Young Roots

Who we are

We have supported over 8,000 young refugees and asylum seekers since we started in 2004.

We support young refugees to improve their lives and reach their potential.

We build lasting links between young refugees and their communities.

We create opportunities for education, life skills, advocacy, advice, fun and friendship.

What we do

Young Roots works primarily in London to provide support and activities for young refugees and asylum seekers.

Our vision is of a world in which all young refugees and asylum seekers can realise their rights and fulfil their potential.

Our mission is to improve the wellbeing and life chances of young refugees and asylum seekers.

Our ambition is to be respected and known for our innovative and participatory approach to young refugees’ and migrants’ self-advocacy and learning.

Projects in London

Young Roots delivers youth activities, English language learning and a casework services working with young refugees and asylum seekers each year.  We have a strong ethos of youth participation believing young people are central to shaping the services and activities we currently offer as well as those we develop in the future. We work in partnership with other respected organisations when we can and strive for quality in all that we do.

Our culture and values

Our values are at the heart of everything we do. These are:

• Integrity – we act courageously and independently in the best interests of young people, as determined by them, and are transparent and accountable for our actions.

• Openness – we are adaptable and open to change. We are curious, reflect on our impact, and are keen to learn how to do things better.

• Kindness & compassion – we prioritise kindness and compassion, to build supportive relationships and promote wellbeing. We focus on supporting the wellbeing of our staff and volunteers.

• Inclusivity – we believe we have an important role to play in addressing societal inequities. We value the benefits of diversity and we strive to be inclusive. This affects all aspects of our work, including our work with young people, our team and our wider strategy.

• Empowerment – we believe in the unique strengths of each member of staff and each individual young person. We trust our team to act autonomously and transfer power to young people to build their autonomy, independence and agency.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Young Roots recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who can face disadvantage in employment, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. As an organisation that supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, we particularly welcome applications from people within these communities.

We offer a guaranteed interview for those with lived experience of the asylum system and those with disabilities, where they meet the essential elements of the person specification. If aspects of the application process create barriers to you applying and you’d like any adjustment to the process or you’d like an informal discussion or advice on your application, please get in touch at [email protected].

 We would also like to alert you to the existence of organisations which supporting people from under-represented groups to access employment, who can advise you on applying for this role. For example, Scope, Young Women’s Trust and Experts by Experience. Young Roots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We operate a system of safer recruitment and employment is subject to receipt of satisfactory references, pre-employment checks and a DBS check.

Further details of the support packages we provide can be found here: Job Vacancies with Young Roots — Young Roots