Casework support administrator volunteer roles in Hammersmith, greater london

Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership operates in the borough of Watford and Three Rivers district, providing support to refugees and others without status in the UK. The partnership has a full-time caseworker and two part-time support staff in addition to around 80 volunteers. It currently serves around 350 families and individuals.

The charity provides:

· A weekly drop-in session – currently Tuesdays 11:00-13:30 – for existing and new clients to see us

· Casework supporting applications for leave to remain and related issues

· A weekly social hub – concurrent with the drop-in – for any client to join us for company and activities

· Education for our clients, mainly in the English language but including help with literacy and numeracy.

The operations manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity, reporting to the committee and trustees, ensuring the organisation runs efficiently and resources are used effectively to achieve its mission.  They will provide a line management and mentoring role for the case worker and office administrator. The successful candidate would have had managerial experience, possibly in the charity, education, healthcare or related sectors. The role is a part time one – expected to average 2 days per week, and likely to suit someone retired from employment.

Specific roles for the operations manager are:

· Support of communication within the charity

· Supervision of the weekly (currently Tuesday, 11:00am-1:30pm) welcome desk, drop-in, social hub and casework operation

· Line management of our full-time caseworker and part-time office manager

· Support of elements of casework by allocating other volunteers, logistics etc.

· Making day-to-day decisions within agreed scope, for management of the charity

· Report to the committee (including trustees) at its regular meetings with status of cases and requests for decisions

· Advising the committee in developing the charity, helping work on core mission, vision and strategy.

· Working with our fundraisers to provide required information and guidance where needed.

The successful candidate would have experience in:

· Proven organisational and multitasking skills

· Knowledge and experience of regulatory requirements to ensure compliance (e.g. GDPR etc)

· Ability to build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders

· Management of staff and volunteers

· Working with a volunteer committee and trustees

· Development of a business, charity or equivalent organisation

The Legal Protection Team deal with client referrals, the provision of medico-legal reports, legal casework, and supporting clients to obtain high quality legal advice in their asylum claims and human trafficking matters. Under the supervision of the Director of Legal (delegated to other team members as appropriate), you will be assisting the team with legal casework tasks (the main ones of which are set out below), with the opportunity also to accompany clients to appeal hearings or asylum interviews. 

Key responsibilities  

• Making phone calls to people (solicitors, health professionals, other NGOs) seeking out assistance to obtain further information about cases;

• Liaising with legal representatives and other organisations and bodies;

• Drafting legal summaries and preparing files for transfer to a new legal representative;

• Preparing legal chronologies and other legal casework; 

• Liaising with clients about legal protection casework queries;

• Onward referring to alternative local services and organisations where HBF cannot assist;

• Various administrative duties as required, such as taking minutes in meetings with clients and recording interactions in our internal database; 

• Accompanying vulnerable clients to Home Office interviews and Tribunal hearings as appropriate. 

Skills, knowledge and experience needed 

• Understanding of, and commitment to, the objectives of the Helen Bamber Foundation; 

• A demonstrable empathy for our vulnerable clients, including asylum seekers, refugees and survivors of torture and trafficking; 

• Punctual, reliable and self-motivated with a positive, ’can-do’ attitude; 

• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy; 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; 

• Good telephone manner and ability to be sensitive to vulnerable people; 

• Excellent IT skills including the use of databases, excel, email, word processing; 

• Awareness of confidentiality/data protection; 

• Experience of data entry and maintaining databases is desirable; 

• Basic knowledge of the UK asylum and NRM process is desirable. 

What you will get out of your time with us 

• Develop a good understanding of the UK’s asylum system and the system for identifying and ensuring the appropriate support for victims of trafficking, the issues that arise in complex legal cases and the possible avenues for redress; 

• Gain an insight into the breadth and complexity of needs of those who have experienced extreme trauma and are claiming asylum in the UK;

• Be given an introduction to the landscape of statutory and NGO support services available to those individuals, and the difficulties faced in accessing them; 

• Front-line experience, liaising directly with a wide range of external organisations within the sector including solicitors, mental health professionals and specialist NGOs;

• The opportunity to work directly with clients both in the office and on occasion, at the Home Office, Tribunal or external meetings; 

• The opportunity to work closely with and learn from a team of multidisciplinary experts. 

Volunteer Safeguarding Lead  for Watford and Three Rivers Refugee Partnership (WTRRP)

Job summary:  The Safeguarding Lead will play a crucial role in developing, implementing, and overseeing safeguarding policies and procedures. This individual will work closely with staff, volunteers, and the Committee to promote a safe environment and handle any safeguarding concerns effectively.

WTRRP is a registered charity (England, reg no 1162226) that exists to support people in the Watford Borough and Three Rivers District of West Hertfordshire, who do not yet have status in the UK, or who have specific needs related to their application process or welfare. Currently WTRRP has around 160 live cases (defined as a family unit or individual currently in need of our help).

WTRRP is run by a Committee, which includes several Trustees. The Committee meets typically every 2 months and also for an Annual General Meeting, but it also provides day-to-day support to our staff members (Casework Coordinator and part-time Office Manager) and to our ~80 volunteers.

The main roles of the charity are to run a drop-in session every Tuesday (at St Mary’s Church in central Watford), a social hub at the same time, and to provide financial and other assistance to its clients for their application process for leave to remain in the UK.

Commitment: [ approximately 5 hours per week]

Key Responsibilities:

Policy Development: Develop and regularly review safeguarding policies and procedures to ensure they are up-to-date and compliant with legal and best practice standards.

Training: Organize safeguarding training sessions for staff and volunteers and review exisiting training.

Support: Provide guidance and support to staff and volunteers on safeguarding matters, including responding to concerns and allegations.

Monitoring: Monitor the implementation of safeguarding policies and practices across the organization.

Reporting: Maintain accurate records of safeguarding concerns and incidents, and ensure timely reporting to relevant authorities and stakeholders.

Review: Conduct regular reviews of safeguarding practices and make recommendations for improvements.

Key Requirements:

Experience: Prior experience in safeguarding, child protection, or a related field is preferred. Experience in a leadership or advisory role is advantageous.

Knowledge: Strong understanding of safeguarding legislation and best practices. Knowledge of working with vulnerable individuals is essential.

Skills: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professionalism.

Commitment: A commitment to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.  The role will require approximately 5 hours per week.

Qualifications: Relevant qualifications in safeguarding, child protection, or related areas are desirable. Training in safeguarding is a plus.

What We Offer:

Impact: The opportunity to make a significant difference in the lives of those we support.

Support: NCVO safeguarding Lead training and support from the Committee.

Development: Networking with other safeguarding professionals.

Flexibility: The role is flexible and can be adapted to fit around your other commitments.

How to Apply:

If you are passionate about safeguarding and want to contribute to our mission, please contact us for an intial discussion about the role or application form. Please visit our website for more information about the Partnership.