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About Care4Calais and the Legal Access Department
Care4Calais is a volunteer-based charity providing essential aid and support for refugees in France and the UK.
In northern France we operate year-round from Calais, working alongside communities in Calais and Dunkirk to provide warm clothing, bedding and service provision to displaced people who live in difficult and dangerous conditions.
Across the UK we collect and distribute clothes, shoes, mobile phones and other essential items, as well as providing psycho social support and interaction, including language lessons, sport and music workshops. We also help with vital access to medical and educational services.
Our Legal Access Department is an access to justice project that exists to support people seeking asylum in the UK by facilitating access to legal representation and offering holistic support to people throughout the asylum process. The department, made up mostly of specially trained volunteers, works tirelessly to ensure that people feel informed, empowered, and far less isolated and alone. We conduct one-to-one, complex casework for people seeking asylum for a variety of matters, over the years we have supported thousands of people to secure legal representation. Our current casework channels include securing legal representation and support for people’s asylum claims, challenges to unsuitable accommodation and potential removal from the UK (for example under the current UK-France ‘One in One out’ deal), and support for young people in their age dispute matters. Our teams work remotely across the UK. The Department seeks to adapt and amend our services based on the needs of the communities that we work with.
About the role
The aim of the role is to support and inspire volunteer teams to undertake the individual one-to-one casework and support that lies at the heart of what the Legal Access Department does, furthering access to justice for people seeking asylum and refugees. The Casework Manager will be responsible for the casework conducted by our Asylum Team, which focuses on securing legal representation for our client's asylum claims and offering holistic support through the difficulties of the asylum process. Casework managers will use their experience and understanding of the UK asylum system and conducting complex casework to guide their teams, working collaboratively with each other and the Head of Department to respond with agility to a fast-moving policy environment.
Responsibilities
Volunteer Management
- Lead existing team(s) of volunteers to undertake their specified roles as agreed with the Head of Department
- Conduct quarterly 1:1s with volunteers to give and receive feedback, reaffirm commitments, review caseloads, support with more complex cases, and ensure volunteer wellbeing. Escalate any issues and/or concerns to the Head of Department where necessary.
- Motivate and engage volunteers, taking into account the remote nature of the roles, collaborating with other Casework Managers.
- Facilitate regular team meetings and/or virtual drop ins for volunteers to ensure continued engagement and space to raise issues or concerns.
- Support volunteer caseworkers undertaking their roles, providing advice on casework and stepping in to support clients where required. Provide casework cover when volunteer caseworkers are otherwise unavailable.
- Supervise the casework conducted to ensure that volunteer caseworkers adhere to casework procedures so that every client receives the same level of service. Where volunteers may struggle to adhere to procedures ensure that concerns are identified and raised in a timely manner to reach an appropriate solution.
- Support volunteers to raise safeguarding / protection concerns through the appropriate channels. Escalate concerns where necessary. Support volunteer caseworkers through debriefs.
- Recruit, train and onboard new volunteers with the support of the Head of Department as required.
- Manage own, limited, complex caseload of clients where required to support the volunteer casework team.
Casework Management
- Oversee the appropriate collection and management of confidential client information and data, ensuring that volunteers adhere to organisational policy at all times.
- Keep team procedure documentation up to date, implementing changes where required to keep pace with the ever-changing policy environment. Work with the Head of Department to proactively adapt the casework services provided to suit the needs of the communities we work with.
- Work with the Head of Department to proactively identify systemic issues seen regionally and/or nationally and influence the direction of the Department. Contribute to evidence gathering and furthering strategic litigation cases supported or undertaken by the Department.
- Report on team progress to the Head of Department via pre-arranged channels and format.
- Attend relevant external meetings representing the organisation as needed, ensuring that knowledge and learning is shared across the department.
- Build and maintain robust understanding of the policy landscape impacting people seeking asylum in the UK, identify and attend external training opportunities, ensure that any learning is passed on to other staff and volunteers across the organisation.
- Build and maintain relationships with key partners and stakeholders, including, but not limited to local authorities, legal teams, and other NGOs focused on support of people seeking asylum.
- Attend and contribute meaningfully to team meetings
Person specification
- In-depth understanding of the UK asylum system
- Dedication to social justice with a clear understanding of the challenges faced by vulnerable populations, or a willingness to learn about these
- Ability to work sensitively with a diverse range of people, demonstrating cultural competence, respect and compassion
- Able to build positive relationships with a range of stakeholders including those from displaced communities, legal teams, and other charities
- Clear leadership ability, with the capability to act with initiative and drive
- An understanding of the volunteer experience including potential challenges volunteers may face
- Self-motivated and used to managing multiple priorities to meet deadlines
- Collaborative team member with excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong digital literacy, including ability to work on Google Workspace and Office 365
- Resilience in the face of challenging and emotionally demanding situations, with a positive and solution-oriented mindset
Whilst not essential, we welcome applications from people with the following skills
12. 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 or Amharic
13. Experience leading and managing volunteer teams from varied backgrounds
Application process
Please apply via CharityJob and submit your CV and a letter of interest. In this, please outline your interest in the role and how you meet the criteria set out in the ‘person specification’. Please include any skills, relevant experience and examples of how you exemplify each point. We recognise that skills and experience come from more than just employment history and encourage anyone who meets most of the specification for this role to apply, even where this experience comes from outside traditional employment structures. If you are interested in applying but do not have all the experience necessary, we encourage you to contact us at admin [@] care4calais .org to set up an informal chat with our staff. We can discuss why you would like to apply for the role and what skills or experiences you have which could be relevant.
The recruitment process will include two interview stages which will both be conducted online. We will be reviewing applications as they arrive and reserve the right to close the advert before the closing date. Care4Calais receives a very high volume of applications for roles we advertise and therefore we are unfortunately unable to offer feedback to applicants who are not successful in securing an interview. We do, however, thank you for your interest and taking the time to apply for this role.
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 work with. 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 or EU immigration systems.
We are a proud member of the Experts by Experience Employment Network (EBE), which aims to create a charitable sector led by individuals with lived experience of the asylum system.
As part of our membership, we are dedicated to creating inclusive employment practices that recognise and accommodate the unique circumstances and strengths of people with lived experience. We actively move away from a one-size-fits-all approach, ensuring our recruitment processes are fair, supportive, and accessible.
We warmly encourage applicants with lived experience to make use of the guidance and resources available on the EBE website (ebeemployment). In addition, applicants with lived experience are welcome to connect with the EBE support team for tailored assistance with completing the application form and, where available, one-to-one interview preparation.
Importantly, we recognise the significant cultural, linguistic, and experiential insights that individuals with lived experience of the UK asylum system bring to this role. As such, all applicants from this background who meet the essential criteria will be automatically shortlisted and invited to interview. If you are a candidate with lived experience, please let us know in your application. We respect that people’s identity is not defined by their past experiences and will not expect candidates to describe their lived experience at interview unless they wish to do so.
If you have any questions about this or need additional support with the application process for any reason, please contact us at admin [@] care4calais .org
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
- 30 hours/week (0.8FTE)
- £35,000p.a. pro rata (actual salary £28,378.38) plus 6% pension contribution
- Remote
Rape Crisis England & Wales (RCEW) is the national campaigns and membership body for a network of independent, community-based Rape Crisis Centres working to end child sexual abuse, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment and all other forms of sexual violence.
The 24/7 Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Line is a national service led by Rape Crisis England & Wales and funded by the Ministry of Justice.
We are looking for a thoughtful and committed *professional who can combine strong safeguarding knowledge with a collaborative approach to quality assurance and service improvement.
Job Summary
The Support Line Safeguarding & Quality Assurance Coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day quality control, safeguarding oversight, and assurance of the 24/7 Support Line. Acting as the Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for the service, the postholder will provide oversight and assurance of safeguarding practices, complaints, and quality issues are managed appropriately, consistently, and in line with organisational policies, procedures and statutory requirements.
The role is responsible for coordinating and delivering a proactive quality assurance programme that assesses practice, monitors compliance with policies and procedures, identifies areas for learning and development, and supports continuous service improvement. Through audits, case reviews, and quality monitoring activities, the postholder will identify themes, risks, and opportunities to strengthen practice and improve service delivery.
The Support Line Safeguarding & Quality Assurance Coordinator will be experienced in customer service, safeguarding, and quality assurance, including responding to complaints and concerns, with the ability to communicate appropriately and sensitively with a range of stakeholders, including complainants, survivors, delivery partners, and colleagues. They will have a strong understanding of sexual violence, safeguarding responsibilities, and the wide-ranging impacts on survivors and those supporting them.
*This role is restricted to applicants who are female. This is a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) in accordance with Schedule 9, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010.
Due to the nature of the role, the post holder will be required to provide direct support to women and children who have experienced sexual violence and abuse. The role involves working in women-only spaces and delivering trauma-informed services where privacy, dignity, and the ability to build trust with service users are essential.
We consider that being female is an occupational requirement for this role, and that applying this requirement is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim, namely the provision of safe, appropriate, and effective support services to survivors.
This requirement has been carefully considered in line with equality legislation and is applied only where it is necessary for the effective delivery of the service.
Key Responsibilities
Safeguarding and Quality Assurance
- Act as the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) for the national 24/7 Support Line, providing safeguarding oversight, guidance, and decision-making across all delivery partners.
- Lead and coordinate safeguarding and quality assurance activity across partner organisations to ensure services are delivered safely, consistently, and in line with organisational standards, contractual requirements, legislation, and best practice.
- Identify, assess, manage, and appropriately escalate safeguarding concerns relating to adults and children, ensuring concerns are recorded and responded to in accordance with safeguarding procedures and statutory guidance.
- Oversee and undertake safeguarding audits, case reviews, complaint investigations, and quality assurance activities to monitor compliance and identify areas for improvement.
- Monitor safeguarding, complaints, and quality assurance trends across the service, identifying themes, risks, learning opportunities, and recommendations for continuous improvement.
- Ensure safeguarding records, referrals, investigations, and quality assurance documentation are maintained accurately, confidentially, and in line with data protection and information governance requirements.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with delivery partners, commissioners, safeguarding agencies, and other stakeholders to support collaborative service delivery and safeguarding responses.
- Contribute to the development and delivery of safeguarding and quality assurance training, guidance, and resources, working in partnership with 24/7 Support Line Managers to promote a culture of accountability, continuous learning, reflective practice, and ongoing service improvement.
Complaints, Feedback and Quality Control
- Act as the first point of contact for complaints relating to the 24/7 Support Line, ensuring responses are managed sensitively, appropriately, and within agreed timescales.
- Investigate complaints and service concerns in collaboration with delivery partners, establishing findings and making recommendations for resolution and service improvement.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of complaints, feedback, investigations, outcomes, and actions taken.
- Work with delivery partners to ensure consistent collection and review of service user feedback across the Support Line.
- Analyse concerns, risks, themes, and patterns identified through complaints, feedback, safeguarding activity, and quality assurance processes, taking responsibility for driving improvements, promoting learning, and working collaboratively with Support Line Managers to strengthen practice and enhance service quality.
- Coordinate and oversee Quality assurance activities, including call and chat monitoring, case reviews, and feedback processes, ensuring consistent application across all partners.
Data, Reporting and Insight
- Work collaboratively with the Data and Impact Coordinator to review and analyse service data, outcomes, complaints, safeguarding concerns, and quality assurance findings.
- Produce reports, summaries, and actionable insights for the Support Line Operations Manager, commissioners, or funders as required.
- Identify trends, recurring themes, and development needs across the partnership, supporting improvements to training, guidance, policies, and operational practice.
- Support the monitoring of service quality, safeguarding performance, and compliance against agreed standards and contractual requirements.
Service Improvement
- Ensure learning from safeguarding activity, complaints, feedback, and quality assurance informs continuous service improvement and operational development.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues and delivery partners on service improvement initiatives, including accessibility, consistency, and service user experience.
- Contribute to the development of processes and systems that strengthen quality, safeguarding practice, and partnership working across the national Support Line.
Synergy with the wider work of RCEW
- Participate in team meetings, cross-organisational projects, and wider organisational activities as required.
- Maintain effective communication and collaborative working relationships with colleagues across the organisation and partner network.
- Keep up to date with relevant legislation, safeguarding guidance, sector developments, and wider organisational priorities relevant to the role.
This list is indicative only, not exhaustive. It is intended to reflect a range of duties the post-holder will be expected to perform but additional duties commensurate with the role may be required. The job description will be reviewed from time to time and may change in light of experience and changing circumstances, in consultation with the post-holder. We ask all employees to uphold our organisational values, support our mission and purpose, and to maintain respectful and collaborative relationships with colleagues at all levels of the organisation.
Person Specification*
- Experience of working to improve support services, ideally within a quality assurance, safeguarding, customer service, helpline, or support service environment.
- Experience acting as a Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO), safeguarding lead, or in a similar role with responsibility for safeguarding oversight and decision-making, or a willingness to undertake relevant DSO training.
- Experience of handling complaints, concerns, or service issues effectively and sensitively.
- Excellent knowledge of safeguarding practice, including the ability to recognise, assess, and respond appropriately to a range of safeguarding concerns relating to adults and children.
- Experience using data, feedback, and performance information to identify trends, monitor service quality, support decision-making, and drive continuous improvement.
- Experience of assessing practice, identifying learning opportunities, and supporting service and practice development.
- Strong understanding of how helpline or support services operate, including service user needs, operational challenges, and quality standards for call and chat handling.
- Knowledge of best practice in complaints handling, safeguarding, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
- Awareness of accessibility requirements and inclusive practice, with the ability to support services that are accessible to diverse user groups.
- Strong customer service skills, with the ability to communicate sensitively, professionally, and appropriately with complainants, survivors, colleagues, and stakeholders.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to investigate concerns, assess information objectively, identify themes and trends, and make clear recommendations.
- Good organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain accurate records.
- Experience of coordinating quality assurance activities, audits, service reviews, or improvement initiatives.
- Experience working within the sexual violence, violence against women and girls (VAWG), safeguarding, or wider support sector.
- Experience of working with multiple partner organisations or external stakeholders.
- Knowledge of trauma-informed practice and survivor-centred approaches.
Personal Attributes
- A passion for making a difference and for delivering high quality support services for survivors of sexual violence.
- Able to think critically and assess information objectively.
- Able to see the big picture, to see the connections between complaints, feedback and QA insights and how the service is delivered.
Success in the role of Support Line Safeguarding & Quality Assurance Coordinator is determined by the ability to work collaboratively with delivery partners and stakeholders to ensure safe, high-quality, and consistent service delivery across the national 24/7 Support Line. The role will ensure that safeguarding, complaints, feedback, and quality assurance activity informs continuous improvement and supports positive outcomes for service users. Key measures of success include:
- Complaints, safeguarding concerns, and quality issues are managed effectively, appropriately, and within agreed timescales and organisational procedures.
- Quality assurance and safeguarding oversight processes are implemented consistently across all delivery partners.
- Feedback collection and engagement processes remain effective, with feedback collection rates maintained above agreed targets.
- Trends, risks, learning, and insights from safeguarding, complaints, feedback, and quality assurance activity are regularly analysed and used to inform service improvement and operational practice.
- Regular, accurate, and data-informed reports are provided to the Support Line Operations Manager or funders as required.
- Positive working relationships are maintained with delivery partners, colleagues, and external stakeholders to support safe and effective service delivery.
How to Apply
To apply, please submit a CV and a covering letter (no more than two pages) explaining why you are interested in this role and how your experience meets the person specification.
Eligibility
Applicants must have the right to work in the UK. Evidence of this will be required prior to appointment.
Additional Information
Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications. We therefore encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.
Due to the volume of applications received, only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.

