A CONTRACT has been awarded to an organisation to provide support for Syrian refugees in Herefordshire.

Refugee Action, based in Bristol, won the contract following a competitive tender process, and will work closely with a range of council and other public services as well as voluntary, community and faith groups.

The council is to take in up to 60 Syrian refugees – approximately 18 families – into the county from November.

The service, the council says, will be central to supporting the refugees in their new environment and managing expectations and community relationships.

In a report, the council said Refugee Action has extensive experience working with local organisations to 'build capacity' and 'support community cohesion'.

Interpretation and translation will be co-ordinated by the council’s in-house language network (Herefordshire Language Network).

Syrian refugees resettled as part of the Government’s Vulnerable Persons Resettlement Programme (VPR) must meet the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) vulnerability criteria.

The report states: "The needs of refugee families are expected to be many and intensive initially, as a consequence of their traumatic experiences and arriving in a new country with a very different regime, culture, economy and climate.

"The council is working intensively with its partners to prepare for the resettlement of refugees and the procurement of this service is one part of that preparation.

"The orientation and support service will connect people with key public services, promote integration and community cohesion and enable people to manage independently over time."

The Syrian Refugee Resettlement Programme is financed by the Home Office at a rate of £8,520 per person for the first year of resettlement and £5,000 in the second year, with the funding required to cover a wide range of costs including interpreting and language support, co-ordination and some housing costs.

The value of the contract to be awarded to Refugee Action is £321,212.