We’re looking for two self-starting team members who will help coordinate our JUMP befriending project for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees.
You’ll be responsible for half of the befriending pairs (currently 28, increasing to 50 in the coming months) and undertake tasks such as working with our partner organisations, managing referrals for young people, recruiting volunteer befrienders, and setting-up and sustaining pairs. This includes leading an initial training day.
You’ll also provide JUMP young people with casework support, help organise our group events and facilitate support from our Hardship Fund.
Main functions
Supporting young people and the JUMP Community
- Managing a caseload of young people; including offering casework support; arranging and attending appointments with the young person where necessary and signposting to available support.
- Helping plan and organise quarterly group events.
- Conducting initial assessments with young people to understand their needs, and once paired with a volunteer, hosting befriending initial meetings.
Supervising and supporting volunteers
- Recruiting, interviewing and onboarding new befrienders, including organising and delivering training.
- Supporting befriending volunteers through regular supervisions, meetings, emails and phone calls, and responding promptly to any safeguarding concerns raised.
- Ensuring that volunteers uphold JUMP’s policies and boundaries for befriending.
Publicising JUMP, and engaging with key stakeholders
- Publicising the project to existing and potential referral agencies, and establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with them.
- Representing HIAS+JCORE and JUMP in the refugee sector as required, for example at the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium (RMCC) meetings.
Project monitoring, evaluation and record keeping
- Working with experts and the JUMP Project Manager on supporting the project and its evaluation, and keeping accurate records in JUMP’s database.
Other Duties
- Ensuring that JUMP informs our campaigns, communications and education work. As the project develops, there will be opportunities for the post-holder to contribute to and support these areas of our work.
We're looking for candidates who have
- Ability to support, develop rapport and trust with, and motivate both young people and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and ages in challenging circumstances, including the ability to facilitate and engage in cross cultural communication.
- Knowledge of issues facing separated asylum seeking and refugee children and young people, and the rights and entitlements of ‘Looked After’ children and young people.
- Understanding of the current context surrounding immigration, asylum and welfare issues facing children and young people in the UK today.
- Understanding of Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding, and ability to communicate this to volunteers.
- Understanding of youth work principles and methods, including the benefits and challenges of befriending and other participatory methods.
- Ability to network in the refugee sector and develop strong working relationships.
- Ability to work independently and to self-motivate.
- Commitment to HIAS+JCORE values, social justice and antiracism.
- The ability to communicate in languages other than English, in particular Arabic, Spanish and French (desirable)
Experience required
Essential
- A track record of working directly with asylum seeking and refugee children and young people.
- Experience of social work, youth work, or other relevant methods of supporting people in challenging circumstances.
- Experience of training, coordinating and supporting volunteers.
- Experience of juggling commitments and responding to relevant stressful situations.
Desirable
- Educated to at least undergraduate degree level, or equivalent background or experience.
- Working knowledge of Local Authorities’ responsibilities for Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
- Experience of project management including administration, monitoring, evaluation and report writing.
About HIAS+JCORE
HIAS+JCORE is the UK Jewish voice on refugees and racial justice. Our work is driven by the belief that the Jewish community should play an active part in building a society in which refugees are able to live in dignity where the UK is a welcoming place free from racism.
Role details
Salary: £30,000 (pro-rata'd to £18,000)
Hours: 21 hours per week. Flexible working; some evening and weekend work will be required.
Location: Hybrid working between home and our North London office space.
Applicants must be UK based either in London/the South-East or be willing to relocate. We are only able to consider applicants who have the right to work in the UK. HIAS+JCORE is unable to sponsor working visas to the UK.
We warmly encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and people with any, or no, particular religious faith or beliefs. We particularly encourage applicants from people with lived experience of the asylum system.
Interviews will be held in person in north London in mid-May.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Responsible to: Cambridge Team Leader
Location: Cambridge, England. Occasional travel to Baca Office in Loughborough and Leicestershire.
Hours: 25 hours per week – evening and weekend work with daytime shifts.
Contract: Permanent
Benefits in kind: Rent-free accommodation, including free Wi-fi, gas, electric and council tax bills.
Start Date: April/May 2024
Overall Purpose
- To provide support and care to the young people who are newly arrived in the country, providing the foundations for them to rebuild their lives with dignity, strengthen their resilience and inspire hope for their futures.
- To partner with social workers and representatives from other agencies, for the benefit of the young people.
This work is essential in enabling us to deliver our therapeutic support for all areas of a young person’s life.
Duties & Responsibilities
- To be a Support Worker for newly arrived young people who are in the care of Baca in all areas of the young person’s life, supporting them from first arrival through to their move to semi-independence.
- To welcome new arrivals into the accommodation and communicate basic information about the house, making them feel safe and able to rest; with compassion without discrimination of age, race, colour or behavioural issues.
- To enable young people to achieve the following outcomes increased physical wellbeing, increased emotional wellbeing, improved personal safety, increased social engagement and increased engagement with education, employment and training.
- To enable young people to live with positive values and good boundaries.
- To be a proactive role model for the young people, enabling them to learn day to day living skills and helping them integrate positively with the local community.
- Training young people in living skills such as washing, cleaning, cooking and safety, food shopping and budgeting; proactively and intentionally in line with the Baca independent living preparation plan.
- Helping young people settle into a routine which will include education and social activities.
- Work in close partnership with social workers and other professionals and volunteers to provide a holistic development package for each young person enabling them to become independent.
- Maintaining very good communication with relevant members of the Rebuild Team and relevant social workers through regular appropriate reporting.
- To work collaboratively with the rest of the Rebuild Team to ensure all young people are safeguarded and supported to rebuild their lives.
- Complete and update all admin work as part of the role such as month end reports and support plans on time and in a consistent manner.
- Playing an active role in developing knowledge and understanding in areas relevant to the role and especially in the areas of asylum and refugee law, trafficking, supporting separated children and the cultures of different nations relevant to Baca.
General
- Be a role model, leading by example in practicing the Values of Baca.
- Play an active and supportive role within the organisation
- Take ownership of all administrative aspects of the role.
- Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to work undertaken and ensure all confidential material is stored according to Baca’s Confidentiality statement and Data Protection Policy.
- Treat all staff and young people fairly and without prejudice, in line with Baca’s Equality and Diversity policy
- Be aware of the correct procedures for dealing with any safeguarding incidences or concerns, in line with Baca’s Child, Vulnerable Adult Protection & Safeguarding Policy
- Adhere to all Baca’s policies and procedures.
Personal Specification
Baca is looking for a Support Worker who is passionate about seeing young refugees achieving their potential and rebuilding their lives for a better future. The successful applicant will have a personal style that is in line with Baca’s vision and values. They will live in the new arrival house and make it their home. They will be a good self-starter and have excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to inspire our young people to be the best they can be.
The successful applicant will be motivated and passionate about the work that Baca does and the young people in our care. They will be very approachable, enjoy working as part of a wider team but also able to manage their own time and workload. Someone who is supportive, responsible, reliable, personable and willing to set boundaries in line with Baca’s values.
This is a frontline role that will need the successful applicant to be working closely with young people in their houses and will need access to transport young people to different appointments, meetings and activities.
Shortlisting and interviews will take place as and when applications are received.
Please note: We cannot offer sponsorship for this role as Baca is not on the Home Office list.
It is our mission to serve young people who have been forced to flee their home country – offering safe homes, education, therapeutic care and support
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.