Asylum Jobs

Are you highly organised, resourceful, and passionate about making a difference? The Baobab Centre is seeking an Operations and Admin Assistant to support our vital work with young asylum seekers and refugees.

In this varied role, you’ll work closely with the Operations Manager and admin team to ensure the smooth running of our Centre by managing administrative tasks, assisting with IT and communications, and supporting operations and fundraising initiatives. You’ll also play a part in amplifying the voices of our community through social media and helping with community engagement activites.

If you’re a motivated individual with strong administrative and IT skills, a commitment to human rights, and an interest in supporting vulnerable young people, we’d love to hear from you.

This role is for 3 days per week depending on your preference. Working on Wednesdays is essential to provide reception cover.

ABOUT US:

The Baobab Centre is a non-residential therapeutic community that supports young asylum seekers and refugees who have experienced human rights abuses and have sought asylum in the UK as unaccompanied minors. Our two focus areas are rehabilitation and justice.

Please read the additional information below alongside the full Job Description and Person Specification attached.

Mental Health:  All of the young people Baobab supports suffer significant mental health and developmental difficulties and many function in an unstable and more immature way than their chronological age. Due to their experiences it takes time to gain trust from the young people in our community. As a core member of our team, you will understand the impact of specific human rights abuses on the development of children and young people in exile and their individual experiences of loss, trauma and grief on their mental health and well-being. 

Baobab’s Model: Please read the accompanying ‘Baobab Clinical Context and Model’ document for a detailed introduction. It often takes a significant amount of time to understand Baobab’s model of working, which aims for rehabilitation and justice through attending to both the internal and external world of each young. It is important that you strive to have an insight to the experiences of both the internal and external factors impacting on the lives of unaccompanied young people attending our centre. It is also important that you understand the ways in which UK society and policy impacts on young asylum seekers (including invisibility, marginalisation, discrimination, and the fact of waiting in uncertainty for a long time).

Multi-disciplinary Working: Baobab aims to be a reflective, thinking organisation and we place a high value on shared thinking time, sharing responsibilities and working together with others. A key aspect of the role is communicating and working in a holistic way.

At Young Roots, we want to see a compassionate and welcoming society for young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. We work alongside young people seeking safety in the UK, building trusted relationships, providing practical and emotional support and promoting young people’s rights and power. 

Our youth clubs and casework are transformative for young refugees, allowing young people who have fled danger, had traumatic journies and who are often here alone, to find community and connection, have a space to be a young person and access support in addressing a whole range of practical challenges they face. We also draw on our evidence from working every day with young refugees and asylum seekers to call for change to the laws and policies which are harming young people. 

In this important role you will support our Head of Finance to ensure that the finances of Young Roots are managed effectively and efficiently. Responsible for the day to day processing of financial transactions, while ensuring compliance with Young Root’s  policies and procedures, you will ensure that staff and trustees have accurate information to monitor our income and expenditure.   

Please see the job pack for full details. 

The Boaz Trust is a Manchester-based charity that started 20 years ago as an outworking of the founder's Christian faith. Last year we provided trauma-informed and person-centred housing and support for more than 200 people facing homelessness after seeking safety in the UK through our floating support and 17 properties that we manage.

This new role is a key part of our strategy to increase our capacity to provide accommodation for more people in the Greater Manchester area working in partnership with GMCA and a range of local and national stakeholders. You will report directly to the CEO and Board and be part of the Senior Leadership Team building on our unique experience of providing both housing-focused and floating support for people who have recently been granted refugee status, as well as those who have been refused asylum and who are facing homelessness.

In the current climate, this work is needed more than ever. We are therefore looking for an experienced and dynamic leader to develop our accommodation services. The ideal candidate will have experience / knowledge of;

• procuring and managing accommodation services (including shared housing)
• social housing standards, regulations and other relevant housing legislation
• project, contract or budgetary management
• managing a team of staff and contractors 
• building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, to increase impact and sustainability. 

We are looking for someone with ambition and drive to build on our experience and reputation as well as getting involved in the day-to-day delivery of housing management in a small team.

This is a great opportunity for someone who wants to use their experience to make a big difference to the lives of hundreds of people and to shape the future direction and strategy of the organisation.

The successful candidate will need to be supportive of the Christian ethos and values of the charity. However, diversity, equity and inclusion are also important to us at Boaz Trust so we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.

For a full Job Description and Person Specification as well as more details about the role and the organisation download our 'recruitment pack'. 

Come and join ASAP’s dynamic, small and friendly team!

We are recruiting a Women’s Legal Advisor. This interesting and diverse role sits both within ASAP’s legal and policy teams and involves provision of legal advice, representation at the asylum support tribunal, delivery of training and influencing work with the Home Office.

Key information:

• Permanent contract, following a six months’ probation
• Full-time post (but we will consider requests for working 28 hours a week)
• Hybrid working, so based 2 days a week in our offices in East London
• Salary £41,220 p.a or pro rata equivalent (includes ILW) and other benefits
• Application deadline is 11:59pm on Sunday 1st December 2024 with interviews in London on Monday 9th December 2024

The Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) is a small national charity which was set up in 2004 to reduce destitution by protecting people's legal rights to food and shelter. We have a team of 12 permanent staff members and 45 volunteer solicitors and barristers. 

ASAP delivers three strands of work:

• High-quality legal representation at the Asylum Support Tribunal, for people appealing against Home Office decisions to refuse or withdraw their accommodation and financial support.

• Training, an advice line and online forum to support hundreds of frontline organisations, advice agencies and legal practitioners across the UK who are helping people apply for financial support or accommodation.

• We use our strong evidence base to improve government policies and procedures on asylum support through policy work and strategic litigation.

The Women’s Legal Advisor works across the three strands of ASAP’s work to promote and protect the rights of women within the asylum support system. It is a varied and interesting role spanning legal representation at the Asylum Support Tribunal (AST), the provision of advice on ASAP’s Advice Line, the delivery of training, and influencing work with the Home Office. The post is currently focused on access to support for those experiencing domestic abuse however, the future focus of this project will be one of the first priorities for the new post holder, after induction.

A strong interest and commitment to upholding the rights of women is essential, as is an understanding of the barriers and difficulties that women seeking asylum face. You will work closely and collaboratively with colleagues internally, providing advice and support on issues impacting women in the asylum system. You will work with partner organisations externally, pursuing asylum support policy improvements for women and supporting advice workers to assist women to access housing and financial support. The role is part of ASAP’s policy team as well as our legal team (staff members providing legal representation at the AST and via our advice line). The Head of Legal provides legal supervision to the role, and assistance with legal accuracy of training materials. 

We positively encourage applicants with lived experience of seeking asylum and/or asylum support. You do not have to tell us about your experiences as part of the recruitment process if you do not want to. If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network.

Come and join our small, supportive team!

About The Role

We are recruiting a Lead Youth Worker to lead the delivery of a programme of high-quality youth work targeted at Asylum-seeking and refugee young people, including open access, small group work and related 1:1 support.

This role will also include liaising and working in close partnership with a range of sector colleagues, both in operational delivery and opportunities for partnership growth such as developing a program for the recruitment of volunteers.

About Us

Creative Youth Network is an award-winning charity with a mission to enable young people to reach their potential, no matter what their background or circumstances. Operating across Bristol and South Gloucestershire, we offer a range of services ranging from our 10 local youth clubs, to targeted support for young people with specific needs, work within schools (in particular for young people at risk of disengaging from education), and an exciting range of creative courses, programmes and activities, including early career support for young people embarking on careers in the creative sector. Our services are rated “Outstanding” by the National Youth Agency.

The Benefits

• 33 days annual leave (inc. bank holidays) per year pro rata
• Excellent family friendly policies
• A generous pension scheme
• A cycle to work scheme
• Paid breaks
• Fantastic development opportunities
• Employee Assistance Program
• Virtual GP consultation and medical advice service

Next Steps

A full Job Description, Job Pack and Application Form are available below. To apply please visit our website..

In accordance with our Safer Recruitment Policy, we are unable to accept CV's and ask that you complete the application form instead.

This role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check.

Equity, diversity and inclusion

Creative Youth Network is committed to inclusivity, equality, and equity. We pride ourselves on giving opportunities to people of all walks of life and all class backgrounds. This includes people who identify as D/deaf, disabled or neurodivergent, LGBTQIA+, are early in their careers or come from groups who experience racial inequality.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented, including people from Global Majority backgrounds (often referred to as BAME – Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic).

As an employer we are committed to promoting and protecting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our staff.

Do you have what it takes to engage, inspire and enable thousands of students across the UK, to take action to welcome refugees to the UK?

STAR is looking for an enthusiastic and energetic individual with great communication skills and experience of running a student society or similar. You will work with the Student Network Manager to provide support to STAR group leaders based at universities and colleges across the country, helping them to set up and run their groups, organise engaging events, coordinate creative campaign actions and keep them up-to-date with what’s happening across the network and in UK asylum policy. You’ll also be involved in organising national events and training.

Do you want to make a real difference and gain a huge variety of experience, including campaigning, volunteer management, communications and events organising? Then this is perfect role for you.

STAR is committed to operating as an equal opportunities organisation.  We particularly welcome and encourage applications from people with refugee backgrounds. 

The closing date for applications is Friday 29th November at 9am 

NB: To apply, please head to our wesbite and complete the application form attached and return it to us. For more details, see the job description. 

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Background information about Student Action for Refugees:

Student Action for Refugees is the national network of students building a society where refugees and asylum seekers are welcomed and can thrive. Set up by students at the University of Nottingham in 1994, we are an inclusive network with UK students, students from refugee backgrounds and international students working together to make change. 

We are a membership charity and the members are STAR student union society groups. A small staff team train and support the network and lead on national projects, campaign and advocacy work.

People who arrive in the UK after fleeing war and persecution face many challenges in both claiming their right to asylum and in building new lives. Challenges that result from a hostile policy environment, negative public attitudes, unhelpful media narrative, a lack of access to services and barriers to higher education. 

Our network of STAR student societies and activists is creating a more understanding, just and welcoming society. We do this by: providing practical support and connecting communities through local and national volunteering activities; improving access to university; campaigning for policy change; learning and sharing information about asylum and the lived experience of refugees to shift the narrative. 

Impact: Last year, our network of STAR student groups spanned 39 universities and were run by 213 student leaders. We supported 741 refugees and people seeking asylum in 30 community projects and hosted 345 events to train & inform people about asylum and community projects and hosted 345 events to train & inform people about asylum and refugees

Together we:

● Campaigned for the right to work for asylum seekers, an end to immigration detention, improved refugee family reunion rights and improved access to university and more. 

● Volunteered in partnership with 21 local charities recruiting 323 STAR student volunteers for 30 projects supporting 741 refugees – providing academic support for volunteers for 30 projects supporting 741 refugees – providing academic support for children, English conversation clubs, sports clubs, fun community events and more.

● Organised events, providing a platform for experts by experience, academics, activists and organisations, to inform about asylum and the experiences of refugees.

● Supported universities with scholarship development, 289 activists to campaign for Equal Access at their institutions, and we provided information and advice to prospective students and university staff.

This is a unique opportunity to join a local charity that ‘punches above its weight’ in relation to raising awareness and empowering young refugees and asylum seekers in Kent. We are looking for a professional and passionate fundraiser to play a leading role in building relationships with new trusts and foundations, individual and family philanthropists, and corporate partners. As well as a proven record in fundraising, the successful candidate must have a commitment to supporting young refugees and asylum seekers. The candidate will be self motivated and have the ability to work independently as well as in a team.

1 year Fixed Term/Secondment Opportunity.

The role:

Hackney has a longstanding reputation of being open and welcoming to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers - both as a Council and a community. The London Borough of Hackney is committed to ensuring people arriving in Hackney feel welcome and safe, and can access the support that is available.

Currently 800 people are seeking asylum in Hackney, and Welcome Hackney provides access to timely and effective support while they await the outcome of their claim. Hackney has also welcomed over 400 Ukrainians to the borough since 2022, as well as a number of Afghan families through the UK’s resettlement schemes.

This role sits within the Welcome Hackney (Refugee, Migrant and Asylum Seeker) Service. They provide direct support and casework to refugees, migrants and/or asylum seekers in Hackney, using a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach. 

Support is focused on creating a welcoming environment for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in Hackney, by offering support through: 

• Information advice and guidance
• Casework and advocacy 
• Integration support
• Partnership working

Specialisms in a particular area, such as housing, domestic abuse, mental health etc, are welcomed. 

Skills & experience:

• Experience working with refugees, migrants and/or asylum seekers, and an understanding of the challenges faced
• Working with safeguarding systems and processes, and recognising risk
• Use advocacy skills to speak on behalf of refugees, migrants or asylum seekers, ensuring an understanding of their goals and speaking only to those goals, without adding personal interpretation
• Ability to deliver in a person-centred manner, using trauma-informed practice, and ensuring an anti-racist approach
• Keep clear and detailed records, work with a number of partners, and build strong relationships with both internal and external stakeholders, managers, commissioners and staff.

About us: 

Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs. It’s one of the most sought after areas to live in London with good schools, parks and local amenities, as well as great transport links and vibrant and diverse communities.

We are passionate about diversity and want our workforce to reflect our community and encourage all those who possess the essential criteria to apply to work for Hackney.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

The recruitment process is anonymous. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs.

When applying, there will be a number of questions relating to the post on the application form. It is essential that you complete the application questions, responding to each using examples of your skills, knowledge and experience

Key Accountabilities:

There is no better place to work in London than Hackney; we have great pride in our borough, our communities, and our services. Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs. It’s one of the most sought after areas to live in London with good schools, parks and local amenities, as well as great transport links and vibrant and diverse communities.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

The recruitment process is anonymous. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CVs.

When applying, there will be a number of questions relating to the post on the application form. It is essential that you complete the application questions, responding to each using examples of your skills, knowledge and experience. 

We will not accept applications where Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been used to assist with completing the competency questions or any part of the application form.

This application process replaces a supporting statement.

Closing date for applications: 24 November 2024 (22:59).

Interview date: 11,12,13 December  2024.

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is an international Catholic organisation, founded in 1980 with a shared global mission to accompany, serve and advocate alongside and for the rights of refugees and forcibly displaced people. Our work is based on hospitality, carried out in a spirit of compassion and solidarity, encouraging participation and community, aiming to kindle hope, secure justice and affirm the dignity of refugees and forced migrants. Based in the Hurtado Jesuit Centre in Wapping, East London, JRS UK supports refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and works in wider collaboration with JRS offices around the world.

We employ 29 full-time and part-time staff and have around 100 volunteers, from a wide variety of backgrounds, nationalities, and generations; people of all faiths and none; including refugees, young graduates, and vowed members of religious congregations. In order to deliver our work, JRS UK generates around £1.8m in income each year, a substantial percentage of which is generously donated each year by Jesuits in Britain.

After nine years of successfully growing and developing JRS UK, our Director Sarah Teather is stepping down to pursue new projects. Under Sarah’s inspiring leadership, JRS UK has been on a transformational journey to mature as an organisation, now delivering a range of services including providing advice, support and hardship grants, outreach services and advice, including legal advice. Much remains to be done in serving the people we exist to support, and we seek a new Director to take over from Sarah.

Our new Director will, in collaboration with the Management Board, staff and stakeholders, build on developments of recent years and develop JRS UK’s strategic vision in response to changes in the external refugee and asylum-seeker environment, and be capable of reaching out beyond the current polarised debate to build mutual understanding. 

We are looking for an expert leader and manager who brings knowledge and experience of the refugee sector. You will be participative in style, approachable, and committed to the JRS UK mission of walking alongside refugees. It may be that you already operate in a CEO role or similar, or that you are looking to transition into your first executive director role, while bringing transferable leadership experience.

You will be joining an exceptional organisation and will lead a dedicated team of staff and volunteers. JRS UK is rooted in Church teaching but is open to people of all faiths – and none – and people who work for us are proud of the multifaith team and approach. While you will need to demonstrate sympathy and respect for Catholic Social Teaching, we welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds and beliefs.

To download a full copy of the candidate brief and learn more about the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button, where you will be redirected to the website of our recruitment partner, Tall Roots. If you would like an informal discussion about the role, please contact Tall Roots via their website.

Please note: this is an overview and not the full job description.

The Advice Service Manager is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Advice Service and for managing and developing the team of Advice Workers, including the Senior Advice Worker who leads on delivery.

The service operates predominantly from our Ipswich office, but the Advice Service Manager is also responsible for organising outreach services for asylum seekers and refugees elsewhere in Suffolk. Along with the Senior Advice Worker, they provide expert guidance to the team, as well as to other professionals working with refugees and asylum seekers.

The Advice Service Manager is part of the Management Team and plays a role in overseeing the function of the organisation and its strategic development, especially in relation to SRS’s Advice Service. They are also responsible for developing the Advice Service according to client/organisational needs and strategy.

The successful applicant will be required to have an enhanced DBS check to be carried out upon commencement of employment. You must be eligible to work in the UK.

Oversee on a day to day basis the work or Leicester City of Sanctuary.  Play a pivotal part in welcoming asylum seekers and refugees in and around Leicester, and support them to rebuild their lives, develop their skills and feel part of the community.

Following receipt of a 5-year National Lottery grant, we are looking for someone to take on leadership of our small staff team and brilliant volunteers as we continue to welcome asylum seekers and refugees in and around Leicester.

The ideal candidate will have experience of strategic oversight and delivery of services within the charity sector and of managing a team. We are looking for someone with personal commitment to our work and the people we do it with.

This post is full-time - salary £30-33k (depending on experience)

Please see job description and person specification for more detail.More information also available on our website. 

To apply : eFollow instructions in the Job Description.

For more information on the role or to discuss your suitability please contact Chair of Trustees 

We are looig for a new Chief Officer at Rainbow Haven

What is Rainbow Haven? 

We are a small, well-respected and busy charity based in East Manchester. For over 20 years Rainbow Haven has provided a place of welcome, support and opportunity for asylum-seekers, refugees and other migrants.Putting diversity and inclusion at the heart of everything we do, people with lived experience of migration are centrally involved, as service users, volunteers, staff members and trustees.From its flagship information, advice and advocacy services to a range of wellbeing activities and classes, Rainbow Haven is there to support and empower people seeking to establish new lives in Manchester. 

About the role: 

Reporting directly to the Trustee Board, the Chief Officer will:

·Provide leadership, strategic and operational oversight of Rainbow Haven.

·(with the Trustee Board) Ensure the long-term financial sustainability of Rainbow Haven.

·Develop and oversee the delivery of high quality services in response to changing external and internal pressures. 

·Ensure appropriate support for an experienced and committed staff team.

·Maintain effective partnerships and develop new partnerships across statutory and voluntary sectors to enhance the range, volume and quality of the services Rainbow Haven can offer. 

About the person:

You will have proven experience of: 

·Strategic organisational and financial development, oversight, reporting and evaluation. 

·Developing and sustaining collaborative external relationships with funders and service delivery partners. 

·Financial planning and fundraising. 

·Overseeing delivery of front-line services.

·Supporting experienced and committed teams of staff and volunteers. 

On our wish list:

·You’ll share Rainbow Haven’s ethos, values and commitment to our vision.

·You’ll have a proven ability to manage competing priorities and pressures. 

·You’ll be well-organised, creative and flexible with a problem-solving approach.

·You’ll be a good listener, respectful of staff expertise and experience and responsive to their support and development needs. 

·You’ll be a strong communicator and collaborator, whether engaging with colleagues, volunteers, service users or service delivery partners.

·You’ll have a positive, proactive attitude – you’ll understand the needs, challenges and opportunities of working in a small, fast-moving organisation. 

This is a fantastic new opportunity to lead an established charity doing invaluable grassroots work with marginalised people that directly impacts their lives for the better. 

See the attached document for details on how to apply.

Do not hesitate to let us know if you have specific requirements or need support to apply in an alternative format.

Closing date: 5pm Monday 25th November 2024

This is an exciting opportunity to lead ASSIST Sheffield’s experienced and diverse volunteer teams and staff in delivering high-quality housing and accommodation provision to people who are experiencing destitution as a result of being refused asylum in the UK. The post holder will join a small leadership team, collectively holding responsibility for the work of the organisation.

This post will also lead the expansion and development of ASSIST’s accommodation portfolio, including income-generating activities such as the provision of safe and secure housing to people with refugee status.

You will be joining the charity in an exciting period as we are embarking on setting ASSIST's new five year strategy in a collaborative process that your role will directly feed into and will be guided by input from our service users.

You will be managing or delivering housing projects and services, including identifying and procuring suitable properties, and be familiar with relevant standards and regulations. 

You centre the wellbeing of people seeking sanctuary in the UK in your work and are committed to anti-oppressive practices and to the values of solidarity and respect which underpin ASSIST’s work. 

As an excellent communicator, you will be forging positive relationships with colleagues, external partners and supporters.  You are ready to hold responsibility within the organisation confidently and transparently. 

ASSIST Sheffield is a well-established charity which has supported people who have been made destitute following the refusal of their asylum claims for 21 years. With over 140 volunteers and a staff team of 12, this is a dynamic and exciting working environment.

If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you!

ASSIST particularly welcomes applications from people with lived experience of the asylum system, or people who experience marginalisation, minoritisation or who are often excluded from decision-making roles. For example, people of colour; people from working class backgrounds; people from LGBTQ and migrant communities; care experienced young people; and disabled people.

An offer of employment is subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.

We are looking for an experienced Immigration and Public Law Solicitor to join our team in London. RLS has experienced tremendous growth in the past 3 years, including the award of an Immigration and a Public Law Legal Aid Contracts. As we go from strength to strength, we strive to become further embedded in the communities we work with and to keep fighting individual and collective injustices. 

The successful candidate will provide supervision and assist with the management of our developing and expanding UK casework teams, whilst working on a small targeted caseload of their own, and overseeing regulatory compliance. This includes acting as the LAA supervisor role for our legal aid contracts; both Immigration and Asylum, and Public Law. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who wants to work in a collaborative environment with colleagues who share the same commitment to advancing migrant justice.

The Casework Supervisor role is for an experienced solicitor who wants to work in a dynamic and innovative legal organisation which prioritises staff wellbeing and high quality client care. People with lived experience of migration are strongly encouraged to apply.

Job purpose and responsibilities

The central objectives of this post are:

1. Supervision of Immigration and Public Law Casework: Working with the Legal Director to supervise the Immigration and Public Law casework provided by RLS in the UK through legal aid and other funding arrangements; and ensuring full compliance with relevant regulatory frameworks.

2. Team Management and Supervision: Working closely with the Legal Director to help lead  and manage RLS casework teams in the UK and internationally, to help ensure the delivery of high-quality casework that meets project goals and objectives; and the development of high-quality legal information materials and other legal resources.

3. Contract and Regulatory Compliance Management: This includes responsibility for the management and delivery of: 

(i) RLS's Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contracts, including maintaining Specialist Quality Mark (SQM) standards, financial compliance and ensuring Peer Review standards are met:

(ii)  LAA billing processes for both controlled and licensed work

(iii) OISC and SRA compliance

1. Personal Casework: Have personal conduct of a limited but strategic caseload, contributing to the overall objectives of RLS.

2. Strategic Litigation Development: Collaborate with the RLS Legal Director to identify emerging trends and issues in immigration and asylum law, and develop strategic litigation aligned with RLS’s mission.

3. Sector Support and Development: Provide second-tier support to other immigration advice organisations, leveraging RLS's expertise to enhance sector capacity.

4. Legal Aid and Pro Bono: To contribute to development and improvement of procedures and protocols for our innovative legal services which aim to combine multiple funding sources to sustainably contribute to addressing the increasing shortfall in the legal representation available for the people RLS works with. 

General duties:

• Supervision of RLS legal casework in the Immigration & Asylum and Public Law category to the highest standards

• Maintain such financial records and financial information as may be required by inter alia the LAA

• Conduct file reviews as per RLS’s Independent File Review procedure, OISC and SQM requirements

• Together with the RLS Legal Director, identify developing immigration and asylum law issues / themes and develop strategic litigation in line with RLS’s mission

• Ensure LAA contract quality and financial compliance, including responsibility for oversight of LAA billing (both controlled and licenced work)

• To act as RLS’s Quality Representative; and as result: 

• Be responsible for ensuring caseworkers and casework procedures are up to date and compliant with the SQM requirements

• Act as point of contact with the LAA; and 

• Overseeing any actions arising out of LAA audits, reviews or visits.

• To fully comply with and ensure that all casework teams and processes are also fully compliant with OISC (and SRA) standards of regulation, professional conduct and ethics at all times.

• Work collaboratively and supervise pro bono volunteer lawyers.

Team work

• Work effectively with other RLS legal and non-legal staff and contribute to broader organisational initiatives and those involving legal information and community legal support in particular

• Attend and contribute to regular and incidental team meetings and discussions

• Maintain and develop excellent relationships with frontline agencies and grassroots groups to enable effective joint working

• Attend training internally and externally as agreed with the Legal Director and maintain and make available to RLS, a record of all training undertaken and CPD points obtained

• Deliver training for colleagues or externally as and when required

• Undertake other duties which may be regarded within the nature of the post, in discussion with the Legal Director.
   

Who we are looking for 

RLS relies on the energy, skills and enthusiasm of people who share our vision and are drawn to striving together for change. If you share our values, ethos and objectives, and feel like you can contribute to RLS strategically and practically, we would love to hear from you. 

Person specification - essential requirements

• Be a solicitor qualified in England & Wales with around 3-5 years of experience (or more) as an immigration caseworker, paralegal or solicitor within a legal aid environment

• Be IAAS accredited and hold an up to date accreditation (senior caseworker and supervising senior caseworker  level)

• Have immigration casework and supervision experience sufficient to meet  the relevant Legal Aid Supervisor standards as specified in the 2024 standard civil contract here and eligible immediately to satisfy the LAA Supervisor Standard for both Immigration and Asylum, and Public Law

• A comprehensive understanding of all relevant regulatory and quality standards, including SRA, SQM, LAA Immigration Specification, OISC Code of Standards, and Peer Review Process Document Criteria

• A dynamic and innovative self-starter

• A highly organised individual

• Fluent in English

• A strong commitment to upholding the human rights of people who migrate and people at risk; and access to justice and empowerment through the delivery of high-quality, client-focused legal services

• The successful candidate will be required to obtain an enhanced DBS certificate (we cover the cost). However, a criminal record is not necessarily a barrier to recruitment but should be disclosed on application

• Have the right to work in the UK

• Experience and understanding of pro bono legal projects.

Person specification - desirable requirements

• Lived experience of migration systems

• Experience of management and development of casework teams with diverse experience levels, ensuring the delivery of compliant, high-quality casework

• Skilled in delivering training both internally and externally, with a focus on fostering development-oriented and ambitious casework teams

• Knowledge of languages other than English

• Experience in community legal advice and information projects

• Experience working in OISC regulated environments with a legal aid contract

• Experience of working with volunteers

• Experience in implementing corrective actions from regulatory or quality audits, reviews, or visits.