JOB TITLE:  Billing Coordinator and Casework Assistant
LOCATION:  Asylum Aid Office (London)
RESPONSIBLE TO:  Immigration Supervisor
CONTRACT:  Full time (37.5 hours per week)
SALARY:  £27,000 p.a.
BENEFITS:  27 days holiday (pro rata) plus 4% matched pension contribution
START DATE:  September 2023, subject to references

BACKGROUND

This is an exciting opportunity to join the legal aid casework team at Asylum Aid. It is an ideal entry-level opportunity to train in legal aid casework with our expert team, while also coordinating our legal aid billing which is vital to ensure the financial sustainability of our work.

For over thirty years, Asylum Aid has been providing legal representation to some of the most vulnerable people seeking asylum. We have built an expert service, delivering vital and life-saving services in some of the most complex legal cases, with a particular speciality working with unaccompanied children, survivors of trafficking, torture or other forms of human cruelty, and stateless people. Our vision is that all those in need of protection from persecution and other forms of human cruelty in the UK can obtain it, and are treated fairly and with dignity.

Since August 2020, Asylum Aid has been part of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group. Asylum Aid operates as an independent charity, led by its own Director within the group structure, and is ambitious about growing its impact and reach in the future to ensure protection from persecution for those who need it.

ABOUT THE ROLE

This role is divided between billing coordination (0.5FTE) and assisting and training in casework (0.5FTE). The focus of the role of billing coordinator is to ensure the efficient and robust delivery of costing and billing of legal aid files conducted under Legal Aid Agency (LAA) contract (Legal Help / Controlled Legal Representation / Upper Tribunal casework). This includes reconciliation of payments received and made, and to provide essential coordination within the organisation to support lawyers in ensuring files are billed promptly and accurately, and costs are maximized. You will gain detailed knowledge of the legal aid contract and the process for billing legal aid work, which are essential for anyone wishing to succeed in legal aid casework. This role will work with the Legal Team of Asylum Aid and the Finance team of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group.

The role of casework assistant will involve opportunities to gain experience of immigration and asylum legal aid casework under supervision of Asylum Aid’s expert legal team. The postholder will be supported to gain accreditation as a casework assistant under the Law Society accreditation scheme and with the OISC. They will be delegated appropriate tasks under supervision, on a range of protection and immigration work, including initial applications, appeals, and judicial review work. As the role progresses it is envisaged that they will begin to take more responsibility for simple matters with appropriate supervision, and to work towards accreditation as a Senior Caseworker.

As is the nature of this sector, the role will be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material and, whilst you will be supported by the supervisor and surrounding team, you should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of good self-care principles in an intense work environment.

Equal Opportunities

The Foundation and Asylum Aid is an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer. We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates as we are keen to make sure that our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in at every level within the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from individuals within underrepresented groups, and those with lived experience of the UK immigration system.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Law degree or other evidence of study of the law or prior experience of working in a setting
  which required understanding or application of the law;
• Experience of paid or voluntary work in an advice / casework setting;
• Experience of paid or voluntary work with people with insecure immigration status or other
  groups with multiple and complex needs such as homeless people or survivors of interpersonal
  trauma;
• Right to work in the UK.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Current accreditation as a Trainee Casework Assistant or Casework Assistant under the Law
  Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme;
• Experience of paid or voluntary work in an organisation with an immigration legal aid contract;
• Registration with the OISC at level 1 or above;
• Experience of legal aid billing;
• Experience of using the Legal Aid Agency’s Client and Costs Management System.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Billing coordinator (0.5 FTE)

Billing

• Processing and accurately recording LAA income.
• Posting and submitting LAA files for monthly billing cycle and supporting the Director and Finance
  team to reconcile monthly payments (including disbursements) from the Legal Aid Agency, via
  case management system.
• Liaising with fee earners to prepare and submit files for escape claim billing in a timely manner
  and to submit appeals against rejects/reductions where justified.
• Together with the legal administrator, process and facilitate invoices for disbursements and
  counsel fee notes.
• Assisting with civil billing in certificated matters including submission of claims via CCMS and
  liaising with external costs draftspeople.

Billing Support

• To maintain and develop an efficient system to progress billing legal aid files.
• To define and harmonise how fee earners report matters, including on CCMS.
• To maintain accurate records tracking the status of files that are in the billing process and to
  provide regular updates to fee earners and managers.
• To assist fee earners in the preparation of files for billing, providing guidance and support where
  necessary.

Billing monitoring and Reporting

• Provide management and supervisors at least quarterly work in progress spreadsheets and
  monitor inactive matters.
• Monitor and keep track of all LAA rejects (including escape claims) and claims for uplifts –
  monitor the KPI data from the LAA.
• Deliver costs and billing updates and training to caseworkers on changes and matters that come
  to light within the monitoring process.
• Maintain and keep up to date Asylum Aid billing guide .
• Promote and disseminate areas of good practice to improve billing performance.

Personal and professional development (billing)

• To maintain knowledge of legal aid billing process.
• To collate and exchange examples of good practice to share with partner organizations to
  promote best practice.
• To attend courses on billing and costing, specialist skills and the use of information technology.

Casework assistant (0.5FTE):

• To undertake appropriate casework tasks on legal aid matters relating to asylum, protection,
  trafficking, immigration and statelessness as delegated by fee earners and with supervision,
  including conducting interviews with client to assess legal aid eligibility and take instructions;
  preparation of drafts of witness statements and representations to the Home Office; and drafting
  advice letters for clients
• Time record all chargeable work on legal aid matters in a timely manner
• Demonstrate excellent standards of client care, taking account of the particular needs of
  vulnerable people.
• Ensure that referrals are made to attempt to find additional, non-legal support for clients, where
  this is deemed appropriate and clients are open to such support.
• Where appropriate, fully and accurately complete Controlled Work applications and secure
  evidence of means, and apply for LAA Case Funding, including assisting in the preparation and
  submission of applications on CCMS for legal aid certificates and amendments to costs and
  scope limitations
• Ensure that all requirements of the Legal Aid Agency contract with regard to the conduct of
  publicly funded work are complied with in respect of delegated tasks, in particular paragraph 8.18
  regarding Reserved Matters;
• Ensure that legal aid and other income is maximized, and targets are achieved;
• Deal with referrals and other initial advice enquiries, including conducting initial triage of matters
  referred by project partners;
• Maintain client files and records in line with file management procedures;
• Participate in file reviews with other casework staff as required.
• Instruct counsel on cases as appropriate.
• Liaise with and refer clients to other legal representatives as appropriate.

Personal and professional development (casework)

• Secure and maintain IAAS accreditation as a trainee casework assistant/casework assistant or
  Senior caseworker;
• Secure and maintain OISC registration at Level 2 in asylum & protection and immigration
  (statelessness only)
• To undertake professional development and learning activities with a view to obtaining IAAS
  senior caseworker accreditation/OISC Level 3 registration in due course
• To actively participate in supervision and appraisal and team activities to promote high standards
  and continuous development.

Other

• To attend staff meetings as required.
• To undertake other duties which are generally compatible with the functions of the post.
• To comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures, particularly those relating to
  safeguarding, health and safety, confidentiality and security, as set out in the Office Manual as
  well the policies of other relevant partner organisations.

Person Specification

In addition to the essential and desirable qualifications and experience outlined above, the ideal candidate will meet the following criteria for the post:

Knowledge

• Awareness of the immigration legal aid scheme in England & Wales;
• Understanding of the UK immigration system and awareness of the UK asylum law and
  procedure;
• Understanding of the European Convention on Human Rights and the Human Rights Act 1998;
• Good awareness of the welfare and support entitlements of asylum seekers and those on
  immigration bail/without immigration status in the UK; and
• An understanding of the barriers migrants, stateless persons, refugees, and asylum seekers
  face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this
  makes it more difficult to access advice and support.

Abilities

• Excellent numeracy and literacy skills
• Excellent IT skills including the ability to use Excel to track progress on billing;
• Excellent attention to detail;
• The ability to maintain a high level of client care;
• The ability to work co-operatively with colleagues and to develop relationships with external
  partners including referral organisations and the Legal Aid Agency;
• The ability to work autonomously, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines;
• The ability to analyse and assess detailed information, and to grasp complex issues rapidly;
• The ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds;
• The ability to deal empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers;
• The ability to work outside normal office hours as required; and
• The ability to travel in order to carry out the responsibilities of the post.

Please note that the successful candidate will be offered the job subject to suitable references and
an enhanced DBS check.

If appointed you will be required to give your consent to Asylum Aid to receive regular updates on
your criminal records status throughout your employment.

Please submit an up to date CV and covering letter by 9am Monday 7 th August 2023 . Your
application should outline your relevant skills and experience, as well as how your previous
experience, including voluntary experience and lived experience, matches the listed responsibilities
and person specification to jobs@helenbamber.org. Please state in your covering letter when you
would be available to start the role. In setting the salary regard has been had to the NCJ payscales.
Interviews are scheduled to be held in the week beginning 21 st August at our offices in central
London. For any queries, please contact Alison Pickup, Director of Asylum Aid, at
alison.pickup@asylumaid.org.uk

We regret that we can only respond to applicants who make it to the interview stage. No agencies.