Asylum & Refugee Coordinator - Closing date Thursday 26 May 2022
Purpose of Job:
Contribute to developing the local infrastructure of community support accessible to people seeking asylum.
Collaborate widely in enabling people seeking asylum to access statutory services and community activities.
Work to the principles of welcome, inclusion, equality and thus promoting the well-being of everyone, a culture of mutual support and good community cohesion.
Collaborating with key stakeholders such as statutory bodies, district councils, charities and services from the 3rd sector and volunteers from the community to welcome and accept the newcomers without bias or prejudice.
Main Duties:
Enable the views of people seeking asylum to be heard and represented to SERCO, statutory services and in the community.
Work with hotel residents to set up a residents’ forum and other ways to foster good relationships and respect between residents.
Identify and ensure referral for residents who are reluctant to engage and at risk of mental illness or unacceptable behaviour.
Provide guidance to community groups and other organisations who want to provide activities for residents so the activity is safe, feasible and suitable and how to make them accessible to people seeking asylum.
Assist residents to know about, sign-up for and attend community activities.
Support people living in the hotel to take part in these local community groups.
Help the City of Carlisle to welcome people seeking asylum to fully participate in the life of the city.
Ensure that hotel residents are aware of Covid19, promote covid vaccine take-up and other positive health and well-being education and lifestyle programmes to hotel residents.
Identify health and well-being services available locally that hotel residents are overlooked from and work with others to get appropriate provision for hotel residents.
Support community groups and organisations who are providing English classes and other educational opportunities and increase the access for hotel residents to these services.
Assist in establishing a local partnership to develop OISC1 and OISC2 legal information support.
Support MCC to develop translation services, reduce language barriers and develop positive attitudes to people who speak more than one language.
Work with organisations and community groups to improve the access of people seeking asylum to mainstream services.
Support community awareness, education and media around asylum matters through media including social media.
Assist in raising funding to support people seeking asylum in Carlisle.
Person Specification:
Knowledge and commitment to people seeking asylum.
Experience of developing partnerships and collaborations across organisations.
Experience of inclusion and advocacy for marginalised people.
Good standard of education including ability to plan, report writing and computer literacy.
Excellent organisational and communication skills.
The role is subject to an enhanced DBS check
You must have your own vehicle and a driving licence as travelling for meetings and activities is an essential part of the role.
This funding is initially for six months transition work, and funding to extend this role potentially leading to two years of support in accommodating and welcoming people seeking sanctuary into Carlisle. For the first six months it is envisaged that around 80% of the time will be supporting people seeking asylum, as this is new for Carlisle and after this we envisage a broader remit for all who seek sanctuary in the City, according to need.
General Duties:
To promote community cohesion, inclusion and equity for all.
Attend meetings as necessary.
Participate in the supervision system.
Represent MCC and promote its ethos; to work in a positive way and to give comprehensive feedback to the organisation.
Contribute to monitoring and reports.
Undertake training to update skills in-line with the organisation’s training and development policy.
Maintain anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory work practices.
Abide by all Multicultural Cumbria’s policies, including those around safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection.
Ensure that personal behaviour demonstrates integrity, openness and honesty; and is anti-oppressive, non-judgmental and supports diversity.
Take responsibility for inputting and storing data, and compliance with GDPR.
It is the nature of the work that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. Employees are therefore expected to work in a flexible way and tasks which are not specifically covered in their job description may have to be undertaken.
Working Patterns:
37.5 hours per week Mon-Fri, with flexibility to do evenings and weekends. Additional hours may be available, depending on future funding.Part-time working will be considered.
Applications should be returned via our website and CVs emailed to [email protected].
Interviews will take place on 7th June 2022.