England and Wales Completed and passed (or expect to pass by 14 March 2024) the Legal Practice Course (LPC) or have an UG degree and completed and passed SQE Part 1.
Areas of Law
Immigration and Asylum
Location
Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Crescent, Sheffield, S10 2BP
Starting Salary and Hours
£25,000-£29,000 p.a. and 37 hours per week
Organisational Benefits
- Working within a highly experienced, creative team under an expert supervisor - Working in a leafy university campus with easy access to the gym, expert colleagues and a wide range of welfare benefits - Opportunities to work directly with a range of key refugee stakeholders and organisations
Interview Dates
Interview Date 1: Tuesday 16 January 2024 Interview Date 2: Thursday 18 January 2024
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Organisation Detail
The Refugee Rights Hub was fully established in September 2018 to help refugee families based in Yorkshire and the Humber. Our primary aim is to fill the gaps in legal assistance created when the UK Government withdrew Legal Aid. We provide eligible individuals with full access to essential immigration services and legal support throughout the application process. The services we offer are free of charge. The Refugee Rights Hub will never ask for payment and our goal is to reunite families with those they have been forced to leave behind when seeking sanctuary. Since our formation we have helped more than 1000 family members from all over the world in making applications to join loved ones in the UK.
Any questions regarding this organisation or the position should be directed to s.chiwanza@shu.ac.uk
Job Description
What can a trainee expect by training at this organisation?
Deliver customer service excellence, ensuring consistency and accuracy in accordance with relevant systems, processes and regulations.
Contribute to service development and innovation; recommend improvements to systems/ processes; prepare management information; support customer engagement with formal feedback mechanisms and carry out research to inform continuous improvement.
Working collaboratively across Professional Services, to provide consistent and high quality service provision; liaise with stakeholders and colleagues; share information and represent area in working groups and meetings.
Embody the University's values both within and outside the organisation, role modelling behaviour and supporting equality, diversity and inclusion.
Work flexibly across Professional Services to accommodate peak periods and adapt to changing demands in service delivery. Provide operational support to the University's annual programme of activities, e.g. Open Days, Course Information Days, clearing, enrolment and graduation.
Promote the culture and vision of Professional Services, demonstrating a commitment to ongoing personal development.
Main Responsibilities & Duties
To provide, under supervision, advice, guidance and administrative support for refugee clients seeking family reunification to ensure an excellent student/customer experience and integrity of service, including data input to legal casework system, ensure records are accurate and up to date, assisting in design of new materials for clients, students and wider audiences.
To support the development and operation of administrative systems, record keeping within an agreed framework:
maintain and create enquiry/data management systems and records ensuring the consistency and integrity of information;
retrieve data, collate and produce MI reports and statistical information
administer systems of operation
Under strict supervision provide a consistent and professional service which supports the delivery of our business, including supporting the Refugee Hub in complex casework and teaching.
To act as an initial point of escalation, providing more in-depth guidance and support for a diverse range of queries; maintain confidentiality and treat sensitive issues with appropriate tact and diplomacy e.g., meet with new enquirers who contact the Refugee Rights Hub via our website telephone or in person, undertake triage tasks, take detailed initial instruction and maintain all attendance records via our legal database, providing excellent customer service at all times.
Provide a professional, visible and proactive service, developing credibility and trust with a range of stakeholders.
Build up a caseload of clients, specifically to support clients requiring refugee family reunion and wider family migration advice.
Work with solicitors to carry out casework, including, where appropriate, representation in court and tribunal for clients on a range of family migration matters.
To provide support for a range of committees, forums and working groups; coordinating meetings, collating and disseminating information, room bookings, agendas, preparation of papers, minutes/note taking and follow up actions.
To have regard at all times to the planning and execution of duties outlined in the Sheffield Hallam University’s Equal Opportunities Policy.
To attend regular supervision meetings with your supervising solicitor to discuss job performance and personal career development, and to undergo training where necessary.
To support or lead, where appropriate, specific projects/ schemes/ areas of work and evaluate the impact and effectiveness; contribute to relevant initiatives within the Refugee Rights Hub as directed by the Supervising Solicitor e.g.:
work collaboratively with internal staff and external stakeholders to develop a bespoke migrant child settlement and nationality project/ pilot project.
Assist in the review and evaluation of the Refugee Rights Hub and any pilot or other projects that may fall under the Hub, with clients and external stakeholders
Ensuring all attendance records are fully maintained and ready for inspection on the Hub legal casework management system; ensuring the implementation of policies and procedures within the Hub.
To contribute to the ongoing development of processes and procedures for the team, including guidelines and standards of good practice in the provision and maintenance of information, particularly in relation to refugee and wider migrant issues; actively promote change and support new ways of working within the Refugee Rights Hub
To assist with communications and the promotion of activities/services following an established set of protocols and principles, in collaboration with other areas as required, e.g., supporting the promotion of the Refugee Rights Hub.
Assist in building and developing strategic relationships with external partners and stakeholders, e.g. assisting academic staff and students in creating external client relationships to strengthen the work of the Refugee Rights Hub
The above list is not exhaustive and, as such, it is expected that you will be responsible for related issues commensurate to the level of the role and commitments made under the JFF programme.
Person Specification
Essential
Experience of carrying out a range of administration activities
Experience of organising, supporting and delivering events/ projects/ training
Experience of committee servicing, including note taking and follow up action
Experience of working effectively in an environment of complex regulations and procedures (e.g. social welfare law, with particular interest in refugee and wider migration law)
Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office and web-based technologies including IT Software
Commitment to delivering a high standard of customer service.
Experience of working in a team of staff and volunteers.
Delivering customer service
Communicating and engaging
Working collaboratively
Seeing the bigger picture
Managing self and leading others
Maximising digital and technological potential
Desirable
Demonstrable interest in immigration, asylum and or Human Rights Law.
