Advocacy Caseworker Jobs in Basildon, Essex
Victim Support are looking for an Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Practitioner to join the team in Staffordshire working 37.5 hours per week. This role is home based and will require regular travel across Lichfield, Tamworth and Burton Upon Trent.
Are you looking for a new challenge? Do you have experience of working with and advocating for victims of Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) - or would you like to work in this area?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you…
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
You will be support victims of ASB, working with a multitude of partners across all local authority areas to ensure their expectations of services are clear and their personal needs are met. You will work with both adults and young people & work closely with partners. Ultimately, you will help them cope, recover and move forward from their experiences.
You will provide high quality support to all victims of Anti-Social Behaviour managing a caseload and offering support over the telephone and in person, including home visits. You will assess the victims needs and provide emotional support, advocacy and practical help.
You will also mentor and be responsible for volunteers who will assist you with your caseload and support lower risk victims.
You will work closely with the local Council(s) ASB team and environmental health department, police, housing and other agencies to achieve positive outcomes for victims, as well as a wide variety of people including people with additional vulnerabilities and repeat victims.
You will need to work well in a multi-agency environment, be dynamic, organised and flexible in how you work and support our clients.
Please see attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support strives to represent the diverse communities we serve and are passionate about creating an environment where all staff and volunteers feel respected and heard. Being a diverse organisation with an inclusive culture is integral to us being able to meet our aim of ensuring that anyone who is a victim of crime gets the support they need.
As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we particularly welcome applicants from Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. VS is also a Disability Confident Employer and we provide a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for candidates that are disabled and meet all essential criteria for a role.
If you have a disability, a learning difficulty such as dyslexia or a medical condition which you believe may affect your performance during any aspect of our selection process, we'll be happy to make reasonable adjustments to enable you to perform at your best.
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria.
We look forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
Do you want the unique opportunity to work in a fast-paced service, delivering exceptional support to families bereaved by and witness to homicide; coordinating a tailored package of support to service users and their families?
Would you enjoy working closely with Police Major Crime teams providing briefings on the work we do in the Homicide Service (HS)?
If yes, then we'd love to hear from you; we have an exciting opportunity for a Homicide Family Caseworker to join our team, you will be based in Thames Valley working 37.5 hours a week. The team you will be joining within HS covers London and South Central.
What we offer:
At Victim Support we believe in attracting & retaining the best people and offer a competitive rewards & benefits package including:
- Flexible working options including hybrid working
- 28 days annual leave plus Bank Holidays, rising to 33 days plus Bank Holidays
- An extra day off for your birthday
- Pension with 5% employer contribution
- Enhanced sick pay allowances, maternity & paternity payments
- High Street, retail, holiday, entertainment & leisure discounts
- Access to our financial wellbeing hub & salary deducted finance
- Employee assistance programme & wellbeing support
- Ongoing training & support with opportunities for career development & progression
About the role:
You will be joining a passionate and committed team who provide high quality and bespoke support to service users. We pride ourselves on exceptional trauma informed advocacy and support to all service users.
You will be driven to make a difference every day with the ability to focus on the needs of vulnerable service users. You will have resilience and adaptability; understand the importance of professional boundaries; have excellent listening skills and the ability to demonstrate empathy. You will enjoy the challenge of a busy caseload and will be able to demonstrate the excellent organisation skills essential to managing a demanding and diverse workload.
Once in post you will benefit from the mandatory comprehensive training programme which will build on your existing skills and experience to prepare you for the role. Homicide Service training includes, criminal justice process; trauma informed approach to support; supporting traumatically bereaved families; personal and professional resilience.
As a fully trained Homicide Family Caseworker you will be responsible for managing your own complex caseload to the highest quality standards. You will need to be able to travel to home visits within, and occasionally outside of area, and therefore a driving license and use of a car are essential. You will be reimbursed for all travel costs.
Please read carefully the attached Job Description and Person Specification for further details, this is essential for your application.
About Us:
Victim Support (VS) is an independent charity providing a range of specialist services to people who have been affected by crime across England and Wales. We work towards a world where there are fewer victims but who have stronger rights, better support and a real influence in the Criminal Justice System. Everyone at VS is driven by our Vision Ambitions and Values to play their part in making a difference for those who experience crime and traumatic events. Working for VS gives you the opportunity to play a key role in a national charity providing high quality services to victims and witnesses and being a vital force for change.
Victim Support are committed to recruiting with care and to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Background checks and Disclosed Barring Service checks may be required.
Victim Support is committed to supporting and promoting equality and diversity and to creating an inclusive working environment. We believe having a diverse workforce at all levels allows us to represent the communities we serve and connect better with people affected by crime. We believe this can be achieved through attracting, developing and retaining a diverse range of staff from many different backgrounds. We therefore welcome applicants from all communities and monitor the diversity of applicants to analyse if we are representative of the communities we serve in terms of sex, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, trans identity, relationship status, religion or belief, caring responsibilities, age and socio-economic status. As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we would particularly welcome applicants from BAME communities
How to apply:
To apply for this role please follow the link below to the Jobs page on our website, and complete the application form demonstrating how you meet the essential shortlisting criteria. Please give examples where appropriate, and show your aptitude for post. Please ensure you answer each shortlisting criteria including the need to drive and have your own mode of transport.
We looking forward to hearing from you.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early, if we receive enough suitable applications to take forward to interview prior to the published closing date.
About us:
The Refugee and Migrant Forum of Essex and London (RAMFEL) is one of the largest immigration and asylum advice charities in the UK, supporting refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants to access justice. An OISC level 3 accredited organisation, we represent clients at all stages of the immigration and asylum process, up to and including the Upper Tribunal of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
We also actively campaign for a fairer and more humane immigration system. RAMFEL caseworkers therefore have the opportunity to work on systemic and strategic challenges and support broader advocacy work.
We particularly welcome and encourage applications from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic individuals, and those who are migrants or refugees, and who have lived experience of the impact of UK immigration policy and/or of rough sleeping.
Purpose of the role:
The purpose of the role is to assist some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The focus of the legal work is on non-legal aid funded matters, supporting people who otherwise have no access to legal advice and support. There will be particular focus on working with people who are facing a crisis, providing legal representation and support that will take them out of destitution.
This is a vacant position being filled as a replacement. The role gives an opportunity to assist some of the most vulnerable people in our society. The focus of the role is on supporting people who otherwise have no access to legal advice and support.
We will primarily consider applications with relevant legal experience. Qualifications needed are OISC level 2/3 or Solicitor with IAAS accreditation.
Relationships: This post will report to the Rough Sleeping Casework Manager
Contract duration: Fixed term until 31 March 2025
Hours of work: The role is primarily a full-time position, requiring 37.5 hours per week. However, for the right candidate, we may consider accommodating part-time working hours. Given the nature of RAMFEL’s work, there may be instances where the Supervisor will need to exceed the standard hours. In such cases, compensatory time off can be arranged with the line manager
Specific Responsibilities
Case management
- Manage own caseload, working to advance the best interests of the client
- Adhere to standards set out by OISC/SRA and AQS to deliver high-quality advice
- Provide representation and advice up to OISC level 2/3.
- Engage with the Line Manager to create and follow a training plan to ensure compliance with OISC CPD, keeping up to date with changes in law, policy and guidance to ensure clients receive accurate and high-quality advice
- Liaise directly with the UKVI and related governmental agencies
- Complete forms, letters and immigration applications
- Liaise with and refer clients to Legal Aid Solicitors or other advisers, as appropriate
- Manage clients’ expectations by discussing deadlines, outcomes and timing
- Deliver legal advice outreach surgeries/drop in as and when required
- Progress cases in a timely manner in line with regulatory requirements.
- Implement organisational priorities into day-to-day casework.
Person Specification
Education/qualifications
- Ideally candidates must be Solicitors with IAAS Level 2 with at least 1-year immigration experience or OISC level 2/3 qualified
- If OISC level 1, the candidate will be expected to initially work under supervision completing level 2 work and qualifying at level 2 within 6 months. (Training is provided and study leave is accommodated.) Upon obtaining a higher level of accreditation, the candidate’s salary will increase in line with RAMFEL pay scales.
- IAAS level 2 caseworkers (non-solicitor) will be considered but if appointed must be prepared to work under supervision and qualify at level 1 within 6 months. (Training is provided and study leave is accommodated) Upon obtaining a higher level of accreditation, the candidate’s salary will increase in line with RAMFEL pay scales.
Experience/knowledge
- Experience in providing high-quality advice and representation to clients
- A good understanding of law and policy as it relates to immigration and asylum
- Experience in professional, independent, and impartial service delivery to the public
- Experience in maintaining a caseload of cases in line with OISC requirements in relation to the conduct of cases, file management and supervision
- Knowledge of and empathy with the backgrounds and experiences of asylum seekers, rough sleepers and vulnerable migrants
- Experience in using client databases
- Experience working with interpreters supporting clients with complex matters
Application process
We will only be shortlisting candidates who have submitted a CV and a cover letter explaining why they are applying for the role.
The interview consists of an interview, followed by a written exercise (45 min).
Interviews will take place during the week beginning 20th May 2024.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.