Job Description

Job Title / Casework Co-ordinator – Refugee Support & International Family Tracing
Job Band / EP2(S) / Ref: / REQ0000006OQ
Department / Humanitarian Action /
Division
/ South Eastern
Reporting To / Service Manager for Refugee and IFT / Location / Luton (with extensive travel in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex)
Duration / Permanent /
Last Updated
/ May 2015

Context

The British Red Cross helps people in crisis, whoever and wherever they are. We are part of a global voluntary network, responding to conflicts, natural disasters and individual emergencies. We enable vulnerable people in the UK and abroad to prepare for and with stand emergencies in their own communities. And when the crisis is over, we help them to recover and move on with their lives.

Within the UK, the British Red Cross operates through 30,000 volunteers and 3,000 staff by providing direct service delivery and by empowering and influencing others to respond to their own crises and those within their communities. Structurally the British Red Cross is divided into 21 Areas, grouped into 4 Territories, supported and guided by a national team.

The British Red Cross has a long tradition of providing practical and emotional assistance to asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants. Our trained volunteers provide much needed support to thousands of people every year, helping them to access local services and adjust to life in a new country. The Red Cross’s services include:

·  Providing practical/emotional help to asylum seekers, refugees, and vulnerable migrants

·  Providing orientation services to help refugees adapt to life in the UK

·  Providing emergency support for arrivals

·  Providing emergency provisions for those in crisis

Structure

The Area includes three counties: Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex, with the services teams working from key locations across the area to deliver the services to those in crisis. The Area Office is in Hertford with County Offices in Luton and Chelmsford and a medical equipment warehouse in Harlow. The Operations Director manages the area through the service teams, which include Senior Service Managers, Service Managers, Service Co-ordinators, Project Managers and Volunteers. A Volunteer Council operates in each County with the Chair taking a key role in the Area management.

Scope

The Casework Co-ordinator post has responsibility of being a part of two services (Refugee Support and International Family Tracing) and delivering quality casework services across Bedfordshire and supporting peers in Herts & Essex (particularly from the Chelmsford office). The post holder will be managing a heavy caseload and supporting a team of volunteers to deliver casework for both Refugee Support & International Family Tracing.

This will include interviewing and sign posting people for the International Family Tracing service. Within Refugee Support the Co-ordinator will be providing emotional support, destitution provision and advocating to assist beneficiaries in accessing support in line with their entitlement. You will also be recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to deliver casework. The post holder will undertake a range of duties designed to maintain, promote and improve this valuable service within the three counties. There is scope for the service to develop over time to adapt to the needs of the beneficiaries as required.

Overall Purpose of the Post

To support the beneficiaries, provide coordination and supervision to volunteers assisting our beneficiaries on behalf of both services. The post holder will be assisting beneficiaries at the weekly drop-in in Luton. Due to nature of the work and the demand for the service across the area the ideal candidate is required to be flexible and adaptable to ensure a quality service to our beneficiaries.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

·  Provide practical and emotional support needed by refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants to enable them to access support and services within the UK. This would include managing the drop-in, outreach projects and responding to your caseload

·  Sign post, advocate and apply for support and provide practical assistance to beneficiaries and also support volunteers working with destitute clients

·  Ensure that the service is accessible to all and that service delivery is carried out in an environment sensitive to our beneficiaries needs

·  Support beneficiaries and volunteers in developing care plans that promote independence, empower and give self confidence

·  Recruit, train, supervise and support a team of volunteers to work with the Refugee Support and International Family Tracing

·  Support volunteers in addressing the needs of individual beneficiaries recognising the need for sensitivity, gender and cultural awareness

·  Organise training and information sessions for the Red Cross staff and volunteers to promote awareness of refugee, asylum seeker, and vulnerable migrant issues

·  Monitor and evaluate service levels and service quality including beneficiary feedback and maintaining accurate and confidential records

·  Ensure all that deliver the services are fully aware and trained in appropriate health and safety procedures and risk assessments

·  Submit verbal and written statistical and narrative reports on a quarterly basis and as requested by your Service Manager

·  Work with your Service Manager to respond to new and emerging needs previously unmet by the services. This includes informing the Service Manager of any circumstances errors/omissions that may have a detrimental effect on service delivery

·  Participate in fundraising activities on behalf of the British Red Cross as requested by your Service Manager

·  As appropriate to respond to an emergency call out by the British Red Cross

·  Contribute to the implementation of the outreach plan for both services. This could include: presentations, workshops, public outreach, development of resources, and attending networking meetings

·  Commit to ongoing training and professional development for yourself including attending internal and external supervision, and various other internal British Red Cross meetings

·  Assisting in the organisation and delivery of events such as forums/conferences/exhibitions. In collaboration with the team organising a successful and effective Refugee Week and International Day of the Disappeared

·  Undertake any tasks that may be reasonably requested by the Service Manager including offering support to your counterpart in Chelmsford and attending team meetings

Person Specification

Job Title: Casework co-ordinator Ref: Band: EP2(S)

Entry level

Education/ Training

/   Educated to A level or equivalent by experience**
  Full driving licence**
  Preferably hold qualifications in migration, human rights, development, social work, or health

Experience

/   Casework experience with refugees/asylum seekers/vulnerable migrants **
  Experience of delivering highly confidential services to the public **
  Experience of recruiting and managing volunteers or similar transferrable experience that can be demonstrated
  Experience of maintaining effective working relationships **
  Experience of working independently and as part of a team
  Experience of working in the voluntary sector including the ability to demonstrate working in conditions where resources are limited

Knowledge/ Technical Skills

/   Working knowledge of spreadsheet, email, web based and word processing software **
  Experience of using databases
  Knowledge of cross-cultural issues and those surrounding conflicts and national disasters. Demonstrate an understanding of how this may affect refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants **
  Working knowledge of legislation and issues relevant to refugees, asylum seekers, and vulnerable migrants including immigration, housing, health etc **
  Knowledge of services both statutory and voluntary that provide support to these particular beneficiary groups **
  Able to contribute to the development and implementation of operational plans
  Knowledge of relevant health and safety practices
  Ability to collate and interpret a range of management information including statistical information and user
feedback

Competencies

/   Excellent communication skills, including report writing and verbal presentations/ delivering training **
  Able to communicate with a variety of nationalities ( language skills are an advantage)
  Sensitivity when dealing with people in distress**
  Analysis, decision making and problem solving, including the ability to think strategically and laterally **
  Organisational skills
  Ability to manage own time and workload and flexibly to respond to and prioritise a range of competing demands **
  Recruiting and selecting volunteers
  Managing and developing volunteers
  Being an effective team player and bringing passion, creativity, and a positive attitude in the team dynamics

Behaviours

/   Uphold the Fundamental Principles and act with integrity and in accordance with the Society’s values and obligations.
  Uphold the British Red Cross values
  Recognise the implications of working within a charity and a voluntary organisation **
  Ensure equal opportunities and anti discriminatory practices and promote diversity
  Recognise and value the contribution of others
  Give feedback and support with the ability to receive constructive feedback **
  Willingness to learn and share learning
  Uphold confidentiality in all aspects of your work with beneficiaries, volunteers and colleagues

Special Circumstances

/   Able to work unsociable hours on occasion **
  Able to respond to emergency situations, with on call duties as required
  Able to work and travel extensively throughout the Area (Beds, Herts & Essex) on a regular basis, and more widely in the UK as required including places of immigration detention and prisons. **
  Access to own vehicle

**Minimum short-listing criteria. N.B. All disabled candidates who meet these criteria must be short-listed for interview in line with our commitment under the two- tick symbol scheme.

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Casework Co-ordinator Ref Support & IFT March 2014.DOC