A helping hand

A service designed to help new migrants with their social participation will soon be available in Harvey.

Bunbury Multicultural Services Centre community worker Julie Todter works closely with migrants on the Settlement Engagement and Transition Support program and has been busy working on bringing it to Harvey.

“The SETS program focuses on social participation, economic and personal well-being, independence and community connectedness,” Ms Todter said.

“What tends to happen with the migrants, particularly migrant families that come to Western Australia, is the husband goes off to work and the mother and child are left at home, often experiencing isolation.”

Ms Todter said with increased migrants in the region, it seemed like a good opportunity to bring the services to Harvey.

“We run a conversational English group here,” Ms Todter said.

“It is like a peer support group that gives people who are shy about their ability to speak English the chance to learn by experience and we can also help people study for their driver’s licence or citizenship tests.

“The key focus is getting migrants out of their home and helping them build social skills.”

Ms Todter said the program would be run over eight weeks before becoming permanent.

“I will be going to Harvey every fortnight on a Monday, and if after eight weeks we are getting a good response, it will become regular.”

The first SETS program will be held at the Harvey Community Resource Centre on December 16.