2 Engagement support worker jobs in Belfast

The Worker Support Centre (WSC) is a Scotland based charity. We partner with people who have come to the UK to work on visas or temporary contracts in social care and seasonal agriculture. We provide advice to secure their rights, end exploitation, build collective power and drive lasting change together. Alongside other organisations and decision-makers we’re building a movement of people who welcome all workers, working towards a world where we are all safe, valued and respected at work – no matter our job or nationality.

WSC operates a worker-driven structure that places migrant workers at the centre of our governance and decision-making. We deliver casework alongside worker-led organising and policy advocacy, supporting migrant workers in seasonal agriculture and social care to meet basic needs and to understand and exercise their rights, including through our Worker Power programme, which builds solidarity between workers and within communities.

About the role

This role is focussed on advancing the rights of care workers at work by supporting WSC’s casework and peer engagement work. The role includes actively supporting people working in social care whose right to work in the UK depends on sponsored visas by providing individual 1:1 casework support and facilitating collective action through worker education and worker power sessions.

The successful candidate will support WSC meet its core objectives: to work together with workers to claim spaces for power and representation in decision making; to build the field of knowledge about workers and their experiences to influence policy; to ensure people’s basic needs are met by supporting them with problems in the workplace and beyond; and to help workers to understand their rights and to gather evidence that can be used to enforce the law.

A key part of the role involves supporting social care workers whose sponsor’s license has been revoked by providing accurate information, impartial advice, guidance, supporting re-employment, as well as providing tailored advocacy and support to prevent displacement at the very outset by engaging with relevant Local Authority Commissioners and Health and Social Care Partnerships.

In addition to this, the successful candidate will be tasked with supporting the establishment and operation of a helpline for social care workers.  Working alongside the Peer Engagement Lead, the successful candidate will develop and establish a Displaced Workers’ Assembly, which aims to provide peer support, information, skills development, connection and community for social care workers whose sponsor’s license has been revoked.  

WSC strives to achieve representation of individuals with lived experience of the issues on which we work at all levels of our organisation and actively promotes applications from individuals with experience of the issues on which we work. For this role we would especially welcome applications from individuals with experience of working in the health and social care sector.  

Please note, a Basic Disclosure Check is required for this role.

Main tasks and responsibilities

Peer engagement and outreach

· Support and engage with outreach and engagement to workers in social care, alongside the peer engagement team.

· Conduct social engagement and outreach activities in person and remotely.

· Contribute to the development of WSC’s programme of activities to build worker solidarity.

· Contribute to and translate information for communication with workers on their rights and entitlements and to support WSC Worker Power work.

· Liaise with community and civil society organisations to build strong community networks.

Casework

· Provide high-quality casework support around employment rights, displacement and the No Recourse to Public Funds provision

· Monitor, triage, and respond to email, phone and message enquiries from workers.

· Staff the social care helpline, ensuring timelines for responding to enquiries are met and support to individuals is provided in line with internal processes.

· Liaise with external services, including health and social care partnerships, job centres, other advice services and lawyers on legal advice sessions and signpost workers to access such advice.

· Support workers to navigate support and advice from external agencies;

· Record worker information using Advice Pro case management software.

· Establish connections with local employability, ethical recruitment agencies or other support services to ensure workers are connected with opportunities to reduce risk of destitution and increase chances of employability.

Participation

· Support the establishment of a Workers’ Assembly for care workers on visas that have been impacted by displacement.

· Support participatory analysis workshops with workers to jointly analyse concerns articulated in order to establish expected employment standards for health and social care workers.

· Actively support workers to engage in advocacy, including by providing worker-centred briefings on advocacy processes and meetings, ensuring meaningful participation and leadership by workers.

· Engage with workers via social media and other online tools, through clear communications outputs.

General

· Support the whole organisation goal to integrate workers in all our work at all levels of the organisation.

· Ensure effective monitoring, evaluation and learning of our work including contributing to organisational processes.