Pathways to Work Project Worker (Part Time)

Responsible to:  Pathways to Work Project Worker

Location: Home based (this post will require some travel)

About Refugee Action

This is an exciting time for Refugee Action. We are a national charity with more than 40 years’ experience of empowering people who’ve survived some of the world’s worst regimes to secure the protection and support that they need to live with dignity and respect and build a new life in the UK. We do this by providing expert advice and casework, building the capacity of partner organisations and campaigning on the policies that affect them.

Our vision for a welcoming UK has never been more important. It’s a crucial time to be part of Refugee Action as we come to the end of our current strategy (2019-22) and embark on our next strategic period.  We will do this through securing systemic change through our campaigns to change government policies, our direct services, and our work to strengthen and connect other service delivery organisations. You can read more about what we do here.

We will also continue with our commitment in our strategy to do far more to learn from and shift power to refugees and people seeking asylum. We are also striving to be an actively anti-racist organisation. Both of these commitments are a top priority for our CEO as set out in his first public statement on Twitter here.

Purpose of post

• To co-ordinate and deliver an online employability group course to support refugees and other eligible migrants to understand the UK work environment and increase levels of employability, including functional English language skills
• To support the Pathways to Work Project Team in developing online resources for and coordinating an employability mentoring programme, to increase confidence and self-esteem through 1:1 goals focused mentoring and coaching support
• To support refugees on the programme to develop individual career and employment pathways and to tailor the group courses and mentoring to support these pathways

Main duties and responsibilities

• To deliver a series of 8-week online employability group programmes for refugees, people seeking asylum and vulnerable migrants that focus on: career goal setting, supporting individuals to identify and work towards employment goals; insights into specific sectors; skills and tools for effective job search, applications and interviews; and work on specific areas of technical, functional English language
• To support the Pathways to Work Volunteer Coordinator in the recruitment, induction, and training of employability volunteers to assist with delivery of the group sessions.
• To carry out assessments of people referred to the Employment Support to determine how best they can be assisted, to create their employability development plan
• To ensure that this work has a focus on fostering people’s independence and respects the culture, personal history and situation of all its users.
• To support the Pathways To Work Project Manager in building partnerships with other organisations which offer employability services from which people using the project could benefit, and to work with people and with those agencies in order to facilitate their access to potential employment and volunteering opportunities
• To gather feedback from employability group session participants and both mentor and mentee participants and monitor progress against indicators of employability
• To keep full, accurate and up-to-date case records
• To provide written and oral reports as required
• To ensure that all work is carried out in accordance with Refugee Action’s strategic aims, values, principles, policies and procedures, specifically those around equal opportunity, confidentiality, impartiality and non-directive advice
• Understanding of the many barriers that people with lived experience face to have real power and influence, with experience of ensuring they feel empowered to create positive change.
• Ability to implement an anti-racist and shifting power agenda within your work

For the charity

• To play an active role in one or more Refugee Action thematic groups as required
• To liaise with other teams in Refugee Action as appropriate
• To attend regular team meetings in order to share information, monitor services, and foster effective and supportive team working
• To participate in own supervision, appraisal and training as agreed with your Line Manager
• To carry out administrative tasks in support of own work (e.g. word- processing, filing) and other duties consistent with the nature of the post, and in furtherance of the Working English Project
• Safeguard at all times confidentiality of information relating to staff and clients.
• To carry out all the above in accordance with the aims, values and policies of Refugee Action, in particular, confidentiality, impartiality and Equal Opportunities

The post-holder may be asked to re-organise their work in order to help the agency to respond to changes in type or extent of needs of refugees, which can arise from time to time. This would be done in a way consistent with the purposes of the post and in consultation with the post-holder.

Candidate Specification

All experience may be paid or voluntary, full or part-time, in the UK or overseas. Candidates will be short-listed on the following specifications:

Experience, Knowledge, Abilities and Skills

• An understanding of the experiences and barriers facing people seeking asylum, newly granted refugees and vulnerable migrants who are seeking employment, with insight into their needs, hopes and experiences.
• Knowledge and experience of supporting people to access employment or volunteering opportunities in the UK, including assessing the employment needs of service users and putting in place appropriate support to meet those needs
• A CELTA qualification (or equivalent) and experience planning and delivering group sessions
• Develop materials and resources to support employability group programmes, including functional English language resources.
• Understanding of and commitment to service user involvement and fostering independence, including experience, and understanding of cultural diversity and the ability to work with people from a range of different cultures.
• Commitment to key advice principles such as confidentiality, impartiality and non-directive approaches with a commitment to shifting power and anti-racism.
• Experience of developing partnerships and working with other organisations in support of clients, including good negotiating skills for working with a wide range of voluntary and statutory agencies.
• Experience and understanding of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers to deliver services to clients.
• Understanding how to practice self-care and protecting your own psychological well-being when working with people in vulnerable situations.
• Experience of working with other professionals collaboratively and in multi-disciplinary settings.
• Constructive approach to working within a small team
• Strong communication skills, good spoken and written English, sufficient to provide advice in English, to advocate and negotiate on behalf of clients
• Open and reflective attitude to your own work and experience, with excellent active listening skills
• Strong organisational and administrative skills, with ability to juggle conflicting priorities.

Terms and conditions of employment

This position is offered on a part-time permanent basis with funding for the next three years. The following conditions of service will apply