Information for Migrants and Humanitarian Entrants

MVNS facilitates the Migrant Settlement Service. This service operates from Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services in Wingham for 21 hours per week with outreach work on the Mid North Coast, including Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Gloucester, Taree and Forster areas.

You can download our Migrant Settlement Service Brochure by clicking here. 

Are you:

• A newly arrived migrant or humanitarian entrant?
• From a non-English speaking background?
• Having difficulties finding information or services in your area?
• Living in an isolated situation?
• See more under the Eligibility heading below.

Adjusting to a new culture and community where many everyday things are different can be difficult and sometimes overwhelming. If you would like some help, I can talk to you on the phone, you can send me a message, you can come and see me at my office, or I can meet you somewhere mutually acceptable. Our services are free.

Contact Details

Settlement Worker: Sundus
Call: 6553 5121 or 0497 832 079
Email: rmw@mvns.org.au
Facebook or Messenger: https://www.facebook.com/migrantsupportmnc/
Please let me know if you need an interpreter.

Where can you find me?

My office is at Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services in the Old Courthouse Building at 4 Farquhar St, Wingham, NSW, 2429.

Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) Program

Settlement services are delivered in agreed areas of NSW under the Department of Home Affairs’Settlement Engagement and Transition Support (SETS) program. The SETS program aims to:

• Equip and empower humanitarian entrants and other vulnerable migrants with the tools to address their settlement needs and improve social and economic participation, and community integration.
• Build the capacity of small and/or ethno-specific organisations to better support their local communities.
• Foster a whole-of-community approach to achieve settlement and integration outcomes.

The Migrant Settlement Service delivers services under the SETS Client Services stream, providing clients with settlement-related information, advice, advocacy, and assistance to access mainstream and other relevant services. Services are delivered in accordance with a needs-based approach. Typically clients need to align with the nine priority areas identified in the National Settlement Framework the-national-settlement-framework.pdf (homeaffairs.gov.au)  

Client Services has a key role in facilitating acquisition of English language skills, supporting engagement with education and training and building employment readiness with services complementing other settlement and mainstream services.

Eligibility

SETS services can be provided to permanent residents who have arrived in Australia in the last five years as:

• Humanitarian entrants; and/or
• Family stream migrants with low levels of English proficiency; and/or
• Dependents of skilled migrants in rural and regional areas with low English proficiency.
• Selected other stream visas eg Pacific Engagement visa

As of the 1^st July, 2024 the program will no longer be limited to individuals who have been in Australian fewer than five years and assistance can be provided for:

• People requiring urgent assistance, including for example those with emergency health and wellbeing issues and/or issues associated with family or domestic violence.
• Individuals who require one-off or short-term support with a significant life change or event.
• Dependents (often women) who have otherwise prioritised the needs of their family and delayed their own engagement with settlement services.
• Individuals with critical settlement needs where there are no other available settlement or mainstream services through which they can receive support for their needs.
• Older migrants or individuals who arrived at a young age and have been in Australia for over 5 years, but develop issues as they grow older.

Services may also be provided to:

• Selected temporary residents (Prospective Marriage and Provisional Partner visa holders and their dependents) in rural and regional areas who have arrived in the last five years and have low English proficiency and;
• Dependents of selected temporary residents (Provisional Skilled, Provisional Business or Investment) in rural and regional areas who have low English proficiency.
• New and emerging ethno-specific:
  • Communities, community leaders and emerging community representatives and;
  • Organisations with limited corporate capacity.

What services does the Migrant Settlement Service provide?

• Delivery of group information sessions to multicultural residents.
• Community advocacy and developing and maintaining networks with agencies.
• Settlement related information, advice, assistance and advocacy to access services.
• Help with things such as finding English classes, study opportunities, driving in Australia, visa help, interpreting services, health services, childcare, schools, women’s refuge, finding work, skills and qualifications recognition and lots more.
• Connecting with your community might include finding out about social groups, becoming involved in community events or meeting other migrants or humanitarian entrants.
• Supporting cultural and community groups who would like to be involved in the community.
• For more information on types of services and support under the SETS Client Services Stream go to https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/settling-in-australia/sets-program/sets-client-services

What we offer service providers:

The Migrant Settlement Project worker is available to provide support for government and non-government organisations to support multicultural clients by:

• Working with services to support multicultural clients.
• Supporting services to provide culturally appropriate services.
• Information on providing interpreting services.
• Providing information and referral for specific migrant services such as migration agents.
• Providing and access point for general information regarding migrants and refugees.
• Providing opportunities for cultural awareness training for staff or community groups.
• Providing information on the cultural communities in the area.

Resources

Community Information

To help when you move to the Kempsey, Port Macquarie, Wauchope, Taree, Forster and Gloucester areas covering employment, education and training, accommodation, health services, transport, legal services, place of worship and community information, shopping and food, community information and emergency information.

Download the information sheet for:

• Community information: Taree, Forster and Gloucester
• Community information: Port Macquarie, Kempsey and Wauchope

NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service

The service has health information translated into many languages including the latest COVID-19 (Coronavirus) in-language resources.
Visit the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service website: www.mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/

NSP Resources

Provides information for people and communities to support refugees and migrants.
Click NSP Resources: https://nsp.ssi.org.au/resources

SBS Cultural Atlas

This is an educational resource providing comprehensive information on the cultural background of Australia’s migrant populations.
Visit the Cultural Atlas website: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/

Refugee Council of Australia

This has a range of information and resources supporting refugees and people interested in knowing more about refugees in Australia.
Visit the Refugee Council of Australia  website: www.refugeecouncil.org.au/

Multicultural Health Directory

We have a multicultural health directory for Taree/Forster and Kempsey/Port Macquarie. Download the directory:

• Multicultural Health Directory Taree-Forster
• Multicultural Health Directory Port Macquarie-Kempsey