One minute guide: Gypsy Roma Traveller (GRT) outreach and inclusion team

The GRT outreach and inclusion team supports families from our Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities in Leeds to achieve their potential by providing bespoke specialist support and interventions. The team consists of family outreach workers and school inclusion workers and sits within Early Help services, but are able to support families open to the Children's Social Work Service (CSWS) as well as universal services. The team also support workforce development by offering cultural briefings to the wider workforce.

Which children, young people and families the team works with

The team can work with any GRT family with children and young people aged 0 to 19 years. Families do not need to define themselves by the term 'GRT' to seek the support of the GRT outreach and inclusion team.

Our Gypsy Roma Traveller communities in Leeds are not one homogeneous group. The term Gypsy Roma Traveller may include families identifying as: Romany Gypsy; Irish Traveller; Central and Eastern European, from countries including Czech Republic (or Czechia), Slovakia, Romania, Poland and others (note this is not an exhaustive list).

What support the GRT outreach and inclusion team offer to families

The team offers a range of support to children, young people and their families, including:

• weekly universal drop-ins across the city
• time-limited family support
• ‘Fresh start’ groupwork programme delivered to school-age children
• advocacy or mediation support
• support with immigration applications
• supporting families to access universal provision such as children's centres and health services
• supporting families to make positive changes and integrate with services within their community
• provide opportunities to access Health provisions and promote health and wellbeing
• supporting families to access employment, training and ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) opportunities
• support to access benefits
• housing support

What family outreach workers and inclusion support workers do

Family outreach workers offer time-limited outreach support to children and their families. This may include parenting, engaging with employment, education and training or supporting families to engage with universal services such as children’s centres and 0-19 Public Health integrated nursing.

Inclusion support workers work predominantly with school-aged children. They support families to successfully navigate statutory processes such as school admissions, identify and address potential barriers to learning for children and young people from GRT communities, and offer individual and group work programmes for children and young people.

How practitioners refer a family for support from the team

Families' engagement with the GRT outreach and inclusion team is voluntary, so referrals must be discussed and agreed with the family in advance.

If you would like to find out more information about what the team offer or discuss a potential referral please contact the GRT outreach and inclusion team at grt.outreach.inclusion@leeds.gov.uk.

Note that the GRT outreach and inclusion team do not accept referrals where the primary reason is for translation.

If you would like to speak to the team about what they can offer in terms of workforce development and cultural awareness briefings, please use the same email address.

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