Refugee jobs in Wolverhampton, west midlands

About Young Roots

At Young Roots, we want to see a compassionate and welcoming society for young refugees and asylum seekers in the UK. We work alongside young people seeking safety in the UK, building trusted relationships, providing practical and emotional support and promoting young people’s rights and power.

Our youth clubs and casework are transformative for young refugees, allowing young people who have fled danger, had traumatic journeys and who are often here alone, to find community and connection, have a space to be a young person and access support in addressing a whole range of practical challenges they face. We also draw on our evidence from working every day with young refugees and asylum seekers to call for change to the laws and policies which are harming young people. 

The role

We’re looking for an experienced and collaborative Head of Finance to lead our financial management, planning, and governance.

This is a senior and influential role, sitting on our Leadership Group and working closely with the CEO, Trustees, and Finance Committee. You’ll provide clear financial insight to support decision-making, ensure strong financial stewardship, and help us plan sustainably for the future.

You’ll take ownership of the full finance function, supported by an Internal Operations Officer who manages day-to-day transactional processing.

What you’ll do

• Lead financial planning, including budgeting, forecasting, and cashflow management
• Produce clear, high-quality management accounts and financial analysis
• Support strategic decision-making through strong financial insight and modelling
• Ensure robust financial controls, systems, and compliance (including audit, SORP, and statutory reporting)
• Partner with colleagues across the organisation to support budgeting, funding bids, and full cost recovery
• Oversee payroll and financial operations, ensuring accuracy and efficiency
• Contribute to organisational strategy as part of the Leadership Group

About you

You’ll be a confident and values-driven finance professional who enjoys working collaboratively and making complex information accessible.

You’ll bring:

• Significant experience in a senior finance role within a charity or not-for-profit
• Strong knowledge of charity finance, including SORP, restricted funding, and compliance
• Experience producing management accounts, budgets, and forecasts for non-finance audiences
• The ability to influence and support senior leaders with financial insight
• A proactive, hands-on approach with strong attention to detail

A professional accountancy qualification (ACA/ACCA/CIMA) or equivalent experience is desirable.

This role is designed as a part-time position (28 hours/week) with flexibility around how hours are worked. We are a hybrid organisation, with the option to work remotely or from our London offices (Croydon or Brent). We ask that ideally you attend at least one in-person team day per month in London.

We offer a supportive, inclusive working environment and the opportunity to play a key role in a mission-driven organisation making a real difference.

To Apply:

To apply, please submit your CV alongside a personal statement by the closing date outlining how you would be a great fit for the role.

Your personal statement should be no more than 800 words, answering the following questions:

1. What is your motivation for working with Young Roots? (100 words)
2. What is your motivation for applying for this role specifically? (200 words)
3. What skills and experience would you bring that will enable you to be successful in this role?  Please ensure you refer to the essential criteria on the person specification and provide examples to demonstrate how and where you meet the criteria. (500 words)

Please submit your application via Charity Jobs.

No agencies, please.

Closing date: 14th April

Interview date: 20th April

Young Roots recognises the positive value of diversity, promotes equity and challenges discrimination. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, particularly those who can face disadvantage in employment, such as people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, LGBTQ+ individuals and people with disabilities. As an organisation that supports refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, we particularly welcome applications from people within these communities. We offer a guaranteed interview for those with lived experience of the asylum system and those with disabilities, where they meet the essential elements of the person specification. If aspects of the application process create barriers to you applying and you’d like any adjustment to the process or you’d like an informal discussion or advice on your application, please get in touch. We would also like to alert you to the existence of organisations which support people from under-represented groups to access employment, who can advise you on applying for this role. For example, Scope, Young Women’s Trust and Experts by Experience.

Young Roots is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. We take this duty very seriously.

Our work is underpinned by policies and procedures which promote safe working practices. We have a framework of training and supervision which everyone is expected to comply with and systems for monitoring, quality assurance and gaining service user feedback. On joining you will be expected to be part of this approach to safeguard our service users.

Job description 

Job Title:  Caseworker 

Reports to:   TBC 

Line Reports: N/A 

Location:   Flexible - hybrid 2 days a week from one of our offices 

Salary:  £29,000 - £32,000 (London)  ; £26,500 - £29,500 (outside London)  

Hours:  37.5 hours per week, with occasional evening/weekend work (TOIL provided) 

Contract:  Permanent 

Language requirements: Fluency in English essential.

Travel:  Expectations of travel between BB locations for in person meetings and events 

Overall purpose: 

Breaking Barriers exists to support refugees and people from forced migration backgrounds into meaningful employment. 

The Client Caseworker is integral to delivering that mission. Acting as a client’s primary point of support, you will lead and coordinate their progression toward employment — whether through language development, requalification, training or direct employability support. 

This role requires someone who can take ownership of client journeys, drive forward action plans, and deliver both one-to-one and group-based support that moves clients closer to work. Caseworkers may initially focus more heavily on one pathway area, but the role is designed to provide integrated, cross-programme support over time. 

Collaboration across programme teams is essential to ensure clients experience seamless, joined-up services and consistent progression.Your contributions are valued, and you can make a meaningful impact on people’s lives. 

Key responsibilities: 

1. Client casework and support 

• Manage a caseload of clients, providing structured one-to-one support in person and online. 

• Conduct holistic assessments to understand clients’ qualifications, skills, language levels, aspirations and barriers. 

• Co-create clear, outcome-focused action plans aligned to sustainable employment. 

• Drive forward client progression across relevant pathways, including: 

• Employment readiness and job search 

• CV development, applications and interview preparation 

• Professional requalification and accreditation routes 

• English language progression 

• Sector-specific training or volunteering 

• Deliver group sessions to help clients build knowledge and skills in a supportive peer-learning environment. 

• Maintain regular contact to monitor progress, adjust support and maintain accountability. 

• Identify and address barriers to progression, advocating where appropriate. 

• Safeguard clients appropriately and escalate concerns in line with policy. 

• Refer and signpost to additional support services where required. 

2. Stakeholder and volunteer engagement 

• Engage with stakeholders and partners to develop networks and identify job, training, education and work experience opportunities for clients. 

• Support outreach initiatives by developing and maintaining relationships with partners (e.g. referral partners, training providers, employers and professional bodies) 

• Advocate on behalf of clients to address specific barriers to employment or accreditation. 

• Collaborate with colleagues responsible for employer and partner engagement to match clients to appropriate opportunities. 

• Liaise with volunteers to source additional expertise and mentoring opportunities for clients. 

• Represent Breaking Barriers at occasional events or meetings as required. 

3. Monitoring, Reporting & Administration 

• Maintain accurate, timely and detailed client records on the CRM system. 

• Track and report on client progression against agreed milestones and KPIs. 

• Ensure documentation and evidence are completed in line with reporting requirements. 

• Complete enrolment and administrative processes efficiently. 

• Support monitoring and evaluation processes to inform service improvement. 

4. Cross-Organisational Collaboration & Integrated Working 

• Work closely with colleagues across all functions to ensure seamless client journeys, aligning support, avoiding duplication and maintaining clarity of progression plans. 

• Share knowledge of sector pathways, labour market developments and client trends to inform service development and team learning. 

• Contribute to service development as the service redesign evolves.

• Participate actively in team meetings, case reviews, reflective practice sessions, appraisals and inductions, contributing to strong team relationships and continuous service improvement. 

• Take advantage of training and development opportunities to build new skills and share knowledge across teams. 

• Foster a collaborative, solution-focused team culture. 

Person specification: 

Essential Criteria 

Experience 

• Experience providing one-to-one advice, guidance or support, ideally within employability, education, refugee support or a related field 

• Experience delivering or co-facilitating group sessions, workshops or training. 

• Experience working toward defined targets, outcomes or deadlines in a structured environment. 

• Understanding of barriers faced by refugees and people from forced migration backgrounds in accessing employment. 

• Experience maintaining accurate records, whether using a database, CRM or equivalent system. 

• Understanding of safeguarding principles and how to respond appropriately to concerns. 

Essential Skills & Abilities 

• Ability to support people in planning and taking steps toward a goal, with clarity and follow-through. 

• Comfortable facilitating groups and engaging diverse audiences. 

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust with people from varied backgrounds. 

• Good organisational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities. 

• Proactive and solution-focused approach to problem-solving. 

• Clear written and verbal communication skills. 

• Able to work collaboratively across teams and with external partners or stakeholders. 

• Attention to detail and administrative accuracy. 

• Adaptable and open to working in an evolving service environment. 

Desirable Experience 

• Lived experience of seeking sanctuary or forced migration to the UK. 

• Experience in refugee support, employment services, education or a related field. 

• Familiarity with UK labour market pathways, sector training routes or professional requalification processes. 

• Experience working alongside volunteers, mentors or external partners. 

• Ability to speak an additional language relevant to the client group. 

Other Requirements 

• Commitment to Breaking Barriers’ mission and values. 

• Eligibility to work in the UK. 

• Willingness to travel between offices and partner locations as required. 

• Occasional evening or weekend work (TOIL provided). 

If you meet most, but not all of the criteria, we’d still like to hear from you! 

Other considerations: 

• As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include criminal record disclosure, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK 

• Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully taken into account when deciding action 

• We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief 

• Breaking Barriers particularly welcomes applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background 

• Some travel between our different areas of operation will be required

We are looking for a dynamic, values-led, strategic leader to drive our mission for migration justice and social work solidarity. The role entails oversight of the operations and strategy of the organisation, responsibility for financial management and fundraising, maintaining the health of the organisation and embedding anti-racist and anti-opressive values into every aspect of the organisation. 

Purpose

Our Immigration Team works closely with Birmingham City University (BCU) to run the Immigration Law Student Clinic, a key source of free accredited immigration advice for people in Birmingham who cannot afford legal support.

The role involves supervising students as they research and prepare legal advice, coordinating day‑to‑day clinic activity, and supporting casework within CELC’s immigration team. You will recruit, train, and mentor students, ensuring they have an excellent student experience and helping them develop practical legal skills while ensuring clients receive an excellent service.

Responsibilities

Working closely with Birmingham City University the Law Clinic Supervisor will:

• Recruit and select students for involvement in the clinic
• Undertaking inductions with new students, in line with the Law Centre's Clinic practices ,including training on CELC systems and processes
• Develop and maintain student training manuals, policies, template letters, referral forms etc.
• Assess client cases prior to allocation to students
• Manage overall clinic calendar, allocating client cases to students
• Supervise all elements of student work, providing guidance to ensure accuracy and quality of research undertaken and advice provided
• Maintain accurate records of student inductions and supervisions
• Sign-off and submittance of applications
• Advise students to access other CELC teams for legal guidance where necessary e.g. family law, employment, housing etc.
• Create a positive and nurturing environment for students to learn practical casework skills  
• Monitor and report performance of the clinic to CELC and Birmingham City University
• Work positively with the Law Centre’s Clinic Lead and the other clinic leads in delivering the overall partnership and wider clinical legal education

· Ensure that the Clinic is run in line with the Team’s priorities and the strategy and priorities of the Law Centre

• Undertake professional development to ensure legal expertise is current and up to date

The Law Clinic Supervisor will also:

• Demonstrate their commitment to the aims and principles of CELC
• Abide by policies and procedures as set out in the Office Manual and Staff Handbook
• Attend Immigration and all CELC team meetings and away days
• Contribute towards the effective daily running of CELC
• Undertake any other task reasonably required within the context of the post

Person Specification

Essential

• A non-judgmental attitude and commitment to social justice and the aims of CELC

• One or more of the following professional qualifications: IAA registration at L2 or above, qualified solicitor, qualified barrister, Senior caseworker accreditation with the Law Society Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme.

• Experience in the delivery of legal support to clients
• Experience in supervising and developing others
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple tasks and

provide realistic timescales for completion

• Ability to work sympathetically and effectively with a wide variety of individuals i.e. clients, students, and stakeholders
• Ability to work well with others, be polite under pressure and to work as part of a team
• Self-motivated - able to work independently and on own initiative
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• An understanding of the importance of confidentiality
• Experience of using IT systems including Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook

Desirable

• Experience of designing delivery of training to individuals and groups
• Experience of working with students
• Experience of working with the public and in a busy and demanding environment
• Experience of using a case management system
• Experience of using Microsoft Teams and SharePoint