Community Advocate
Job Description
Job Title: Community Advocate
Contract length: 12 months
Hours: 21 hours per week
Salary: 25,000 pro rata
Working Hours: 9am-5pm, 3 days per week
Reports to: Advocacy Service Manager and Director
Responsible for: Community Advocacy
Location: Harrow (Office) with outreach in other London boroughs
Introduction
Afghan Association Paiwand (Paiwand) is a registered charity and limited company founded in 2002 founded in 2002 by committed volunteers from the Afghan community. Paiwand aims to benefit refugee communities in the United Kingdom through reducing poverty, advancing education, and relieving suffering through a number of services including advocacy, social support, accommodation and others. Paiwand supports all refugees and migrants to the UK.
The Advocacy Service
The Paiwand Advocacy Service aims to assist and enable refugees and asylum seekers to have their views taken into account by the organisations who make decisions which affect them. Advocacy is not about making decisions for people, but about giving them the information and resources they need to make decisions for themselves and then assisting them in following through those decisions. The service provides people with advice in support in a number of areas including housing, welfare benefits, legal rights, access to education etc. The team takes a client-centred approach. The advocacy service provided by Paiwand is both free and independent.
The Position
We require a Community Advocate to support the Advocacy Service Manager in running the Community Advocacy team. The role will entail case management, namely; interviewing clients; providing up-to-date advice and advocating alongside clients to access quality services. Tasks might include writing letters on behalf of clients, making phone calls, signposting, applying for grants, communicating with government bodies and carrying out research, as well as other tasks. The Community Advocacy team works is supported by volunteers.
Aims of the post
· To enable refugees living in North West London to successfully integrate and access services by providing support, information and representation across a range of areas, in response to client needs.
· To enable refugees and asylum seekers to communicate their views and exercise choices about the services they receive
· To provide a service which reflects, and responds to, the needs and aspirations of people of different cultures, ages and backgrounds.
Main duties and responsibilities
· To conduct 2 initial assessments with new clients each week.
· To follow up on existing client caseload in a timely manner, ensuring deadlines are met to safeguard clients’ wellbeing.
· To support the Advocacy Service Manager to manage the advocacy service for refugees, asylum seekers and migrants.
· To support the Manager in building relationships with existing partner organisations to establish referral procedures and networking with new partner organisations.
· To assist clients in accessing appropriate services e.g. social work services, benefits advice, housing advice, employment advice, culturally specific services; providing general advise on issues of their rights and entitlements, health services, housing, welfare benefits etc.
· To support and, if required, represent clients in meetings and reviews.
· To effectively report on all client interactions for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation.
· To offer practical assistance such as letter writing, accompanying clients to local schools, job centre plus or others, attendance at tribunals, and form filling.
· To monitor issues of collective concern in delivery of statutory services and communicate concerns to service providers.
· To follow the wishes of clients and support their right to make their own decisions, encouraging clients to self-advocate where possible and support them in doing so.
· To maintain independence from statutory service providers and represent refugees and asylum seekers impartially.
· To support the Advocacy Service Manager to manage, support and supervise the team of volunteer community advocates to ensure that the service being provided to clients is consistent and of a high standard.
· To be willing to receive training on immigration advice and train for Office for Immigration Services Commission (OISC) level 1.
· To support the Advocacy Service Manager in writing funding reports and proposals for the advocacy service.
Records
· To maintain accurate records of contacts with clients in accordance with established monitoring systems.
· To participate in the collection of data for monitoring and evaluation of Paiwand’s services.
· To maintain the confidentiality of clients with external parties at all times unless in accordance with Paiwand’s Confidentiality Policy.
Equal opportunities
· To abide by and promote Afghan Association Paiwand’s Equal Opportunities policy
· To take positive action to encourage the participation of clients who experience discrimination for reasons of gender, national or ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, or health status.
Policies
· To work in accordance with Afghan Association Paiwand’s policies and procedures, including the confidentiality policy, health and safety policy and advocacy service manual.
Networking and publicity
· To support the Advocacy Service Manager in publicising Paiwand’s services to potential clients through visits to projects and community organisations, specifically with law centres and legal firms.
· To work collaboratively with other advocacy projects and service providers.
Administration
· To carry out administration associated with the provision of advocacy services, including correspondence, photocopying, maintaining accurate records and filing.
General
· To attend and participate in weekly advocacy team meetings.
· To attend and participate in supervision.
· To actively source opportunities, and participate, in training and professional development.
· To keep informed of new developments in advocacy particularly as they relate to the refugee and asylum communities.
· To keep up-to-date in relevant policy changes in areas which effect client group i.e. housing, immigration, welfare benefits etc.
· To participate in cover arrangements for absent colleagues.
Community Advocate, Person Specification
Post requirements – Essential / Desirable
Experience and Skills
1. Ability to listen, understand and engage effectively with a diverse range of people who may be experiencing distress: Essential
2. Ability to communicate, both verbally and in writing, in an accessible way to users and statutory service professionals: Essential
3. At least two years’ experience of providing support in a sensitive and responsive way to refugees, migrants and asylum seekers: Desirable
4. The ability to manage a diverse and demanding workload, requiring good organisational skills and prioritisation: Essential
5. To be able to understand relevant legislation, policy and guidance and apply this appropriately to your work: Essential
6. Experience of identifying outcomes and demonstrating the effectiveness of a programme to stakeholders: Desirable
Knowledge and understanding
7. To have an understanding of issues that face refugees and asylum seekers in accessing services: Essential
8. To have an understanding of values and principles underpinning service user involvement and good client care: Essential
9. To have an understanding of current legislative framework and procedural guidance relating to Advocacy support: Essential
10. To have an understanding of the policy frameworks, systems and structures for the delivery of statutory services: Essential
11. To be computer literate: Essential
12. To have OISC Level 1 – 2: Desirable
Qualities
13. Ability to adapt readily and quickly to a changing environment: Essential
14. Ability to use initiative and work without continuous supervision: Essential
15. Ability to work under pressure: Essential
16. Ability to efficiently manage and administer office work: Essential
17. Ability to work effectively within a team of full/part time staff and volunteers, providing support and being flexible: Essential
Application Process
Please send your CV and covering letter via email to [log in to unmask] by Sunday 1st November, midnight.
Sarah Wahby
Advocacy Service Manager
www.paiwand.com
@AA_Paiwand
Afghan Association Paiwand
Middlesex House
3rd Floor, 130 College Road
Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 1BQ
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