JOB DESCRIPTION – Counter Trafficking Legal and Policy Specialist

The Helen Bamber Foundation (HBF) is a specialist UK charity which provides expert care and support survivors of torture, trafficking and other extreme human cruelty. We work with hundreds of clients every year from all over the world.

The expertise of the Foundation is renowned in the field. Through the Model of Integrated Care, HBF offers survivors access to an individually tailored programme of specialist therapy, medical advisory services, legal protection including providing expert medico-legal documentation, welfare and housing support, and creative and skills activities within an integration programme. Survivors of human trafficking benefit from HBF’s counter-trafficking programme of support.

The Role

This is an opportunity to join HBF’s specialist multi-disciplinary team, working alongside experts in asylum and immigration law, and trauma-informed ways of working. The purpose of this role is to lead on HBF’s legal and policy work as it relates to our survivor of trafficking clients alongside our Director of Policy. The Counter Trafficking Legal and Policy Specialist will split their work between HBF’s legal and policy teams – spending three days on legal work and two days on policy work, while also liaising with the multi-disciplinary team to manage client needs and ensure expert collaborative working.

Equal Opportunities

HBF 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. Therefore if you are a refugee and meet at least 50% of the criteria we will guarantee that you will be longlisted for an interview.   We particularly welcome applications from Minority Ethnicities.

Duties & Responsibilities 

Legal Protection

• Working closely with the Legal Casework Coordinator to assess and ensure the legal protection needs of our clients are met, with a particular focus on supporting survivors of trafficking.
• Collaborating with the Counter-Trafficking Team in particular, but also with the multidisciplinary team, to ensure that reports and other documents prepared for survivors of trafficking provide high-quality and effective legal evidence.
• Consulting with HBF’s multidisciplinary teams on aspects of UK asylum and immigration law and process, in particular in relation to survivors of trafficking.
• Overseeing liaison with legal representatives and support agencies by junior members of the team on particularly complex cases, including finding legal representation for our clients or referring to relevant support agencies etc. when required.
• Delivering second tier advice to legal representatives and other third party organisations supporting our clients.
• Undertaking legal reviews of Medico-Legal Reports and other legal evidence prepared by the Foundation, with a particular focus on reports carried out for survivors of trafficking, to ensure reports are comprehensive and meet the standards required by HM Courts and Tribunals Services (HMCTS) and international guidelines such as the Istanbul Protocol.
• Participating in the development and delivery of training both internally and externally.

Policy

• Contributing to HBF’s policy development, strategic litigation, and research, where appropriate, with a particular focus on issues relating to survivors of trafficking.
• Leading the policy team’s work on briefings and preparing reports on issues facing survivors of trafficking to assist in achieving HBF’s strategic goals.
• Developing and maintaining a high level of understanding of key policy areas that are impacting our client group and in particular survivors of trafficking.
• Proactively identifying themes that are impacting survivors of trafficking to assist in proactive work in those areas.
• Representing HBF at external advisory groups, meetings and stakeholder events to support sector wide work.

Throughout all aspects of the role

• Respecting client confidentiality at all times in line with HBF’s confidentiality agreements and consent forms.
• Working as part of HBF’s multi-disciplinary team to support, develop and implement organisational activities including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs);

Person Specification

Essential Knowledge, Skills & Experience                

• Degree in law with professional qualification (barrister/solicitor) or relevant experience.
• At least three years’ experience of representing vulnerable clients and/or advocating for vulnerable clients before the Immigration and Asylum Chamber.
• Experience of working with survivors of trauma including torture, domestic violence and human trafficking.
• Excellent knowledge and experience of the National Referral Mechanism and UK immigration and asylum law and processes.
• Knowledge of vulnerable adults and child protection policies.
• A strong interest in policy development.
• Analytical skills with proven ability to collate data from various sources, analyse findings and present them in a clear and accurate manner.
• Excellent time-management skills, timely record keeping and ability to prioritise tasks.
• Excellent interpersonal skills including tact and diplomacy, and the ability to build relationships internally and with external contacts.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, and the ability to negotiate and advocate to achieve positive outcomes for our clients
• Experience of working with interpreters and communicating across different cultures.
• Computer literate and able to use Office 365.
• Understanding and commitment to the objectives of the Foundation.
• Understanding and commitment to Equality and Diversity in the workplace and in relation to working with vulnerable clients.

 Desirable Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Experience of working in the voluntary/charity sector.
• Experience of working in a holistic way with clients.
• Experience of working with inter-disciplinary teams.
• Experience of drafting policy briefings.
• Knowledge of parliamentary processes.
• Working knowledge of the Istanbul Protocol.
• Working knowledge of common law in respect of Medico-Legal evidence.

As is the nature of work in this sector, the role will expose the postholder to traumatic and distressing material and, whilst they will be supported by their line manager and the surrounding team, they should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of the self-care principles needed to manage working in an intense work environment and be able to collaborate in the dissemination of those principles to other members of the team.

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 HBF to receive regular updates on your criminal records status throughout your employment.

Please submit an up-to-date CV and covering letter by 11.59pm on Sunday 4th August. Your application should outline your relevant skills and experience, as well as how your previous experience that matches the listed responsibilities and person specification to jobs@helenbamber.org. Interviews will be held in the weeks of the 5th and 12th August.

Please state in your covering letter when you would be available to start the role. The start date for this role is September 2024.

For any queries about the role, please direct them to Kat Hacker, Director of Legal Protection & Client Services at jobs@helenbamber.org

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