Caseworker

Come and work with Medical Justice, a small and dynamic team that builds on casework to produce research that is used to challenge systemic failures in healthcare provision in immigration detention. We expose medical mistreatment in detention and strive for lasting change for all detained people through policy work, strategic litigation, media coverage and parliamentary action.

We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience –

Support from Experts by Experience Employment Network 

Medical Justice is a member of the initiative so candidates with lived experience for our jobs can receive its support with reviewing covering letters, CVs, and interview preparation, as well as give encouraging and constructive feedback to applicants during and after the application process, subject to its volunteers’ availability.

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 an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please follow the link in the application pack to request support and they will confirm if they can match you with a mentor to support your application.

- see the Application Pack for more details.

Main duties and responsibilities

1. Gather available information about a detained person whose case has been referred to Medical Justice

2. Assess the detained person’s needs and the relevant Medical Justice resources available that could assist them

3. Raise any immediate concerns about your client appropriately within Medical Justice and beyond

4. Prioritise referrals (in collaboration with the Casework Manager and the rest of the casework team)

5. Agree a plan of action with the Casework Manager to ensure as many resources as appropriate are marshalled to assist the detained person regarding:

a. Collating of existing medical evidence regarding the detained person and generating new medical evidence, including medico-legal reports (MLRs) and professional letters produced as a result of Medical Justice clinicians’ assessments in detention and/or remotely at your request

b. Challenging any inadequate healthcare provision

c. Facilitating access to good legal representation to challenge detention and to make the best use of the medical evidence we provide, and establish any availability of Legal Aid Agency funding for MLRs and interpreters

d. Facilitating access to appropriate support including accommodation and access to healthcare on release from detention

6. Obtain relevant consent from detained clients

7. Gather further required information needed about a detained client, including medical records, files held by the Home Office, and the detained client’s legal documents

8. Carry out various other actions agreed by the Casework Manager to implement the above plan. This may include:

a. Arranging medical visits to detainees

b. Liaising with healthcare providers in the immigration removal centre (IRC) 

c. Liaising with detained clients

d. Finding appropriate legal representation for a client

e. Signposting or making referrals to other organisations

9. Provide information to the Office Manager for booking medical visits and interpreters

10. Continually update the  case-management system

11. With support from the Casework Manager and Clinical Advisor/clinical reviewers, ensure medical evidence generated is accurate and aligned with instructions from any legal representative and Medical Justice guidance

12. Continually feedback to the staff team any intelligence regarding immigration detention conditions

13. Assist the Casework Manager to provide a monthly report for Trustees on the number of referrals, outcomes and Medical Justice clinicians engaged, noting any areas of concern

14. Collaborate with other staff and partner organisations in activities to secure lasting change including litigation, research, policy work and media work. This could include identification of cases, assisting in getting consent from detained clients, and contributing to briefings and witness statements

15. Where required, attend other meetings and events as agreed with the Casework Manager, including Trustee meetings and events with partner organisations.

16. Assist in other Medical Justice activities, including clinician and interpreter training .

17. Respect and comply with Medical Justice's policies and procedure, including clients’ confidentiality, equality and diversity, health and safety, and vulnerable adults.

General

18. To work flexibly as a member of the team and the organisation and undertake other reasonable duties and responsibilities at the request of the Casework Manager.

19. To assist the smooth running of the organisation, working with other Medical Justice staff, and the Trustees to meets its overall objectives, including participation in periodic performance and training reviews, and contribute to organisational development. Also, attending and assisting with relevant events as appropriate.

20. To promote Medical Justice policies including our anti-discrimination policies.

21. To be self servicing, pro-actively share relevant information and expertise within the organisation and keep all records, statistics and information in accordance with Medical Justice policy and practice.

For more information about Medical Justice, this role, the Person Specification, Guidance notes for completing the application form, and the application form, please download the application pack