Report Summary
The Routes Project is a citywide family support service in Manchester that helps newly arrived families settle into the city. Operating since 2001, it provides short to medium-term support to approximately 550 families annually. The project takes a holistic approach, building on families’ existing strengths while addressing their needs through a multi-lingual team that establishes trust with clients.
The service helps families access education, healthcare, and housing, while improving their financial stability and well-being. It particularly assists children in accessing schools and supports working-age people with educational opportunities, including English language courses. The project has strong partnerships with Manchester City Council’s education teams, who provide most referrals.
Families receive help with various challenges including benefits, childcare, housing, immigration, and school enrollment. Without this service, newly arrived families would struggle to navigate unfamiliar systems, potentially facing hardship, isolation, and poor mental health, while placing additional burdens on statutory services.
With an annual budget of £198,648, the project is considered cost-effective and valuable for promoting successful integration, preventing community cohesion problems, and reducing long-term costs to public services.
