Asylum Seeker Mental Health and Wellbeing, UK-wide Therapeutic Support

The aim of the grant is to protect vulnerable asylum-seeking people and communities, including facilitating access to services which understand their specific needs and are best placed to support them. This aligns with the Home Office’s safeguarding and ‘face behind the case’ commitments as well as the Government’s manifesto pledge to give mental health patients greater choice, autonomy, enhanced rights and support, ensuring everyone is treated with dignity and respect throughout treatment.

Funding opportunity:

The Home Office is considering the award of grant funding for projects that improve the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable asylum-seeking adult customers, before they receive their substantive decision, and as they progress through the asylum journey. The intention is to award a grant agreement for 12 months (2025/2026). We are seeking Expressions of Interest (EOI) to gauge interest in the opportunity.  At this initial stage we ask that you confirm your EOI and that you can deliver all the grant objectives.

Please note this EOI is for information gathering purposes only and is not a formal call for proposals.

Research is clear that asylum seekers and refugees suffer higher rates of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and psychosis, and suicide rates are higher for refugees.

For the majority of vulnerable adult asylum-seeking customers, the Home Office does not hold statutory responsibility for identifying and providing access to mental health services.

The Home Office’s focus is on identifying vulnerable customers and escalating issues of concern to relevant statutory authorities, including social services and medical practitioners. We support and encourage registration with a GP which will ensure the customer is on the pathway towards formal medical support for their needs. Registration with a GP is voluntary however and as such some customers may not start their health journey whilst awaiting a decision on their asylum claim.

The Home Office is committed to supporting and stabilising the mental health and wellbeing of vulnerable asylum-seeking customers to reduce the likelihood of harm to the individual or wider society. Most recently (2022/2025) this commitment has been reflected by the provision of the Therapeutic Support Grant funding. The Home Office is now seeking to build on that grant’s findings.

The Home Office recognises that civil society organisations continue to play a key role in providing services that benefit vulnerable asylum-seeking adult customers. These include providing third party financial, legal, casework and/or emotional support.

This grant will therefore provide the opportunity to deliver on a specific aim which aligns with the Home Office’s goal to protect vulnerable people and communities:

• • To deliver UK wide direct stabilisation and therapeutic services for vulnerable asylum-seeking adult customers experiencing distress. Such an approach will recognise the need for support with basic amenities, social connection and access to wider services alongside direct therapeutic provision.