AVID is pleased to let the members know that we are partnering with the Refugee Council to offer a free training on 'Age disputed cases in immigration detention, and what can visitors do to help?'

Refugee Council is a national legal charity, work directly with thousands of refugees each year. Their Age Dispute Project is the only one of its kind, ensuring that many children across the country each year are accepted as such and can begin to recover from their experiences with appropriate support and safeguards. They only take on cases where they believe the young person is aged under 18. They gather as much information as they can about the young person and meet with them to see whether they are able to take on their case. Visitors groups can make referrals to them if they are worried anyone who may be under 18 and in detention. More information about the project can be found here!

Young people face a range of barriers in accessing support, and under 18s should never be held in detention. Unfortunately, volunteer visitors may come across young people in detention. In these cases, swift and sensitive response is needed. This free training will help you know what to do in these situations.

Trainer: Helen Johnson OBE, Head of the Refugee Council's Children's Services.

Aims and objectives

The course aims to help visitors to understand about Refugee Council's Age Disputed Project, how the age assessments are conducted and how to signpost to them. By completing this course participants will have a practical understanding of:

• About the Age Disputed Project and how they work;
• The current policy and practice in the immigration detention in relation to age disputed cases;
• Factors which can affect the age assessment process;
• Best practice: on how to support age disputed children in detention fairly and sensitively.

Photo credit: Photo by Dev Asangbam on Unsplash