Suffolk Refugee Support

Job Description

Part-time Advice Worker- Drop-in Service (2 days) / Resettlement Programme (2 days)

28hrs per week

Fixed term contract untilMarch2019 with a strong possibility of continuation.

Reports to:Advice Service Managerand the Resettlement Programme Coordinator

Salary: £24,598 per annum(pro rata from 37 hrs p/w)

Automatic enrolment in NEST pension scheme if eligible (employee / employer contribution).

Context and Purpose of the Job

Suffolk Refugee Support has built an excellent track record over nearly 20 years as the lead agency in Suffolk providing support and advice to asylum seekers and refugees living here.

This Advice Worker post will comprise working two days a week within the drop-in Advice Service and two days a week within the Resettlement Programme (with some flexibility as needed).

Drop-in Advice Service Component:

Suffolk Refugee Support’s drop-in AdviceService provides help to any asylum seeker or refugee from its Ipswich town centre offices. The service provides a supportive environment where clients can gain access to help, advice, support and practical services to rebuild their lives and become contributing members of UK society. We work with partner agencies and community services to support individuals and families with all aspects of integration including benefits, housing, healthcare, English classes and other training, meaningful engagement and cultural orientation.

The post-holder will provide the first point of assistance to all clients accessing the drop-in Advice Service. Their role is to ensure that all those attempting to access the service receive the appropriate help and assistance, either directly, via volunteers, or by signposting to other agencies.

Resettlement Programme Component:

Alongside asylum seekers housed here and refugees moving here for work, the county’s leaders have agreed to resettle up to 230 refugees from Syria, the Middle East and North Africa. This is part of the Vulnerable Persons Resettlement / and the Middle East & North Africa Vulnerable Children’s Schemes, funded by the Home Office from 2015-20.

The post-holder will be responsible for supporting clients under the above resettlement programmes with a focus on the transition into our mainstream services as they enter their second year in the UK. They will be responsible for helping clients to move from the scheme’s accommodation into independent accommodation.

Due to the work rota for the existing Advice Worker teams, the post-holder is required to work from our Ipswich office on Tuesdays to Fridays (with some flexibility). They will also be required to visit external agencies and homes of clients when necessary on these days.

The Advice Worker reports directly to the Advice Service Manager (2 days per week) and the Resettlement Programme Coordinator (2 days per week).

An Enhanced DBS check will be required for this post(paid for by Suffolk Refugee Support.)

Main Duties and Responsibilities

  • To welcome asylum seekers and refugees (clients) attending the SRS Advice Service and arriving as part of the Resettlement schemes.
  • To assess clients’ needs and toproposeactions to the client to address these needs (eg. writing letters or emails and/or making telephone calls). To carry out these actions with them.
  • To direct clients to other services provided by Suffolk Refugee Support and / or external agencies (making appointments where appropriate).
  • To advise clients about all aspects of living in the UK and to ensure they understand their rights and responsibilities under UK law.
  • To work to achieve agreed outcomes which will bring about positive changes in our clients’ lives.
  • To proactively lead on securing the families longer term accommodation, such as accessing the private rental market or social housing.
  • To manage the transition of allocated families from intensive support to independence by empowering people to understand the systems and develop the skills required to live well in the UK.
  • To assist clients to become ready for employment and to move away from reliance on benefits.
  • To promote independence on the part of the clients and actively empower them to help themselves according to their individual abilities.
  • To attend appointments with clients for benefits, housing, employment, health care, education and others to ensure they understand these fully and services meet their needs appropriately.
  • To present occasional information workshops to clients.
  • To record services given and outcomes achievedoninternal monitoring systems and to maintain the filing system in line with data protection regulations.

Additional Duties

  • To represent the views and experiences of SRS’s clients at external meetings and advisory boards.
  • To liaise with and support volunteers assisting clients in the office.
  • To deal with telephone requests for information and act as the initial point of contact for clients, statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations and the general public.
  • To help with the development & administration of written information produced by SRS for our clients’ benefit.
  • To compile reports in reference to our funders’ outcomes and targets.
  • To attend and contribute to team meetings, training, induction courses, conferences and meetings of Suffolk Refugee Support.

Personal Development

With the support of the Managers, the post-holder must effectively manage their own workload, assessing their priorities in terms of the balance between the reactive workload and the medium and long-term plans and projects. Work-time opportunities for appropriate training will be given to the post-holder.

Flexibility

In order to deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties, however, will fall within the scope of the job, at the appropriate skills and responsibility level. This job description will therefore be subject to periodic review with the post-holder to ensure it accurately reflects the duties of the job.

Equal Opportunities Statement

As part of its recruitment policy, Suffolk Refugee Support intends to ensure that no prospective or actual employee is discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, gender, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, class, disability, age, religious belief or political persuasion, or is disadvantaged by any condition or requirement that is not demonstrably justifiable.

Person Specification

Job Title:P/t Advice Worker – Drop-in Service/ Resettlement programme

Reports to:Advice Service Manager / Resettlement Programme Coordinator

Essential Criteria Relating to Main Areas of Work

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Essential / Desirable / Assessment Method
Degree Qualification in Social Work, Psychology, International Development (or other relevant area) or at least two yearsexperience of support work with marginalised people. / Essential / Application Form
Experience of helping vulnerable people to access UK benefits and to manage finances. / Essential / Interview/
Application Form
Knowledge and experience of housing options for people on low incomes. / Essential / Interview/
Application Form
Experience of helping people to become job(s) ready and to apply for work. / Essential / Interview/
Application Form
Ability to listen to people with complex problems and to address their problems with compassion, patience and empathy. / Essential / Interview/ Application Form
Good communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly both in the written and spoken form to a variety of audiences including people whose first language is not English. / Essential / Interview/ Application Form
Proactive approach to work with strong problem solving skills as well as the ability to multitask, prioritise, communicate effectively and manage time well. / Essential / Interview/
Application Form
Ability to remain calm under pressure and to work in a busy public facing environment. / Essential / Interview/ Application Form
A commitment to equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice. / Essential / Interview/ Application Form
Strong administrative skills including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and using the internet and email. / Essential / Interview/ Application Form
An understanding of the needs and entitlements of asylum seekers and refugees coupled with some understanding of the asylum process/legislation in the UK. / Desirable / Interview/
Application Form
Experience of working within a multicultural team. / Desirable / Interview/ Application Form
Clean driver’s license and occasional access to a car / Desirable / Application Form
Fluency in spoken Arabic (although not essential) would be a significant advantage in this position. / Desirable / Application Form

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