to help themselves and become independent and more sustainable. People are more confident of their rights and feel that their problems can be resolved. Individuals are more active within their communities and people communicate better and feel more supported. If people feel powerless or are living in poverty, deprivation and then social exclusion can set in for individuals, families and communities.

Our Community centre is "one place" where people can instantly get the information they need. The place can be instantly recognised and rapidly accessible to everyone. Action for Social Integration has access to a range and varied amount of information, covering all aspects of legal and civil and other organisations that can be used to help communities - and all for free.

Young people, especially those already disadvantaged through criminal conviction, need to know where they can find advice about housing, legal advice, benefits and career training. Without information and advice, they are denied opportunities to work, move forward etc.

Our activities enhancing access to services and opportunities include:

1. Referring clients to relevant service providers and provide continuing support in obtaining information as necessary.
2. Helping people living in the most socially excluding circumstances to get access to high quality information, legal advice and assistance, and by helping them to understand and exercise their rights as citizens.
3. Organise activities that improve basic transferable skills to enable individuals access jobs, examples include: social and personal skills such as basic communication, literacy and numeracy, IT skills, English language classes for refugees, social and personal skills such as assertiveness; self-advocacy.
4. Signposting individuals to courses converting foreign qualifications to UK standards and other educational opportunities, such as NVQ or other qualifications, or increase take up of them.
5. Organise activities that improve knowledge about improving employability and provide information that helps people become more employable, such as signposting, careers and training;
6. Support beneficiaries in accessing education or improving educational attainment such as out of school projects that improve children's educational attainment; work with disaffected children to encourage them to go to school.

Advice, guidance and information provision

Our community centre exists to provide a starting point for supporting the needs of refugees and asylum seekers and disadvantaged people from BME communities. It offers an advice service that responds to the different needs of refugees, asylum seekers and BME communities and provide them with ideas of initiatives which encourage them to begin to take control of their own futures.

Advice activities involve responding to requests for help from members of the public and assist clients by providing information and confidential advice on a wide range of issues. We also act as advocates, helping clients claim their entitlements, participate in decision-making and access to services.

The centre aims and objectives are:

Act as facilitator to promote self-help in the community;

Analysis has shown that asylum seekers, refugees and BME communities are disproportionately concentrated in deprived areas and experience all of the problems that affect other people in these areas. People from these communities also suffer the consequences of racial discrimination; services that fail to reach them or meet their needs; and cultural and language barriers in gaining access to information, advice and services. The government report on Minority Ethnic Issues in Social Exclusion and Neighbourhood Renewal acknowledges that Black People "are more likely to live in unpopular and overcrowded housing are more likely to be poor and unemployed do not do so well at school are disproportionately excluded from school are more likely to report suffering from ill health".

Action for Social Integration believes that without information and advice, individuals are not able to make the right decisions about their own lives. Clients need information to enable them to make informed decisions about available services in their community.

Readily available information, signposting local people to service providers should aid referrals and help local people become better informed about health issues and services. Multiple disadvantages that asylum seekers, refugees and other people from BME communities can be addressed through advice and integrated support, to enable individuals to progress and develop their full potential. The prospects of becoming economically active and getting involved in community and voluntary sector activity is enhanced, representing an important - and often overlooked - investment in people as part of wider efforts to regenerate places.

Where there are problems relating to debt, families, substance misuse, housing and so on there are often limited prospects of engaging individuals in community and economic activities.

If people don't know what is available to help and enrich their lives, how can they ask for it? It's up to the individual to decide if they would like advice about a particular issue or not, but making sure that the information is available empowers the individual to make that choice in an informed way. Without advice and information people are confused as to how to proceed. Information and advice services, when made available to communities, are able to support people to identify their needs and then enable them to resolve their issues.

Information and advice gives our clients the opportunities to help themselves and become independent and more sustainable. People are more confident of their rights and feel that their problems can be resolved. Individuals are more active within their communities and people communicate better and feel more supported. If people feel powerless or are living in poverty, deprivation and then social exclusion can set in for individuals, families and communities.

Our Community centre is "one place" where people can instantly get the information they need. The place can be instantly recognised and rapidly accessible to everyone. Action for Social Integration has access to a range and varied amount of information, covering all aspects of legal and civil and other organisations that can be used to help communities - and all for free.

Young people, especially those already disadvantaged through criminal conviction, need to know where they can find advice about housing, legal advice, benefits and career training. Without information and advice, they are denied opportunities to work, move forward etc.

Our activities enhancing access to services and opportunities include:

1. Referring clients to relevant service providers and provide continuing support in obtaining information as necessary.
2. Helping people living in the most socially excluding circumstances to get access to high quality information, legal advice and assistance, and by helping them to understand and exercise their rights as citizens.
3. Organise activities that improve basic transferable skills to enable individuals access jobs, examples include: social and personal skills such as basic communication, literacy and numeracy, IT skills, English language classes for refugees, social and personal skills such as assertiveness; self-advocacy.
4. Signposting individuals to courses converting foreign qualifications to UK standards and other educational opportunities, such as NVQ or other qualifications, or increase take up of them.
5. Organise activities that improve knowledge about improving employability and provide information that helps people become more employable, such as signposting, careers and training;
6. Support beneficiaries in accessing education or improving educational attainment such as out of school projects that improve children's educational attainment; work with disaffected children to encourage them to go to school.

Advice, guidance and information provision

Our community centre exists to provide a starting point for supporting the needs of refugees and asylum seekers and disadvantaged people from BME communities. It offers an advice service that responds to the different needs of refugees, asylum seekers and BME communities and provide them with ideas of initiatives which encourage them to begin to take control of their own futures.

Advice activities involve responding to requests for help from members of the public and assist clients by providing information and confidential advice on a wide range of issues. We also act as advocates, helping clients claim their entitlements, participate in decision-making and access to services.

The centre aims and objectives are:

1. To provide advice, guidance and information to refugees and asylum seekers and BME communities to enable them to effectively integrate into the society, access to services and opportunities;
2. To raise awareness amongst refugees and asylum seekers and disadvantaged people from BME about available services and how services can be accessed,
3. To support refugees and people from BME communities to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training.
4. To guide clients towards taking appropriate action and liaising with other organisations; and to refer and signpost clients to other sources of help, for example solicitors, social workers and benefit agencies;
5. To research general or specialist fields of advice work to remain up to date with appropriate legislation, policy and procedures;
6. To promote the Centre's activities and ensure that local organisations and refugees are fully involved and to identify community issues, needs and problems and liaising with interested groups and individuals to set up new services;
7. To organise public awareness on issues relevant to social integration and inclusion;
8. Act as facilitator to promote self-help in the community;