The EUAA Referral Tool is the third tool in the EUAA Vulnerability toolkit developed by the EUAA to facilitate the identification, assessment, and support of asylum seekers with special needs. The other two tools in the package are the tool for the Identification of Persons with Special Needs (IPSN) aimed at facilitating the timely identification of persons with special procedural and/or reception needs at any stage of the asylum procedure and reception process, and the Special Needs and Vulnerability Assessment (SNVA) tool aimed at supporting the systematic evaluation of the situation of the applicant. The Referral Tool complements this three-step approach by supporting the referral of applicants with special needs to adequate support after identification and/or assessment.
Objective
The objective of the Referral Tool is to facilitate the referral of applicants with special needs to adequate support1. The referral of these cases is key to prevent the worsening of the applicants pre-existing condition or the emergence of new risk factors or needs. Referral to adequate support should be triggered as soon as the special needs of the person are identified.
In order to achieve its main objective, the tool also supports authorities in mapping the available services in the territory, harmonises the communication among the actors involved in the referral process, and allows services to update their information when needed.
Target Users
The tool is designed for staff working in asylum or in reception, not necessarily specialised in vulnerability, but who might come across vulnerable cases in their daily work. This could include registration officers, reception officers, asylum case officers, first line officers who have little or no expertise in health, psychology, child protection or other vulnerability-related fields. It is recommended that the users of the Referral Tool are trained for identifying and referring applicants with special needs.
In addition, the tool is used by focal points designated by the competent authorities to map the services available within a given territory. These focal points are responsible for managing and regularly updating the repository of service providers and may be assigned to specific geographic areas.
Finally, the tool is intended for service providers, including individuals, entities or organisations that deliver support to applicants, who can register their services in the repository to facilitate effective referrals.
Structure
The Referral Tool is composed of three elements:
- Referral Form - A template aimed at facilitating the communication between actors involved in the referral of the applicant in a vulnerable situation.
- Service Providers Searching Tool - A feature helping users finding services providing support to applicants in a vulnerable situation. Before becoming fully functional, this part of the tool needs to be populated with information regarding authorised service providers in a specific area or region.
- Guidance - It aims to direct users on how to adequately conduct a referral, outlining the necessary conditions for a referral process, providing dos and donts for users, and the links to a referral mechanism 2 .
All three elements are independent but complementary. They are designed as a toolkit but can be used separately.
How to use
Referral Form
The Referral Form compiles the persons special needs and the support needed. In addition, the form records the priority of the response needed (immediate, high, medium, low), after a preliminary risk assessment. The form also includes a section for information provision and consent gathering of the applicant to proceed with the referral and to the data processing for this purpose.
Service Providers Searching Tool
The Service Providers Searching Tool helps the user find relevant services providers3 available at the national or sub-national level. To find the most appropriate service provider, the user will select the specific support needed, the area of interest and other relevant fields (e.g. target group, supporting activities, consulting fees, timetables, availability) to narrow the results. The results are displayed on a map and in a list in order to ease the identification of the most adequate service.
Guidance
The guidance provides the user with additional orientation and good practices on how to adequately conduct a specific referral, what conditions a referral process should have, dos and donts, and references to existing referral mechanisms. This guidance is not to be considered as training but rather a tool to support the development and improvement of referral mechanisms for applicants with special needs.
User Manual
The user manual provides basic information for all users on how to use the tool. The guide is based on the functionalities that are available up to the current date and release. Further guiding principles on performing the referral can also be found within the Guidance section of the tool.
Service Provider Registration Tutorial
This video tutorial provides step-by-step instructions for users who are looking to register as a Service Provider within the Referral Tool.
Developed Process
The content of the tool was carefully ideated and developed by a group of experts nominated by the members of the EUAA Vulnerability Experts Network, drawing on their professional experience, and a deep understanding of the needs of applicants requiring additional support. In a second phase, this content was translated into an electronic tool, designed to be practical, accessible, and easy to use.
Glossary
Referral tool glossary is available here.
- 1
Relevant references are laid out in the following provisions: recital 29 and Article 24(4) APD, and Articles 11(1), 17(2), 22(2) and 23(1) RCD).
- 2
The EUAA operational definition of a referral mechanism: a mechanism aimed at identifying, protecting and assisting persons who have special needs through referral, and involving relevant public authorities and civil society. This definition is based on the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) definition of the National Referral mechanism for victims of trafficking in human beings.
- 3
The service providers are professional services available in the territory of the EU+ countries which can adequately respond to one or more needs identified.