Job Title:Immigration Advisor

Team:Immigration

Reports To:Immigration Services Manager

Contract: Fixed-Term Contract – 3 Months

Background

Cardinal Basil Hume founded the Centre in 1986; we offer a diverse range of services for homeless young people, families in need and the local community on one site. The Centre enables people to gain the skills and support they need to overcome poverty and homelessness.

We have a person-focused approach which encourages us to recognise that each human being is different with complex needs and so our response needs to be multi-layered. Therefore we offer six principle service packages: residential services for homeless young people; family services for children and families; housing, welfare rights and money management advice; employment support; learning and skills (English, IT and Adult Learning); and immigration advice and advocacy.

The Centre takes the Benedictine ethos of our founder seriously, ensuring that we offer a non-judgmental welcome and a stable and safe environment for people in need to seek help and support.

With an annual income in the region of £2.3 million, there are currently 54 staff members. In addition, the Centre benefits from the generous and diverse contribution of volunteers; there are currently some 130 active volunteers.

The Centre provides immigration advice alongside representation at appeal for those who cannot afford legal assistance. Our service is free to our clients and is aimed particularly at those who suffer from poverty and homelessness in South Westminster, but also more widely where access to services is restricted. We are not reliant on legal aid for our funding.

Key Purpose

To work effectively as a member of the Centre staff team and specifically in order:

  • To provide confidential level 2 and 3 advice and representation to the Centre’s clients.
  • To provide information, advice and In-House Training on Level One to the other members of the Centre staff team and appropriate organisations.
  • To complete the above in line with the Centre’s agreed values and aims and in accordance with agreed policies and procedures.
  • To work to OISC and SQM accreditation standards.
  • To provide volunteer /work placement opportunities to those wanting to explore immigration work as a future career
  • The Centre is registered by the Office of Immigration Services Commission and work to their code of practice.

Key Tasks

  • To be a point of contact within the Centre for all queries and questions relating to Immigration Advice and to offer support and guidance to both clients and staff.
  • To provide tailor made advice to individual clients with regard to their immigration status.
  • To provide representation for clients at appeals before the First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tribunal (IAC)
  • To work closely with other teams, sharing information and knowledge in order to provide an integrated support package to the client and participating in case conferences in order to review outcome plans and look at emerging needs, actively involving the client at all stages of this process
  • To work in partnership with clients to assist them in problem solving and in engaging them in a process, to help them make informed choices about their future direction.
  • To be aware of changes in approach, policy and thinking relating to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants and promote understanding of the reasons whypeople seek sanctuary or migrateand to share key information across the Centre.
  • To analyse outcomes against agreed standards and produce statistical information for management purposes.
  • To input information on the client database in order to enable clients to gain timely access to support and legal services.

General

  • Participation in monthly supervision meetings and an annual appraisal with your line manager
  • Compliance with the Centre’s policies as contained in the staff handbook and taking part in Centre wide activities as required.
  • Undertaking training identified as beneficial and in agreement with your line manager
  • Delivering core work flexibly and undertaking other duties as required including working occasional anti-social hours including evenings and weekends for which TOIL will be available.

Person Specification:

Essential

  • Experience of providing advice and assistance under the Legal Help and Controlled Legal Representation Scheme.
  • Experience of representing clients at appeal at the FTT (IAC) and UT (IAC)/Experience of Judicial Review
  • Up-to-date knowledge of UK Asylum and Immigration Law/procedures and an understanding of legislation that has an impact on migrants living and working in the UK.
  • Accredited to work to OISC level 3.
  • A working knowledge of Separated Children and the role of Social Services within the Children Act 2004.
  • Proven track record of providing quality casework and representation.
  • Ability to deliver a legal advice/representation service alongside colleagues providing very different but complementary services to vulnerable/homeless client group
  • Knowledge and understanding of equal opportunities and cultural diversity in the context of providing advice.
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • Commitment to and good knowledge of safeguarding procedures.
  • Good interpersonal skills and the ability to motivate vulnerable people.

Desirable

  • NVQ Level 3 in Advice and Guidance
  • SRA accreditation to level 2.
  • Knowledge of other languages in addition to English is an advantage.
  • Any other legal qualifications are an advantage.
  • Good knowledge of the welfare benefits system.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

Salary: £31,235 p.a.

Hours:35 working hours per week delivered flexibly over a 40 hour week

Holidays: 24 days, rising to 26 after one year’s service, and 28 after two years’ service (pro rata for fixed term and part time)

Pension: The Centre provides an auto-enrolment pension scheme and the Pension Provider is Legal & General. You will be automatically enrolled on this scheme from the date you commence employment at the Centre. The Centre will match employee contributions to the scheme up to a maximum of 6%. You can choose to opt out of the scheme and details of this process are provided by the pension provider.

A Season Ticket Loan is available

The Centre requires all its staff and volunteers to respect the ethos of the Centre and to be in sympathy with its aims and objectives. A commitment to respecting and implementing the Centre’s Equal Opportunity Policy is also expected.

The Centre requires its staff to recognise the valuable role that volunteers play in the work of the Centre and to welcome and support volunteers with whom they work.

The Centre requires all its staff and volunteers to undertake an enhanced DBS police check.

Our Founding Ethos

The Centre takes the Benedictine ethos of our founder seriously, ensuring that we offer a non-judgemental welcome and a stable and safe environment for people in need to seek help and support.

“Each person matters; no human life is redundant. Every individual must be given the opportunity to live a life in which his or her basic needs are provided for and in which, so far as is reasonably possible, their full potential is realized.”

Cardinal Basil Hume OSB

Our Vision

The Centre strives towards a society where every individual will have a safe place to live and where their right to develop is respected and supported.

Our Mission: Turning Lives Around

The Cardinal Hume Centre enables people to gain the skills and support they need to overcome poverty and homelessness.

Our Values

Integrity: we strive to be true to our founding ethos and to living out our vision and mission; we are accountable to all our stakeholders.

Respect: we seek to be non-judgemental, to listen, and acknowledge each other’s worth and to put people at the centre of our work.

Inclusiveness:we promote equality of access to our services and support each client to access the same life opportunities as everyone else.

Compassion: we will demonstrate our care for each individual who comes to the Centre in the quality and consistency of the services we offer to them.

Empowerment: we will provide holistic support to our clients in helping them to identify their needs and in making informed choices about their lives

Collaboration: we will work together with others who share our values, seeking partnerships to augment and complement our service offer.

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