CLOSING DATE:  25 April 2024

JOB TITLE: Children and Young People’s Asylum Solicitor/ Caseworker  

LOCATION: Asylum Aid Office (London)

RESPONSIBLE TO: Immigration Supervisor  

CONTRACT: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours) – part-time working considered (minimum 30 hours per week)

SALARY: £34,000 p.a. (pro rata if part time)

BENEFITS: 27 days holiday plus 4% matched pension contribution

START DATE: ASAP; subject to references

ABOUT ASYLUM AID

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.

ABOUT THE ROLE

As Children and Young People’s Solicitor and Senior Caseworker at Asylum Aid, you will primarily work with unaccompanied asylum-seeking child (UASC) and young people (under 25), providing end to end representation on their asylum, human rights and trafficking claims. You may also undertake age dispute challenges and other judicial review work on behalf of your clients. You will combine this work, which will account for approximately 70% of your time, with conducting other immigration matters, including adult asylum claims, family reunion applications and statelessness applications. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the wider work of the Asylum Aid team, delivering high quality legal services on the full range of protection and trafficking issues that affect migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. You will conduct asylum casework under legal aid funding, with a specialist focus on representing unaccompanied asylum-seeking children and young people, and contribute to policy and strategic legal work to promote the rights of children and young people in the asylum system.

You will be a qualified solicitor or Immigration caseworker with IAAS Level 2/Senior Caseworker accreditation and have significant experience in publicly funded immigration work under a Legal Aid Agency Contract. You should have, or be able to obtain, Level 2 Children Safeguarding.

As is the nature of this sector, the role will be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material and, whilst they will be supported by the Asylum Aid Director, supervisors and the surrounding team, they 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 those with BAME backgrounds and with lived experience of the UK immigration system.

Please note you must have the right to work in the UK as we are unable to provide visa sponsorship.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or OISC Level 3 caseworker
• At least 2 years’ experience of providing immigration, asylum and trafficking legal advice to people seeking protection in the UK under the immigration legal aid contract;
• Senior Caseworker (Level 2) accreditation under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (IAAS);
• Significant experience of providing immigration, asylum and trafficking legal advice and representation to children, including UASCs, and young people;
• Experience in handling appeals in the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal (while advocacy experience is welcome, it is not essential);
• Excellent working knowledge of UK immigration and asylum law and policy, in particular as it relates to children, including UASCs, and young people;
• Understanding of the National Referral Mechanism for victims of trafficking and modern slavery;
• Good understanding of UASCs’ entitlement to support from their local authority under the Children Act 1989;
• Good understanding of LAA contract provisions, particularly in relation to controlled work in the immigration and asylum category, and exceptional case funding;
• An understanding of the barriers migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in general face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this makes it more difficult to access advice and support.
• The ability to manage a high number of cases at any given time while maintaining a high level of client care;
• The ability to work autonomously, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines;
• The ability to communicate fluently and effectively in English with people from a wide range of backgrounds;
• Experience of working with a Case Management System;
• Track record of achieving billing targets.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Level 2 Child Safeguarding certificate
• Experience of representing victims of trafficking within the NRM Procedure;
• Experience of acting in judicial review proceedings, including in age assessments, in the immigration context and in appeals to the Court of Appeal;
• Experience of contributing to policy advocacy work such as briefings and submissions to Parliamentary committees or attending stakeholder meetings;
• The ability to design and deliver training courses and workshops on related legal issues for a varied range of participants.

We value lived experience of the UK immigration and asylum system and actively encourage applications from those with such experience.

 Key Duties and Responsibilities

Legal Casework

• Provide legal advice and representation to clients on asylum and immigration matters, including trafficking and statelessness matters, particularly for children, including UASCs, young people and victims of trafficking.
• Demonstrate excellent standards of client care, taking account of the particular needs of children and young people and other 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.
• Undertake casework at a pace and in an environment suitable to children, using child-friendly language and in line with Asylum Aid policy on working with children.
• Where appropriate, apply for LAA Case Funding and ensure that all requirements of the Legal Aid Agency contract with regard to the conduct of publicly funded work are complied with;
• Ensure that legal aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved;
• Deal with referrals and other initial advice enquiries;
• Maintain client files and records in line with Asylum Aid’s 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.                                         

Other duties:

• Working together with the Helen Bamber Foundation Head of Policy, the Executive Director of Asylum Aid and colleagues in the children’s casework team, contribute to Asylum Aid’s children work, including but not limited to engagement with the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium and other charities and organisations providing support and services to UASCs and young people.
• Keep legal team colleagues updated on Asylum Aid’s work with children and young people and seek their input in light of their own casework with unaccompanied children and young people;
• Together with colleagues in the children and young people’s casework team, lead on the collation of data from Asylum Aid’s children and young people’s casework and maintain a related database to track relevant trends, legal and/or procedural developments that impact on casework with children and young people. Use this data to inform Asylum Aid’s strategy and potential strategic litigation with regards to children, including UASCs, and young people.
• Lead the development and delivery of internal and external training on best practice working with children and young people.
• Work with the Director of Legal Casework, children’s casework team colleagues and others in preparing policies and best practices on working with children and young people, including safeguarding issues.
• Keep abreast of relevant developments in asylum/immigration law and practice, particularly as it relates to children and young people’s cases;
• Contribute to the development and implementation of Asylum Aid’s strategy;
• Comply with professional standards and accreditation;
• Ensure that any reporting and monitoring requirements are met in full;
• Use the evidence base generated to identify strategic challenges that can feed into wider policy, research and campaigning work.
• Assist, inspire and support colleagues in carrying out their duties;
• Attend and actively participate in staff and legal team meetings;
• Attend and actively participate in internal and external meetings, events, and training sessions as appropriate;
• Play a full part in the development of Asylum Aid generally;
• Adhere in full to all Asylum Aid’s policies and procedures;
• Respect for client confidentiality at all times in line with Asylum Aid’s confidentiality agreements and consent forms;
• Undertake any other related activities as required.

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 on 25 April 2024. Your application should outline your relevant skills and experience, as well as how your previous 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 during the week commencing 6 May 2024 at our offices in central London. For any queries, please contact Monika Nollet, Director of Legal Casework at Asylum Aid, at monika.nollet@asylumaid.org.uk

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