Header image © CRSA Ltd 2021

Resources for community groups

Key: Developed by CRSA | Developed by local groups and shared with the community | Developed by external organisations | $ Costs associated with this resource

Jump to:   Key CRSA resources   |   Global sponsorship resources   |  Setting up your group & general info  |   Fundraising   |   Settlement services   |  Other sources of settlement information   |  Local government   |  Statistics   |  Language   |  Learning English – adults   |  Learning English – children   |   Housing   |   Education   |  Employment   |  Transport   |  Finances   |  Cultural awareness   |  Health and mental health   |  Torture & trauma resources   |  Families & young people

These resources have been compiled to help local groups who provide community-led support to newly arrived refugees. We don’t fact-check external materials and are not responsible for their content. If you have concerns about the content of any of this material, please let us know, and please do share anything you’ve created via media@refugeesponsorship.org.au. (Can’t find something? Try the search function above right.)

Key CRSA resources

Global sponsorship resources

Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative:
Preparing to welcome refugees (free registration required)

Canada: Refugee Sponsorship Training Program

NZ: Nick Regnault, Welcoming the Stranger: Signposts for Building Bridges and Making Peace,

UK: RESET

Setting up your group & general info

Adelaide City Mentoring Group
NB these notes relate to the GMP and are NOT relevant to the CRISP
Checklist 1: Your First Meeting with Mentees
Checklist 2: Personal Documentation
Checklist 3: Managing Gifting

Murray Valley Sanctuary Refugee Group Policies and Procedures

Armidale Sanctuary Humanitarian Settlement Inc
Settlement Procedures

Ballina Region for Refugees
Homestay Program (includes trauma (pp 10-14) and cultural awareness (pp 15-24)
Resource Kit

Fundraising

Fundraising Guidebook Mar 2023

⬤ Setting up a bank account for your group

Armidale Sanctuary Humanitarian Settlement Inc Setting up administration for fundraising  
Note – if you use the CRSA Shout for Good setup you won’t need to carry out these steps (see our Fundraising guidebook for more)

GoFundMe Fundraising tips

Funding Centre Fundraising legislation and regulations

Not-for-profit Law Fundraising and holding events

Global Refugee Sponsorship Initiative Sponsorship school: Financing sponsorship

Settlement services

Department of Home Affairs Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP):
Specialised and Intensive Services (includes TPV/SHEV and permanent Protection visa holders)
Settlement Engagement and Transition Support – Client Services
2018 Basic Household Goods required to be provided by HSP providers to refugees setting  up new homes

Multicultural NSW  New Arrivals to NSW

Refugee Council of Australia – Service directories for refugees and people seeking asylum

Other sources of settlement information

Department of Social Services Beginning a Life in Australia

⬤ Department of Home Affairs – Key settlement topics

Multicultural NSW
New Arrivals to NSW
Humanitarian Entrants

⬤ Settlement Council of Australia Settlement Best Practice

⬤ SBS Settlement Guide

⬤ Red Cross Australia Preparing for Emergencies and Resources including flyers and videos in various languages

⬤ Neighbourhood Houses Find a neighbourhood house/centre

⬤ NSW Government Family & Community Services – Refugee Resettlement Workbook (especially p69-86: Strengths based approach)

 Where to find help and advice on visas fact sheet

Regional settlement

Department of Social Services – Guide to Supporting Settlement in Regional Australia

 Regional Australia Institute
Steps to Settlement Success: A Toolkit for Rural and Regional Communities
Regional Development & Migration Network Facebook group

City to Country Project:
The Right Fit: Attracting and retaining newcomers in regional towns

Local government

Worth investigating: you may be pleasantly surprised at the range of things on offer from your LGA. Some may be specifically for refugees, but programs for the community at large may also be useful.

Statistics

⬤ UNHCR
Global resettlement information
Global trends

⬤ Department of home affairs
Humanitarian program statistics

⬤ Refugee Council of Australia Resettlement statistics and submissions

Language

Learning English - adults

Department of Home Affairs Adult Migrant English Program (note: 510 hour limit no longer applies)

SBS Learn English podcast

Learning English - children

Housing

Strategies to secure local housing Aug 2022

Department of Home Affairs Key settlement topics – Housing

No Accommodation Network (NACCOM) Hosting good practice guide

RESET UK Working with landlords

Education

 Overview of refugee education programs and initiatives Feb 2022

Department of Home Affairs Education & Training

Multicultural NSW Education & Employment

Refugee Council of Australia – Information about education for refugees

Refugee Education Special Interest Group University Scholarships (includes TPV/SHEV holders)

⬤ NSW Department of Education Roads to Refuge is designed to give students, teachers and the community access to relevant, factual and current information about refugees.

Employment

 Overview of programs supporting economic participation of refugees Feb 2022

Department of Home Affairs Key settlement topics – Employment

Multicultural NSW Education & Employment

Refugee Council of Australia Information on working in Australia

⬤ Australian Red Cross Work Right Hub

Humans Like Us:
Government programs and subsidies
Refugee employment services directory

Tent Partnership for Refugees & Friendly Nation Initiative Australian Employers’ Guide to Hiring Refugees

Space2b Social Design art and design social enterprise supporting refugees to become financially independent

Transport

Department of Home Affairs Transport

Multicultural NSW Transport & Driving

Ballina Region for Refugees Getting a driving licence in NSW

Finances

Setting up myGov and Centrelink July 2022

Child Care Subsidy and income reporting May 2023

⬤ Utility Bill Assistance programs

ANZ
Setting up a bank account
MoneyMinded online financial literacy program

⬤ CommBank
Financial literacy activity book
for newcomers to Australia
Financial literacy guide for supporters of newcomers
Easy English guides to banking in Australia, online banking, financial abuse, and more

⬤ Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC)
MoneySmartbudgeting and financial literacy tools
Money Management Kit for community settlement

Services Australia:
What is myGov?
Getting Started with myGov: English factsheet
Getting Started with myGov: multilingual factsheets (zip)
Moving to Australia

RESET UK Managing financial disappointment

 

Cultural awareness

Afghanistan cultural information sheet  Oct 2021

SBS Cultural Atlas

Canadian Refugee Sponsorship Training Program:
Training guide Crosscultural Awareness
2018 webinar Communicating across Cultures

$ SBS training: Cultural Competence Program

 $ Settlement Services International (NSW) Diversity Training

$ Multicultural Australia (QLD) Cultural Training

$ AMES Australia (VIC)  Cultural Diversity Program for Employers

Health and mental health

Torture & trauma resources

CRSA STARTTS video series featuring Nooria Mehraby from STARTTS (below) speaking at CRSA’s Dec 2021 GMP Peer Forum

⬤  Department of Health Programme of Assistance for Survivors of Torture and Trauma (includes TPV/SHEV holders)

NSW Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors (STARTTS) – Resource Page

⬤ Book: Judith Herman, Trauma and Recovery, 1992

Huma Media – Refugee Trauma and Mental Health video (Dari)

Refugee Welcome Collective (US)  Trauma informed care practices webinar Apr 2022

Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (Canada) When Helping Hurts – Reviewing Vicarious Trauma (video) 2019

Families & young people

Family assistance vouchers Feb 2023

Working with Young People factsheet May 2022

Tips for recognising and responding to domestic and family violence (DFV) developed with Settlement Services International

 How to access clothing from Thread Together Jan 2023

⬤ Australian Institute for Family Studies: Reporting child abuse and neglect