About the Partnership

Working together in the North East of Scotland to protect the rights of and increase quality support to people with No Recourse to Public Funds

The No Recourse North East Partnership was established in 2014. The purpose was, and continues to be, to share experience and learning, focusing on supporting people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF). 

The primary drivers for establishing the group were significant concerns around inconsistent decision-making by public bodies on the entitlements of non-UK nationals, a lack of confidence and expertise in the third sector around NRPF, and concerns about a lack of a safety net for some non-UK women fleeing domestic abuse.

The partnership is made up mainly of third-sector organisations (facilitated by staff from GREC, Shelter Scotland, and Turning Point Scotland), as well as public-sector staff, including housing advice and financial-inclusion teams at local authorities and the NHS.

Use the toggle below to explore our objectives as a partnership.

We collaborate in a spirit of mutual respect and solidarity to support people with NRPF.

We are committed to developing shared good practice across the North East of Scotland, taking a proactive, human rights-based approach, and amplifying the voices of lived experience at every level. We challenge racist and anti-immigration rhetoric, connect local practice to national policy, constructively improve systems and support, and work to improve data so we can better understand the need. Our members actively share learning, attend meetings, and uphold these principles in both partnership work and daily practice.

We are comprised of third-sector organisations, staff from local authority and NHS departments, as well as relevant individuals, such as academics and people with lived experience.

Below are our current members:

We bring partners together to develop a shared understanding of what good support for people with NRPF looks like in the North East.

Through regular partnership meetings, working subgroups, and collaborative training, we share learning across the third sector, public sector, and community organisations. We help simplify legal updates and policy changes into practical guidance, ensuring that frontline staff and volunteers can respond confidently and consistently.

We work to ensure that people with NRPF and the organisations supporting them understand their rights and what support is available.

Through website resources, social media posts, leaflets, training sessions, and community-led conversations, we hope to clarify a complex and often intimidating system. We hope to reach people where they are, from language cafes to women’s groups, so that knowledge becomes a tool for empowerment and not a barrier.

We take a proactive stance against racist and anti-immigration narratives that harm and undermine migrants and racialised communities.

Locally, we aim to respond to misinformation with evidence-based resources and statements and promote anti-racist, human-rights-based approaches to working.  Through our website, social media, and partnership meetings, we equip partners and communities with accurate information, fostering more humane and fact-based conversations about migration.

We try to connect people’s experiences with NRPF to the policy decisions that affect their lives.

Locally and nationally, we work to ensure that decision-makers hear the voices of our partnership and the communities we stand with. We respond to government consultations, engage with calls for evidence, and join collective campaigns that challenge harmful policies. By sitting on wider networks and advocacy groups, we harness the power of collaboration to push for fairer, more humane immigration and social security systems.

We involve people with lived experience of NRPF in our work.

Members of our lived experience group attend partnership meetings, share their perspectives, and help shape our priorities. We use clear consent processes so people have control over how their experiences are shared. This group helps lead community conversations, contribute to consultations, and inform our understanding of what support is actually needed.

Want to join? Read our terms of reference

Safety Exit