JOB DESCRIPTION

POST TITLECaseworker

REPORTING TOSeniorCaseworker

SUPERVISION OFVolunteers when necessary

LOCATION89-93 Fonthill Road, London N4 3JH

1.Job Purpose

To provide an advice and information service to Prisoners Abroad client groups (British citizens who are incarcerated in prisons overseas, and their family and friends).

2.Key AREAS OF responsibilitY

  • To take responsibility for a shared caseload of service users (prisoners, their families and friends) and to liaise with other teams in service delivery in order to provide a comprehensive service.
  • To provide, by telephone, email and letter, information about foreign criminal justice systems.
  • To liaise with lawyers, legal/welfare groups and individuals as well as with governmental authorities at home and abroad in order to resolve client issues.
  • To become familiar with the legal and penal framework relevant to the caseload.
  • To refer clients to specialist agencies, as appropriate.
  • To maintain both a paper and electronic-based ‘case file’ system to ensure that records of all conversations and meetings, as well as incoming and outgoing correspondence, are efficiently retained.
  • To undertake, as directed, development tasks leading to an enhanced service for our clients.
  • To work closely with – and be answerable to - the Senior Caseworkers and the Prisoner and Family Support Service Manager and to attend regular supervisory meetings for guidance and support on casework and managing your workload in general.
  • To maintain appropriate confidentiality at all times.

3. ADMINISTRATION

This job is self-servicing. All staff are expected to:

  • Manage the administration of their work. This includes writing clear and accurate case notes, filing and keeping computer records up-to date.
  • Share general office duties including minute-taking at meetings and some office administration work.

4.GENERAL

  • To collaborate with members of other Prisoners Abroad teams, eg: to provide media and fundraising information.
  • To attend and prepare for monthly supervision and to participate in team meetings and other meetings, as required. Also to attend internal and external training sessions relevant to the post.
  • To participate in general office rota duties.
  • To produce briefing papers and reports as directed.
  • To attend external meetings and events,relating to fundraising, family work or the work of other organisations, including occasional evenings and weekends.
  • To carry out any other reasonable duties as and when required by management.

Post details

Salary / £25,520 (Band 4, scale point 26 on the NJC Pay Scale)
Hours / 35 hours per week
Contract Length / 12 months
Leave / 30 days per annum plus Public Holidays
Pension / 6.5% of gross salary paid by Prisoners Abroad into a Personal Scheme
Probation / 3 months’ probationary period during which1 week’s notice is required
Notice / At the end of a successfully completed probationary period, this post will be subject to 1 month’s notice by either party.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Caseworker

The successful candidate will be the person who achieves the best match with the person specification set out below and who fully supports the aims of the organisation and is committed to equality of opportunity.

ESSENTIAL

  • Experience of advice work with prisoners/ prisoners’ families or advice work

with a similar client group

You will have at least two years’ experience in an advice or information-giving

capacity.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

You will be conversing and corresponding with a wide variety of people, from distressed relatives of individuals in prison to Government agencies around the world.You must have an excellent telephone manner and be able to communicate clearly, professionally and with sensitivity.

• Excellent problem-solving skills

You will have to be able to identify what advice and assistance is appropriate for each client.

  • Team skills

It is essential that you are a team player as you will be working in a small organisation providing a wide range of advice and support and will need to work across teams.

  • Multi-tasking and recording skills

Every action involving a service user must be recorded immediately and accurately in the file and on a database, and you must be able to handle a number of different cases at the same time as other work.

  • Ability to travel occasionally
  • Understanding and commitment to confidentiality and professional boundaries
  • Understanding of equal opportunities and how this applies to Prisoners Abroad
  • Non-judgemental approach and commitment to Prisoners Abroad’s aims

DESIRABLE

  • Issues facing clients upon release/ ex-offenders

Caseworkers are required to liaise with the resettlement team on issues facing clients upon their return, and therefore it is desirable to have experience of working in this area.

  • Voluntary Sector

Working within the voluntary sector represents a particular ethos and a specific range of challenges and therefore it would be desirable if you had previous experience of working in this environment, either in a paid or voluntary capacity.

  • Presentation Skills

Prisoners Abroad undertakes regular presentations to a variety of audiences in which, after training, you would be expected to participate.

  • European languages

Some of our work involves calls to prisons overseas, so knowledge of another language would be an advantage.

This job description describes the principle purpose and main elements of the job. It is a guide to the nature and main duties of the job as they exist currently, but it is not intended as a wholly comprehensive or permanent schedule and is not part of the contract of employment.

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