my community Finding sanctuary in Brent Finding sanctuary in Brent

Mr Khaled* came from Syria to Brent as a refugee with his wife and three young children, one of whom is disabled, in 2020, were joined by Mr Khaled’s younger sister Emira*, aged 11, in 2021.

Mr Khaled said, “My sister, Emira, has severe mental health issues. She misses our mum and hasn’t seen her in a long time. We were told that our mum was killed in a prison bomb blast, but then we found out that she is alive. “We applied for my mum to come here over six months ago. We are still waiting for a decision from the Home Office. This has affected our lives.”

Brent Council has been working closely with partners to support the family, providing assistance from the Children with Disabilities Team, as they were struggling to find time for their own children due to having to provide care for Mr Khaled’s sister. He added, “I cannot read or write English, but our social worker has helped us to apply for what we are entitled to. She visits us every two weeks and calls regularly. Whenever I call her, she always answers.”

The council has supported the family to apply for a Discretionary Housing Benefit Payment to cover the gap between their benefit and rent and has received money from the Resident Support Fund. Councillor Gwen Grahl, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Schools said: “It is crucial that all families in Brent are supported and this family is an example of that. We are working hard to ensure that those in need can access our services to live happy, healthy lives.”

Find out more about support for families in Brent: www.brent.gov.uk/benefits-and-money-advice

* Names have been changed to protect the identity of the individuals