Area Lead (multiple locations)

Area Lead (Multiple- locations)

This is an exciting opportunity to volunteer as part of a team to support the vital work of the UK Field Operations at Care4Calais, responding to the various needs of the hundreds of refugees we support through the difficult process of claiming asylum in the UK. We are currently seeking Leads in the following areas, Essex, Buckingham, Bedfordshire, Scotland, Reading, Central London, West London, North London, Gatwick, North East England, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and Manchester.

As an Area Lead, you will act as a point of contact between non lead volunteers and the Care4Calais UK Operations team. Working mainly via Facebook/Whatsapp groups, Google Drive, and Zoom, your primary function is to motivate, inspire and support volunteers to take actions. These actions include distributions of essential aid to asylum seekers, joining in and organising social activities, and befriending and supporting asylum seekers to access key services. You will be available to answer questions and provide support to volunteers, and to drive the group forward to achieve maximum impact and effectiveness. You will be provided with full training including Induction, Safeguarding, Distribution, Boundaries, and develop skills in volunteer management, fundraising, advocacy, and a deeper understanding of the UK Immigration process. These skills have led to many volunteers obtaining paid roles in the sector.

In addition, you will represent Care4Calais in your region and support the team to identify and develop local partnerships. You will acquire an in-depth understanding of Care4Calais policies and procedures and ensure they are adhered to for all local operations. You will also be responsible for keeping the UK operations team informed of activities in your area, as well as feeding back to your group any UK-wide information and updates, promoting strong communication, best practice sharing and rapid action.

Responsibilities 

• Attend induction, ongoing training and keep up to date with resources and procedure to ensure you can carry out the role effectively and efficiently.

• Able to work independently and manage your time effectively

• Supporting asylum seekers with a range of tasks including onwards referrals, signposting, emotional support

• Attend regular team meetings and contribute effectively 

• Following safeguarding procedures and reporting safeguarding incidents appropriately 

• Maintaining communication with the management team throughout your role, available for regular check-ins to ensure the best service is provided to our clients.

• Liaising with other professionals including local services and Migrant Help

Person Specification

• Organised and accurate with information, with an eye for detail. 

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate with people who do not have English as their first language, working alongside interpreters to ensure clients understand the process

• An understanding of the traumatic experiences that our clients have been through and the emotional resilience to cope with this

• Ability to be a self starter and motivate others, solution focussed and able to work off ones initiative.

• Dedicated to justice and the rights of refugees and asylum seekers, and a commitment to Care4Calais’s values

• Professional and dedicated to ensure that the best interests of the clients and Care4Calais are represented at all time

• Ability to use spreadsheets, Google Workspace, messaging platforms and secure databases.

Desirable Criteria:

Care4Calais is dedicated to cultivating a diverse and inclusive work environment and recognises that this is invaluable to our ability to serve the communities we support. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds including from Black, Asian and Minority-Ethnic communities, people from refugee and migrant backgrounds, and people with lived experience of the UK immigration system. 

• Proficiency in one or more of the languages spoken within asylum seeking communities, such as but not limited to: Arabic, Farsi, Pashto, Dari, Kurdish Sorani, Tigrinya, Amharic.