Refugee caseworker jobs in london

The Baobab Centre works as a non-residential therapeutic community with young asylum seekers and refugees and we are looking for an exceptional candidate with at least two years' experience of working in a busy office environment.

As a member of our non-residential therapeutic community you will participate in the development of meaningful relationships and social learning, constructing a holistic therapeutic environment where all relationships with all members of the community matter.

You will have experience managing a small team, including line management duties. You will be a key part of our multi-professional team and will be responsible for the administrative management of clinical files and supporting the clinical team. You will have excellent organisational and communication skills and be willing to participate in the life of the Baobab Community.

About us

The Refugee Council is the nation’s refugee charity. Together with community groups, partners and volunteers, we help people who have escaped war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support over 14,000 refugees each year to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work. We share our evidence and expertise with policymakers to help build integrated communities where everyone can contribute. 

Our Values

Our values underpin everything we do:

• Inclusive: We are inclusive. We work with - not for - refugees and people seeking asylum, so they have an equal voice, co-producing projects and ensuring their expertise and experiences are at the heart of what we do.
• Collaborative: We are collaborative. Working with others is a priority in order to have the collective impact that is vital to achieve policy and practice reform.
• Courageous: We speak out when we see injustice, cruelty and unfairness. We always stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do to transform the experiences of those seeking protection in our country.
• Respectful: We are respectful of all those we interact with. We treat everyone – our staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and people we disagree with – with the same respect, professionalism and understanding.

About the role

My View Project provides one-to-one psychological therapy, group therapy and Psychoeducational Workshops to unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people presenting with mental distress. The project has adapted a psychosocial perspective using our Therapeutic Care Model to address the identified needs of clients using a holistic approach. The team have supported unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people by providing therapeutic support since 2015.

The purpose of this post is to provide therapeutic intervention to unaccompanied children and young people who have often been through traumatic experiences, including being trafficked, abused and having witnessed horrific events, as a result of upheaval in their country of origin and along their journey to survival.

Therapy at My View is delivered alongside casework support delivered by a caseworker who supports clients with any issues such as age assessment, housing, access to healthcare, benefits, school enrolment etc. 

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. Therefore, all convictions, cautions and bind-overs, including those regarded as ‘spent’, must be declared at the application stage.

Hours: Part-time, 21 hours per week.

Contract: Fixed-term contract until 31 March 2027.

Location: Stratford office with hybrid working.

Staff benefits

To reward our staff for the value they bring, we offer a variety of enhanced terms and conditions and a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Work Life Balance Policies
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteering
• And more.

Let’s work together to improve the lives of refugees in the UK - apply on our website today.

Closing date: 5 August 2025.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.

Job specification

Team: Casework

Location: Mainly at our partner sites in Kensington and Chelsea, however you will also be located at our office (Argon House, Argon Mews, London, SE6 1BJ) and there will be opportunities to work flexibly from home.

Duration: Permanent role

Reporting to: Co-Head of Casework

Hours of work:              35 hours (5 days per week)

Salary: £30,000 - £31,500 per annum

Areas of responsibility

The post holder will be responsible for the following:

• Providing a specialist advice and advocacy service to the homeless guests of our services, which include partner day centres and night shelters through the winter season.
• Employing creative thinking and practices to ensure that guests are supported and motivated to achieve their goals.
• Attending appointments with guests occasionally when needed
• Referring and signposting guests to accommodation providers, health services and other relevant internal and external support services, as necessary
• Maintaining good communication with the Managers of our partnered Drop-in Centres, Glass Door colleagues and local statutory and non-statutory services.
• Attending meetings with the casework team, external service providers and partner organisations when required
• Collating statistics and outcome measurements of the casework service for both internal and external use
• Maintaining a well-organised and easily accessible administration system for the casework programme in line with relevant legislation (e.g. GDPR)
• Managing a small casework budget
• Undertaking any other duties, as required by the charity

Person Specification

Essential

• At least one year experience of working one-on-one and assessing the needs of homeless people or similar disadvantaged client groups
• Empathetic attitude to homeless and vulnerably housed people
• Up-to-date knowledge of the welfare issues and legislation affecting homeless people
• Knowledge of relevant support services available to homeless people, particularly in West London
• Confident approach to, and experience of, dealing with challenging behaviour
• Ability to maintain good relationships with colleagues and external service providers
• Highly organised with strong time-management skills
• Ability to keep clear and up-to-date case records
• Experience and competent in MS Office packages
• Ability to work independently and take the initiative to make important decisions
• Flexible and supportive team member with excellent communication skills
• Ability to adhere to and implement Health & Safety, HR and operational policies
• Understanding of and commitment to Equal Opportunities
• For night shelter caseworkers, willingness to work a minimum of one evening per week
• This post will require an enhanced DBS check prior and during employment

Desirable

• Ability to speak Polish, Romanian or other Eastern European languages
• Experience of working alongside volunteers

Other

• Ability to work flexibly and at various sites, as required
• Eligibility to work in the UK
• To be able to adhere and work within Glass Door’s safeguarding policy and procedures
• To participate in meetings, supervision meetings and in any trainings as required
• To be responsible for own’s professional development

Overview

This role offers the opportunity to plan, create & deliver a variety of communications, leading on design and digital deliverables across internal & external channels for Glass Door Homeless Charity.  

The Digital Communication Officer works in the Communications team, reporting to the Head of Communications & Fundraising and manage Glass Door design, web & socials.  

Through this role, we will deliver a robust plan of impactful and on-brand content, raising the profile of our work and ensuring we are known amongst existing and new audiences in London 

Job Spec 

Editorial & Design 

• Ability to produce fresh, emotive and informative content across print & digital platforms - including profiles of guests, news stories, blogs and speeches

• Lead on design and delivery across the organisation – digital & print: including posters, informative leaflets, presentations, graphics and images for social media, newsletters and website as needed 

• Work collaboratively across the organisation to solicit content from other members of staff, including caseworkers, operations and fundraising colleagues to support Communications’ strategic aims 

• Support the design of campaigns, appeals & events - working alongside the Head of Comms & Fundraising, and key members of the fundraising team to bring alive the vision of the campaign. 

• Co-lead on our work with content producers (photographers, videographers, designers, etc), ensuring content meets Glass Door’s standards and is signed off by appropriate staff members

• Maintain Sharepoint for digital content – including photos, social images, video and written content 

• Provide quality-control support (eg proof-reading and editing) on all materials outside of the Comms team and externally, ensuring all content, imagery and branding are consistent with house style and on brand 

• Create & deliver video content to support the digital strategy and on an ad-hoc basis 

Digital

• Manage and maintain all social media accounts in-line with Glass Door's social media guidelines, focusing on building awareness, driving traffic and increasing engagement

• Manage and update Glass Door's website in-line with the digital strategy and content planner 

• Co-develop & oversee a digital content calendar 

• Co-manage delivery of multiple/congruent campaigns, appeals and events to engage existing and attract new supporters, often working alongside key members of other teams including fundraising, operations and advocacy teams. 

• Support with digital marketing, working closely and collaboratively with the Marketing Officer, Head of Comms & Fundraising Team to plan, track and successfully deliver paid and organic digital journeys. 

• Monitor social media and advise key staff on any issues arising that could jeopardise the reputation of the charity, ensuring all Crisis Comms is managed in line with Crisis Comms Policy 

• Support the development and delivery of bi-monthly internal e-newsletters.

Monitor impact 

• Work closely and collaboratively with the Marketing Officer to ensure all conversions of paid promotion are tracked effectively and efficiently 

• Support the monitoring and tracking of website usage 

• Support the evaluation of social media and online reach, create monthly reports, and assist with evaluating the effectiveness of campaigns and appeals 

• Support the monitoring and tracking Google ads and analytics 

• Support the vision and production of a new website, ensuring it is on brand and meets our content and communication needs 

• Monitor, assess and report to relevant teams of our content performance to ensure our channels are hives of activity and relevant to our audiences. 

• Monitor and follow trends within digital and innovation to improve the organisation’s digital presence and activities 

Strategy 

• Co-lead on the planning and delivery of the Glass Door Communications Strategy – specifically on the digital and content plans 

• Support the delivery of Fundraising key deliverables – specifically on the digital content, stories and campaign key deliverables 

• Co-manage the Comms Team’s and cross org deliverables via project management platform monday(dot)com 

Events 

• Support co-ordination of events, by designing and delivering print and digital materials, online support to fundraisers, and representing the charity as needed in-person and online. 

Other

• Attend and participate in relevant team meetings, and other ad hoc meetings when necessary. 

• Undertake other ad hoc tasks as directed, such as assistance on Glass Door events and occasional administrative support to the CEO. 

• Carry out the functions of the post with proper regard to Glass Door’s Equal Opportunities Policy. 

Job title: Service Manager - Night Shelters

Location: On site at our office – Argon House, Argon Mews, London, SW6 1BJ

Contract type: Permanent

Reporting to: Head of Operations & Service Development

Hours of work: 35 hours per week (5 days per week)

About you

As the Service Manager for our night shelter service, you’ll be at the heart of Glass Door’s mission, delivering the largest network of night shelters in the UK.  This pivotal role offers you the chance to make a real difference by managing a dedicated team across multiple sites, ensuring high-quality, consistent service that supports our guests to build a route out of homelessness.  We’re looking for a dynamic, proactive leader with a passion for problem-solving and a compassionate service delivery.

What you will do as part of our team

The Service Manager is responsible for the following:

Service delivery 

· Lead all aspects of the planning, preparation, and delivery of the night shelter service. 

· Oversee the day-to-day operations of the service, directly engaging with staff and guests to ensure high-quality service delivery. 

· Ensure operational policies are consistently followed, providing guests with a reliable and uniform service experience. 

· Manage the rota across three night shelters to maintain adequate staffing at all times. 

· Manage a fleet of three vehicles used for the night shelters, ensuring their availability and maintenance. 

· Ensure all staff are fully aware of service provisions, requirements, and expectations. 

· Lead the continuous improvement of the shelter service to better meet guest needs. 

· Ensure due diligence is performed, and that reporting and records are accurately maintained. 

· Collaborate with the Head of Operations & Service Development to keep expenditures and income within agreed budget limits. 

· Liaise with casework colleagues to ensure seamless collaboration between night shelter and casework staff. 

· Ensure the night shelters are aligned with other statutory and charity services to best meet the needs of our guests. 

· Conduct and maintain annual general and fire risk assessments for each shelter venue; actively maintain the service-level risk register and contribute to organisational risk register. 

· Promptly raise concerns and safeguarding issues in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.

· Ensure policies and procedures are up-to-date with annual reviews, and provide staff with training and guidance on compliance and best practices. 

Management 

· Manage and supervise a seasonal staff team of approximately 40 individuals. 

· Oversee the full employee lifecycle management, including: recruitment, onboarding, training and performance management. 

· Lead the recruitment and training of seasonal shelter staff. 

· Provide high-quality support and line management to night shelter staff, delivering clear guidance, support, and effective leadership. 

· Ensure excellent performance management, support, and supervision of Night Shelter Managers and staff, including monitoring annual leave and addressing performance issues in line with Glass Door’s policies. 

· Empower seasonal managers to deliver high-quality, safe support and effective guest management in accordance with Glass Door policies and procedures. 

· Regularly monitor the quality of support and service by conducting site visits to the night shelters. 

· Organise and deliver a comprehensive training programme for shelter staff. 

· Facilitate regular supervision and team meetings to promote effective teamwork and communication. 

· Ensure the In-form system is utilised efficiently by shelter staff, with timely updates to reports, and prompt, accurate record-keeping. 

· Provide timely support, advice, and guidance to staff as needed. 

Service Development and Planning  

· Play a lead role in the annual planning of the night shelter service and contribute to the annual services business plan. 

· Drive the achievement of organisational targets and objectives as outlined in Glass Door’s business plan. 

Additional  

· Cultivate positive relationships with guests, staff, professionals, partners, suppliers, and the local community.

· To undertake any other duties that can be reasonably required to meet the operational needs of Glass Door.

· Carry out the functions of the post with proper regard to Glass Door’s Equal Opportunities Policy. 

Person Specification 

Essential: 

· Proven experience working with and understanding the needs of people experiencing homelessness or similar disadvantaged groups. 

· Experience in leading a service and managing frontline teams. 

· Demonstrated problem-solving abilities through proactive learning. 

· Understanding and appreciation of trauma-informed care. 

· Valid driving license for manual transmission with the willingness to drive the Glass Door vehicles. 

· Ability to work independently, with strong decision-making skills and initiative. 

· Highly organised with excellent time-management abilities. 

· Exceptional communication skills, adaptable to various styles and approaches. 

· Strong IT proficiency, including advanced Microsoft Office skills. 

· Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends, with the flexibility to cover shifts in emergencies. Time off in lieu provided. 

· Proactive approach in resolving challenging situations and achieving desired outcomes. 

· Empathetic and professional in handling challenging circumstances. 

· Ability to implement and adhere to health and safety, HR, and operational policies. 

· Strong commitment to equal opportunities and diversity. 

Desirable: 

· Advanced IT proficiency, particularly in AI tools and technologies, with a proven ability to quickly learn and adapt to new software or web applications. 

· Relevant training or certifications (e.g., project management, trauma-informed care, IOSH Managing Safely). 

· A lived experience of homelessness. 

We value diversity, promote equality and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applications from people with lived experience of homelessness.