JOB TITLE: Children’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 22.5 hours per week)

SALARY: £35,000 p.a. (pro rata if part time)

BENEFITS: 27 days holiday plus 4% matched pension contribution

START DATE: August 2023; 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’s Solicitor and Senior Caseworker at Asylum Aid, you will be responsible for taking the lead on our unaccompanied asylum-seeking child (UASC) work. You will combine this work, which will account for approximately 70% of your time, with conducting other immigration matters, including non-UASC 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 contribute to policy and strategic legal work to promote the rights of children 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.

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or OISC Level 3 caseworker
• At least two years’ experience of maintaining a caseload of complex asylum, immigration and human rights cases in line with OISC and LAA regulatory requirements;
• 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;
• Experience of providing advice and representation under the immigration legal aid contract;
• Experience in handling appeals in the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal;
• Experience of working with a Case Management System;
• Experience in achieving billing targets.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Level 2 Child Safeguarding certificate
• Experience and understanding of representing victims of trafficking within the NRM Procedure;
• Experience of acting in judicial review proceedings in the immigration context and in appeals to the Court of Appeal;
• Experience of working in partnership with external organisations, including pro bono lawyers
• 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.

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 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 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 and the Director of Asylum Aid, act as a lead on 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.
• Keep legal team colleagues updated on Asylum Aid’s children work and seek their input in light of their own casework with unaccompanied children;
• Act as a lead in collating data from Asylum Aid’s child casework and maintaining a related database to track relevant trends, legal and/or procedural developments that impact on children casework. Use this data to inform Asylum Aid’s strategy and potential strategic litigation with regards to unaccompanied child asylum seekers.
• Lead the development and delivery of internal and external training on best practice working with children.
• Work with the Director in preparing policies and best practices on working with children, including safeguarding issues.
• Keep abreast of relevant developments in asylum/immigration law and practice, particularly as it relates to children 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.

Person Specification

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

Knowledge

1. Excellent working knowledge of immigration and asylum law and policy, in particular as it relates to children;
2. Understanding of the National Referral Mechanism procedure and its implications for immigration status;
3. Awareness of the statelessness determination procedure;
4. Understands the requirements of OISC/SRA/Lexcel and LAA in relation to the conduct of cases, file management and supervision;
5. Thorough understanding of LAA contract provisions, particularly in relation to controlled work in the immigration and asylum category, and exceptional case funding;
6. Good awareness of the welfare and support entitlements of asylum seekers in the UK; and
7. An understanding of the barriers migrants, 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

1. The ability to work well with children and young people;
2. The ability to manage a high number of cases at any given time;
3. The ability to maintain a high level of client care;
4. The ability to work co-operatively with colleagues;
5. The ability to work autonomously, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines;
6. The ability to analyse and assess detailed information, and to grasp complex issues rapidly;
7. The ability to communicate fluently and effectively in English with people from a wide range of backgrounds;
8. The ability to deal empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers;
9. The ability to be self-servicing in an office environment;
10. The ability to work outside normal office hours as required; and
11. 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 19^th June 2023 . 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 Monday 26^th June 2023 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.

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