Hyndburn in East Lancashire has a long tradition of industrial manufacturing: 30 per cent of work is in this sector. There are labour shortages in factories for lower skilled and paid jobs. There is a diverse local population; in 2001, Hyndburn had an ethnic minority population of 8 per cent, with larger concentrations in Accrington.
A developing crisis
In January 2006, an employment agency recruited 200 Polish workers for an Accrington factory and housed them in private rented accommodation. A local Catholic priest noticed an increase in his congregation, made contact with the newcomers and advertised for interpreters to discuss concerns about rent levels.
The workers had been promised 12 months' work, but after 13 weeks the factory terminated contracts, leaving 200 people unemployed and threatened with homelessness, but with no eligibility for benefits. Many still owed the agency for travel to Britain. Scare stories circulated claiming that the police would evict tenants who did not leave. Some Polish workers were found sleeping rough.
A joint response: help with employment, housing, information and self-help
The Council brought together a multi-agency group. The local housing association, the county partnership officer, Jobcentre Plus, the Catholic Church and the police were involved.
Jobcentre Plus and a local volunteer helped nearly three-quarters of the workers to find a new job within five months. The local housing association and District Council helped with accommodation pressures. The Hyndburn homelessness officer provided advice and, where required, referred them on to Shelter.
The housing association found 20 houses through private sector leasing and helped some of the workers become association tenants. The requirements for housing applications were amended as the rule discriminated against some migrant workers. Migrants could apply by providing a letter from an employer instead of two references, as these were not easily available in the circumstances.
The Church provided information, advice and a hall for meetings. The priest and volunteers explained employment rights and countered myths about the police force. Workers set up Parasol (Polish for umbrella), a self-help social group. This started translating information and rights advice into Polish; it now produces a fortnightly bulletin.
Advice on credit unions and housing came from residents’ groups in the Hyndburn Community Network. A Polish teacher at the college volunteered to hold extra classes to help meet the demand for lessons in English for speakers of other languages.
Building longer-term links with new migrants
Local police officers wanted to build up trust. A Polish relative of the police beat manager provided initial translations and acted as a contact. The police now attend Parasol meetings and regularly provide information. Safety alarms have been issued to female workers on late shifts, and a translator provided at local self defence classes. The police intend to recruit a Polish representative for the Police and Communities Together panel, which is part of the local community cohesion partnership.
Agencies are now more aware of the issues facing new migrants, and can monitor these through meeting Parasol, now the first port of call for migrants requesting information. Lessons learned have also been dispersed across the County Council at district partnership officer meetings.
The employment agency responsible for originally hiring the workers is now being investigated by the Department of Trade and Industry and trading standards.