Immigration Casework Volunteer Roles in Greater London

Role: Youth casework volunteer 

Team: Casework 

Supervised by: Youth caseworker 

Location: Tooting Hub on a Wednesday afternoon (13:30-16:00pm or 18:30-21:00pm) 

Time commitment: 2.5 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months 

About CARAS: 

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community. 

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation, we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips, and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support. 

Our values are at the centre of all our work: 

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests. 

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society. 

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes. 

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do. 

About CARAS Casework: 

CARAS works with adults and young people of a refugee and asylum seeker background to find solutions to their problems. There are two separate sub-teams within the Casework team; young people and adults. We support young people to navigate the asylum system, understand their rights and entitlements, access education, connect with services and realise their goals. We are a non-specialist casework and advocacy service, so we work in close partnership with other local organisations to whom we refer people with more complex issues. 

Using the empowerment model, our casework service embodies CARAS’ values of ‘with not for’, always striving to ensure people are armed with the information and resources they need to make decisions and take action for themselves. 

About the Role: 

We are currently recruiting 3 volunteers to join our Youth Casework team. 

The purpose of the Youth Casework volunteer role is to support young people with a refugee or asylum-seeking background to understand their rights, access information and services, and ultimately, take control of their own lives. You will work with individuals to address problems they may face relating to, among other issues, asylum support, accessing healthcare and education, access to legal advice and finding activities and opportunities. 

You will start from an understanding that individuals are always best placed to solve their own problems, and often need nothing more than to talk out a problem and find the solution themselves. When helpful, you will provide information to clarify and support to take action. 

The Youth Casework team hold a support session at our community space in Tooting Hub on Wednesday afternoons from 13:30-16:00pm and evenings from 18:00-21:00pm. Volunteer caseworkers have 1:1 appointments, either in person or by phone, with CARAS members. These can be related to a range of topics. Currently, our biggest areas of work are around social care, the National Transfer Scheme, access to college, nursery/school places for children, referrals to mental health providers, searches, and signposting to activities, finding solicitors and supporting people to apply for bus passes and ID cards. Volunteers also support administrative tasks such as updating our databases, collating resources, and creating information guides. 

Youth Casework Volunteer Tasks and Responsibilities:  

Working in an empowering way with individuals and promoting their independence through goal-setting. 

Supporting people to develop their knowledge of rights and entitlements. 

Assisting with filling out forms. 

Signposting and referring to other services and organisations. 

Gathering information from experts and disseminating information to people in an accessible manner. 

Engaging in collaborative internet and phone research on services, organisations, and grants. 

Flagging safeguarding concerns and other issues where further support is required. 

Keeping accurate case notes. 

Supporting to maintain our signposting database. 

Researching and collating resources. 

Working collaboratively as a team and assisting in shaping the Youth Casework project. 

Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality Policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant. 

Requirements (all experience can be from paid or voluntary roles):  

Essential:  

Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English. 

Confidence in using IT (Microsoft Office, Outlook, Zoom, Google Search, online forms) 

To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds; 

A commitment to confidentiality and data protection 

Thorough with good attention to detail 

Reliable 

A high level of spoken and written English 

Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way 

A calm, friendly, kind, and patient approach 

Enjoyment in speaking to new people 

A commitment to working in an empowering way 

Able to maintain boundaries 

Able to work autonomously 

Currently resident in the UK 

Desirable: 

Experience in doing 1:1 advice work/casework 

Working knowledge or experience of relevant law and policy around asylum support, the asylum process, rights, and entitlements for people seeking asylum. 

Direct experience of the UK immigration system. 

Past experience of working with people seeking asylum. 

Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu, or Vietnamese. 

We will prioritise applicants with lived experience of the asylum process. 

Benefits of Volunteering: 

· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum. 

· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team. 

· Develop your skills and competencies. 

· Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

Obtain a reference from us relating to your placement after 3 months regular volunteering 

All volunteers must complete an enhanced DBS check for working with young people and attend training with us before starting. You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role. 

To Apply: 

Applicants will have an informal meeting with the Youth caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP. 

Successful applicants will be required to complete 2 hours of online general CARAS induction and 2 hours of online safeguarding training and specialist Casework volunteer training before commencing their placement. 

Adult Casework Volunteer - Role description 

Role: Adult Casework Volunteer 

Team: Casework 

Supervised by: Adult caseworker 

Location: Tooting office on a Thursday afternoon (2-5.30pm)

Time commitment: 3.5 hours a week, we ask that volunteers commit for a minimum of 6 months 

About CARAS :  

Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a registered charity that has been supporting refugees and asylum-seekers since 2002 empowering them to integrate and engage in the local community.

Arriving as an asylum seeker/refugee can be a disempowering experience. Difficulties with language, accessing services and overcoming prejudice are ever-present. As an organisation we are committed to work alongside refugees to overcome those challenges, and to help them build their lives. 

We offer group support and targeted support work. We offer a range of activities including: ESOL classes; social and recreational activities such as youth club, drama, trips and family activities; educational support for young people; and casework and advocacy support.

Our values are at the centre of all our work

• Kindness: CARAS will nurture all who are part of our community, helping everyone to develop their skills, talents, and interests

• Justice: CARAS will strive for social justice following a rights-based approach in all our work and challenging instances when rights are not upheld in wider society

• Empowerment: CARAS works alongside people, recognising and respecting their skills and strengths and striving together for better outcomes

• ‘With’ not ‘for’: CARAS will put the voices, opinions, experiences and needs of its beneficiaries at the heart of all that we do 

About CARAS casework:

CARAS works with adults and young people of a refugee and asylum seeker background to find solutions to their problems. There are two separate sub-teams within the Casework team; young people and adults. We support adults to navigate the asylum system, understand their options, access benefits, connect with services and realise their goals. We are a non-specialist casework and advocacy service, so we work in close partnership with other local organisations to whom we refer people with more complex issues.

Using the empowerment model, our casework service embodies CARAS’ values of ‘with not for’, always striving to ensure people are armed with the information and resources they need to make decisions and take action for themselves.

About the Role:

We are currently recruiting for 2 volunteers to join our Adult Casework team. 

The purpose of the Adult Casework volunteer role is to support adults with a refugee or asylum seeking background to understand their rights, access information and services, and ultimately, take control of their own lives. You will work with individuals to address problems they may face relating to, among other issues, asylum support, accessing healthcare and education, access to legal advice and finding activities and opportunities.

You will start from an understanding that individuals are always best placed to solve their own problems, and often need nothing more than to talk out a problem and find the solution themselves. When helpful, you will provide information to clarify and support to take action. 

The Adult Casework team hold a support session at our office in Tooting on Thursday afternoons from 2-5.30pm.  Volunteer caseworkers have 1:1 appointments, either in person or by phone, with CARAS members.  These can be related to a range of topics.  Currently our biggest areas of work are around housing for people seeking asylum, access to college, nursery/school places for children, referrals to mental health providers, searches and signposting to activities, finding solicitors and supporting people to apply for bus passes and ID cards.  Volunteers also support with administrative tasks such as updating our databases, collating resources and creating information guides. 

Adult Casework Volunteer Tasks and Responsibilities:  

• Working in an empowering way with individuals and promoting their independence through goal-setting.  

• Supporting people to develop their knowledge of rights and entitlements.   

• Assisting with filling out forms 

• Signposting and referring onto other services and organisations.  

• Gathering information from experts and disseminating information to people in an accessible manner.  

• Engaging in collaborative internet and phone research on services, organisations and grants.  

• Flagging safeguarding concerns and other issues where further support is required.  

• Keeping accurate casenotes 

• Supporting to maintain our signposting database 

• Researching and collating resources 

• Working collaboratively as a team and assisting to shape the Adult Casework project.  

• Adhering to CARAS Confidentiality policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant.  

Requirements:

Essential

• Experience of doing 1:1 advice work/casework.

• Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English.   

• Confidence in using IT (Microsft office, outlook, zoom, Google search, online forms)  

• To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse backgrounds; 

• A commitment to confidentiality and data protection 

• Thorough with good attention to detail 

• Reliable 

• A high level of spoken and written English 

• Ability to gather information from people in a sensitive way  

• A calm, friendly, kind and patient approach 

• Enjoyment in speaking to new people 

• A commitment to working in an empowering way 

• Able to maintain boundaries 

• Able to work autonomously 

• Currently resident in the UK 

Desirable 

• Working knowledge or experience of relevant law and policy around asylum support, the asylum process, rights and entitlements for people seeking asylum 

• Experience of working with interpreters 

• Direct experience of the UK immigration system.  

• Past experience of working with people seeking asylum 

• Proficiency in one or more of the following languages: Albanian, Amharic, Arabic, Bengali, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Oromo, Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Somali, Tigrinya, Urdu or Vietnamese.  

We will prioritise applicants with lived experience of the asylum process 

Benefits to Volunteering:

• Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum; 

• Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team; 

• Develop your skills and competencies; 

•  Be able to access relevant training, including safeguarding training. 

• Obtain a reference from us relating to your volunteering 

All volunteers must complete a basic DBS check for volunteers working with adults and attend training with us before starting.  You will also receive training and support relevant to your specific role. 

To Apply:

To apply for this opportunity, download and complete the CARAS volunteer application form, using this volunteer role description to inform your answers.

 Applicants will have an informal meeting with the Adult caseworker, and one with community members, to assess compatibility to the role. These meetings will be on a rolling basis so apply ASAP. 

Successful applicants will undergo training and induction with our team. 

Sport and Advice Hub Volunteer

Young Roots aims to improve the wellbeing and life chances of young refugees and asylum seekers. We work directly with young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK and operate through trusted community-based partners in Lebanon.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

We are looking for volunteers to join our weekly Sport and Advice Hub in Brent. The Sport and Advice Hub is a space where 11-25 year old refugees and asylum seekers come to play football, cricket and other sports and also seek support with issues in their lives. It runs in Willesden every Wednesday from 4.45pm to 8pm.

The role would be a floating role between sports, board games and English class or on reception. So it is a chance to get involved in different activities!

You will be available to start w/c 20th May 2024.

In this role you will:

1. Provide a safe and welcoming environment for young asylum seekers and refugees

2. Help at the reception table with registration and finding out what kind of support the young people need (casework, mental health, immigration, social activities).

3. Help the Youth Development Worker and Coordinator to set up and run games and other activities at the youth club such as table tennis, cooking, board games, group discussions, feedback sessions.

4. Run a table where young people can practice English informally, contribute to sports activity, or support young people applying for jobs/volunteering

5. Assist the project staff to effectively deliver, monitor and evaluate the project.

6. Respect confidentiality and contribute to debriefs after the session.

7. If interested, to help on occasional trips locally and in central London (weekdays and/ or Saturdays).

PERSON SPECIFICATION

You will need to be able to demonstrate the following:

Essential • Enthusiasm and commitment to supporting young refugees and asylum seekers and to take part in activities

• Willingness to take part in safeguarding training (online)

• Experience of working or volunteering with young people

• Understanding and commitment to youth participation principles, as outlined in the attached document • Good communication skills

• Good team working and interpersonal skills

• A flexible approach

• Some understanding of the challenges faced by refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the UK

• Be able to commit for at least 8 weeks.

• Be interested in youthwork and young people’s participation in decision making.

• Be interested in either doing sports, English or job applications with young people Desirable

• Ability to speak the following language(s): Pashto, Dari, Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Vietnamese

• Experience of working or volunteering with refugees and asylum seekers or direct experience of the asylum system in the UK.

TO APPLY If you would like to apply for this position, please email your CV and a cover letter to us.

Interviews will take place online. Young Roots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and vulnerable adults. Successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal record check via the Disclosure and Barring Service. A criminal record will not automatically prevent you from being considered for this role. Young Roots recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination.

We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. As an organisation that supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, we particularly welcome applications from those within these communities

ABOUT THE ROLE

As part of our Community Support team, you will play a key role in ensuring the fulfilment of our users' needs by sharing information about our services, projects, and activities; this takes place in person, through our digital channels and helpline. Additionally, you will be responsible for keeping up to date information about other services and partner organisations. The primary challenge faced by the Latin American community is the language barrier, which hinders their comprehension of the UK system and their entitlements. Taking part in the Community Interpreting service, you will support service users in navigating these obstacles, enabling them to establish a more integrated life in the UK. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone who wants to better understand the challenges faced by the Latin American community in London; use their language skills in a positive and impactful way; and develop valuable administrative and customer service skills in a multicultural, fast-paced organisation.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

● Connecting service users to our services, projects and activities in person or by answering phone calls and emails

● Supporting users with general enquiries, referring them to relevant services within our organisation as well as signposting and referring to external services

● Registering users on our database and keeping accurate records of services offered

● Monitoring internal calendars and appointments

● Sharing useful, up-to-date information with users as instructed by other team members

● Ensuring internal communications, flyers and handouts are up to date

● Interpreting calls for service users and supporting with non-official translations

● Supporting community members with basic application forms

● Liaising with staff in other departments and with external contacts

PERSON SPECIFICATION

● Good verbal and written communication skills in English and Spanish and/or Portuguese

● Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and with a diverse population of service users, staff and partners

● A caring, sensitive and non-judgemental approach

● Ability to cope with stressful and emotionally challenging issues

● Professionalism to handle sensitive and confidential information

● Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and ability to multitask

● Ability to set their own work priorities, take initiatives and work with minimal supervision

Role Summary

We are looking for a new Chair of Trustees who will offer strategic and supportive leadership to our highly effective, collaborative and committed Board.  The Chair leads the board, ensuring that it governs the charity effectively, in service of the charity's vision and mission.  The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the Board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the Chief Executive.  The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.

Chair role & responsibilities 

Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that Glass Door achieves its mission with the interests of Glass Door's guests at its centre.

Work collaboratively with the CEO, staff and volunteers to achieve our mission and optimise the relationship between the Board and Glass Doors's staff and volunteers.

Provide leadership within the Board, ensuring that it fulfills its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation and promoting governance among fellow Trustees, providing clarity around boundaries between governance, management and operations.

Plan and chair the bi-monthly board meetings and the AGM, with colleagues as appropriate and liaise with the CEO, Company Secretary and Governance Trustee with regard to setting up meetings, agenda items and annual report content.

Facilitate meetings ensuring all have equal involvement in discussions, clarifying any uncertainties, confirming decisions made and actions to be taken and ensuring effective time management of meetings whilst providing appropriate periods of discussion and reflection.

Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Glass Door when required.

Support Glass Door functions and events eg attendance at supporter events.

Support the Head of Fundraising & Major Donors with the cultivation of high-level donors, occassionally attending meetings where value can be added.

Represent the Board at staff Town Hall meetings.

Support the team liaising with partner churches and statutory authorities as required and be the public face of Glass Door in the local community.

Liaise with the CEO and he Board to keep an overview of the charity's affairs.

Provide supervision and support to the CEO as necessary in addition to planned monthly/bi-monthly 'catch up' meetings and, with the People Trustee, lead the CEO's annual performance review.

To act as final stage adjudicator for disciplinary and grievance procedures if required.

What we are looking for

Experience of being a Trustee, ideally in the third sector, and an understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of a Trustee/Director.

A keen sense of strategic purpose.

Strong leadership skills, able to foster and promote a collaborative team environment and an inclusive and collaborative leadership style; able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing.

An ability to facilitate, mediate, influence and respect the confidences of colleagues.  The ability to listen and engage effectively.  You are comfortable with challenge and debate and are able to encourage that in others whilst fostering a collaborative board environment.

Excellent presentation and communication skills.

Advocate and ambassador - possess gravitas to lead the organisation and be able and willing to champion Glass Door.

Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to Glass Door's guests and ensure that the interests of our guests drive the decisions of the Board.

A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.

A willingness to devote necessary time and effort to your duties as Chair and be available and responsive (e.g. when things sometimes 'come up' that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to).

What's in it for the new Chair?

Our vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London and we're working every day to achieve this.  Your role as Chair will offer you an incredibly reqarding experience to use your skills and collaborate with the rest of the Board and staff members for the benefit of people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.

For more information please see the full role description and Glass Door information pack attached,