ASAP is Recruiting for a Training Co-ordinator and Legal Advisor

(maternity cover)

Are you committed to reducing destitution amongst those seeking safety in the UK?

Are you a skilled trainer who enjoys working with partners to enhance their knowledge and skills?

ASAP is a small national charity based in East London which punches well above its weight. We are the leading experts in asylum support law and exist to reduce destitution amongst asylum seekers by protecting their legal rights to food and shelter. We are a team of 10 employed staff and over 45 volunteer solicitor and barrister advocates.

This is agreat opportunity to lead an exciting joint project funded by the Big Lottery Fund with partnersBritish Red Cross, Solace, PAFRAS and Open doors Hull in Yorkshire and Humberside with the aim of assisting asylum seekers in crisis. As ASAPS Training Co-ordinator you will assist in managing the project as ASAP are the lead partners. As well as providing tribunal representation and advice for asylum seekers appealing against refusals of asylum support, you will also provide a package of capacity building support for advice workers within Yorkshire and Humberside to improve knowledge around asylum support law. This will include face to face training, webinars, legal updates, facilitated visits to the asylum support tribunal, specialist one on one coaching and answering calls on our second tier advice lin. You can find further information about ASAP’s work from our annual reports and our strategic plan available on our website at

Details of the post:

  • ASAP offers a generous leave package of 30 days per annum plus bank holidays
  • 35 hours per week with the option to work flexibly around our core hours 10am – 4pm
  • Maternity cover – up to one year contract
  • Ideally to start from 1st February 2018
  • Annual salary of £32,796inclusive of inner London Weighting
  • 5% Pension contribution
  • Based at our East London Offices with regular travel to Yorkshire and Humberside

The closing date for applications is Tuesday 5th December 2017 at 9am

Interviews will take place on in London on Wednesday 13thDecember 2017

Please note if you are invited to interview we can only reimburse local travel costs (within London). We are also happy to arrange interviews via skype.

Please email completed application forms to with the header PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL Please note WE DO NOT ACCEPT CV’s

If you would like to have an informal conversation about the post, please contact Aideen Woods or Alice Webb on 020 3716 0284 or email

Job Description

Purpose of the Post

  • Co-ordinate ASAP’s Big Lottery funded partnership project in Yorkshire and Humberside to assist asylum seekers in crisis
  • Co-ordinate and provide training, webinars and coaching to advice workers in Yorkshire and Humberside on asylum support.
  • Contribute to developing ASAP’s information materials for the advice sector including legal updates, factsheets and website development.
  • Assist with the co-ordination of ASAP’s training delivery
  • Provide legal advice on asylum support and asylum support appeals to advice workers and solicitors via ASAP’s second tier Advice Line
  • Provide legal advice and representation at the Asylum Support Tribunal.

JOB DESCRIPTION

  1. Substantive work
  1. Identify learning needs in the area of asylum support, across advice workers in Yorkshire and Humberside and co-ordinate and provide training, webinars, coaching or other capacity building as appropriate to meet these needs.
  1. Facilitate learning visits to the Asylum Support Tribunal in London for advice workers doing Asylum Support Appeals in Yorkshire and Humberside.
  1. Contribute to developing ASAP’s information materials for the advice sector including legal updates, factsheets and website development.
  1. Assist the Director with the co-coordinating of ASAP’s training and webinar work, managing requests, setting the team training calendar for the year and ensuring training materials are up to date and well managed.
  1. Co-ordinate ASAP’s Big Lottery funded partnership project in Yorkshire and Humberside, liaising with partners, setting up and chairing regular partner meetings.
  1. Monitor and report on the work of the project to the Big Lottery fund.

Provision of direct and 2nd tier legal advice

  1. Where appropriate, provide legal information, advice and advocacy to asylum-seekers at the First Tier Tribunal on asylum support appeals and related legal issues.
  1. Provide legal advice on asylum support and asylum support appeals to advice workers, refugee agencies and legal practitioners via ASAP’s second tier Advice Line.
  1. Assist legal team with the running of the Asylum Support Advice Network.
  1. Other
  1. Where appropriate take part in reciprocal peer and file review to maintain quality of file management and advice.
  1. This post will require regular travel at least once a month to Yorkshire and Humberside with occasional overnight stays and work outside usual office hours.
  1. General
  1. All work carried out will be in the best interest of asylum-seekers and refugees and in accordance with Equal Opportunities and Diversity Policy
  1. Work with and support ASAP volunteers when required
  1. Attend and actively participate in team meetings and ASAP events
  1. Attend professional development training as required.
  1. It will be expected that any worker will be available to work some evenings and occasional weekends (for which Time Off in Lieu will be given).
  1. It will be expected that all workers will uphold the ethos and protect the good name of the ASAP, working in line with ASAP policies and procedures

Person Specification

Essential / Desirable
Experience/ Knowledge/Skills / Knowledge of asylum support law / Experience providing advice specifically about access to asylum support, immigration and/or housing, welfare or benefits
Designing, delivering and publicising training / Experience of using and/or delivering Webinars
Understanding of the experiences of asylum seekers in the UK / Experience representing or supporting vulnerable individuals
Experience of working with a diverse group of people and organisations / Experience of co-ordinating partnership projects
Ability to develop an evaluation framework and monitor outputs
Ability to write reports for funders
Excellent English written skills, with the ability to write for a range of audiences.
General work skills / Ability to manage own time by prioritising tasks and meeting competing deadlines without continuous supervision.
Demonstrable ability to work in a small team in a cooperative, flexible and supportive manner
Good working knowledge of word, excel and powerpoint
General / Willingness and ability to travel regularly to Yorkshire and Humberside outside of office core hours, including occasional weekends
Understanding, awareness of and commitment to the principles and practice of equal opportunities and diversity

JOB APPLICATION FORM - Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP)

CONFIDENTIAL

Position applied for: Training Co-ordinator 2017

You are advised to read this application form and all accompanying documents thoroughly before starting to complete this form. Please complete each section, demonstrating how your skills, knowledge and experience meet the person specification for the post. Do not include a CV or other background material. We will use no other information when deciding whether to short-list applicants.

The closing date for applications is 9am Tuesday 5th December 2017

Interviews will take place on the 13th December 2017 in London

Please email completed applications to with the header PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL – please DO NOT PDF them as they will be anonymised for shortlisting.

Please note due to limited resources, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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Name

Address

Postcode

Email address

Phone numbers (Day)(Evening)

I confirm that to the best of my knowledge the information given in this application is correct, that I am lawfully able to undertake this work, and that any information given can be treated as part of any subsequent contract of employment.

Signed: Date:

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Please list any education and training courses undertaken that are relevant to the post.

Dates / School/College/Other / Course/Qualifications
Date / Training (Training Providers)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Please list all your work experience, both paid and unpaid, since leaving full time education. Start with your current or most recent employment and list the remainder in reverse order.

From -To / Name/Address of Employer / Post or Activity

INFORMATION IN SUPPORT OF YOUR APPLICATION

In this section we would like you to demonstrate how you meet the requirements for the job. Please relate your skills and experience to each area of the person specification. Please limit your answer to no more than 3 sides A4, font size 11 Calibri.

REFEREES

Please give the names, addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of two referees. One of these should be your current or most recent employer. If you are shortlisted for the post, we may contact one of your referees before your interview. You may indicate that you would prefer us not to contact one particular referee at this stage.

First Referee

Name
Organisation
Address
Telephone number
Email address
In what capacity is this person know to you

Second Referee

Name
Organisation
Address
Telephone number
Email address
In what capacity is this person know to you

Equal Opportunity Monitoring Form

Asylum Support Appeals Project (ASAP) strives to operate a policy of equal opportunity. Please help us monitor our effectiveness as an equal opportunity employer by completing this form. This form will be separated from your application form and will only be used for this monitoring purpose. Please tick the appropriate section.

Gendermale ______female ______

AgeUnder 21______

21 – 30______

31 – 40______

41 – 50______

51 – 60______

61 – 65______

Over 65______

DisabilityDo you consider yourself to have a disability?Yes ____No ______

Are you registered disabled?Yes ____No ______

Ethnicity

WhiteEnglish_____

Irish_____

Scottish_____

Welsh_____

Any other white background (please specify) ______

MixedWhite & Black Caribbean_____

White & Black African_____

White & Asian_____

Any other mixed background (please specify) ______

AsianIndian_____

Pakistani_____

Bangladeshi_____

Any other Asian background (please specify) ______

Black Caribbean_____

African_____

Any other Black background (please specify) ______

ChineseChinese______

Any other background (please specify) ______

Please tell us how you found out about this recruitment opportunity.

______

Thank you very much for your help.