The impact of direct provision accommodation for asylum seekers on organisation and delivery of local primary care and social care services: a case study.

Hans-Olaf Pieper,Pauline Clerkin,Anne Macfarlane

doi:10.1186/1471-2296-12-32

Hans-Olaf Pieper, Pauline Clerkin + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-12-32

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Abstract

BackgroundMany western countries have policies of dispersal and direct provision accommodation (state-funded accommodation in an institutional centre) for asylum seekers. Most research focuses on its effect on the asylum seeking population. Little is known about the impact of direct provision accommodation on organisation and delivery of local primary care and social care services in the community. The aim of this research is to explore this issue.MethodsIn 2005 a direct provision accommodation centre was opened in a rural area in Ireland. A retrospective qualitative case study was designed comprising in-depth interviews with 37 relevant stakeholders. Thematic analysis following the principles of framework analysis was applied.ResultsThere was lack of advance notification to primary care and social care professionals and the community about the new accommodation centre. This caused anxiety and stress among relevant stakeholders. There was insufficient time to plan and prepare appropriate primary care and social care for the residents, causing a significant strain on service delivery. There was lack of clarity about how primary care and social care needs of the incoming residents were to be addressed. Interdisciplinary support systems developed informally between healthcare professionals. This ensured that residents of the accommodation centre were appropriately cared for.ConclusionsDirect provision accommodation impacts on the organisation and delivery of local primary care and social care services. There needs to be sufficient advance notification and inter-agency, inter-professional dialogue to manage this. Primary care and social care professionals working with asylum seekers should have access to training to enhance their skills for working in cross-cultural consultations.

Highlights

Many western countries have policies of dispersal and direct provision accommodation for asylum seekers
There were four main themes identified in this analysis and these are shown in Figure 2 along with the subthemes relevant to each one and the way in which the themes are interrelated
The first theme ‘notification about the direct provision accommodation centre’ has a ‘knock on’ effect on the second, ‘planning and preparing appropriate primary care and social care’ in that there was a lack of notification about the opening of the accommodation centre which meant that there was insufficient time to plan and prepare appropriate health and social care services

Summary

Introduction

Many western countries have policies of dispersal and direct provision accommodation (state-funded accommodation in an institutional centre) for asylum seekers. At the end of 2009, a total of 43 million people had been forcibly displaced, the highest number since the mid-1990s. Human Rights, which states that ‘everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution’ [2]. Europe hosted 16% of the world’s refugees, with 358,000 new asylum claims during 2009 [1]. These global migration patterns have relevance for Ireland in that they are contributing to recent and unprecedented patterns of inward immigration [4]

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