Please apply via email with a CV and a covering letter. Your covering letter should address each point of the Person Specification below, detailing how your skills and experience meet the requirements. If you feel that you do not meet one of the essential criteria then you may detail if you have transferrable skills, using examples where appropriate.
Closing date is 12th October. Interviews 17th October.
Title Advice Worker
Location Community Base with work around Brighton and Eastbourne
Reports to Chief Executive
Pay £30,900 PA (pro rata salary: £18,540) 12 months fixed term contract
Hours 3 days per week (Friday morning in Eastbourne and the rest of the week in Brighton)
Purpose and background
To help deliver Refugee Radio’s advice work to the highest professional standard, providing specialist casework and advice to refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants, in particular those with PTSD and other mental health issues.
The work will involve providing individual outreach support, general advice/signposting and specialist in-depth casework around benefits, housing, homelessness, non-regulated immigration-related legal rights, education, employment and health. The work will involve monitoring and evaluation to ensure the project’s targets are met.
We welcome applications from individuals who have personal lived experience of mental health issues and/or the immigration system. We are also looking to increase our work with Ukrainian refugees and welcome applicants from the Ukrainian community.
Key Responsibilities
Advice and casework
- Meet with participant on a one-to-one casework basis to provide outreach support, advice and advocacy including representation at benefits appeals
- Working in partnership with local community groups and charities, promote the project to refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants as beneficiaries
- Attend meetings as required to ensure good relations and open communication with the group
Monitoring and evaluation
- Conduct monitoring and evaluation of the work on an ongoing basis including updating the case management system as well as producing case studies and other qualitative data
Participation
- Maximise meaningful involvement of the local refugee and asylum seeker community in the project as participants and as decision makers
- Co-ordinate refugee volunteers and other methods of participation and accountability
- Build positive and influential relationships with key stakeholders while keeping up to date with all relevant refugee and broadcast issues
Person Specification
Qualifications and training:
Essential
- Training in welfare benefits and housing matters
- Training in working with vulnerable adults, especially around mental health/PTSD
Desirable
- Training and/or experience in human rights, immigration or asylum
- Degree in a related subject
- Post-graduate qualification in related subject
- Qualification in working with mental health issues
- Membership of a professional body
Experience and knowledge:
Essential
- Working with refugees or BME groups
- Experience of providing advice and casework
- Experience in the voluntary sector
- Working with mental health issues
Desirable
- Proven experience of participation in practice
- Experience of independent working
- Second language (especially Arabic, Farsi or Ukrainian)
Skills and abilities:
Essential
- Proven ability to relate to individuals from a wide range of backgrounds with different needs
- Sensitivity to ways of working with and communicating with diverse cultural and ethnic groups, with people whose first language is not English
- Accurate record keeping and note taking
Desirable
- Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, verbal and written
- Flexible approach to working hours
Additional information:
Support from Experts by Experience Employment Network
Refugee Radio is a member of the Experts by Experience Employment initiative so candidates with lived experience for our jobs can receive support with reviewing covering letters, CVs, and interview preparation, subject to its volunteers’ availability. Please directly share your draft application through this form to get some feedback and support for your application, or get in touch with the network via info@ebeemployment.org.uk. More information and resources are available at https://www.ebeemployment.org.uk/ebe