Are you passionate about supporting people in crisis and interested in developing your skills as a caseworker? Then this role is for you, and it doesn't require any previous knowledge. The British Red Cross is a volunteer led organisation and the UK's largest independent provider of services and support for refugees and people seeking asylum. Our Casework Support Volunteers work with Casework Volunteer to support refugees, asylum seekers and vulnerable migrants at a time which many will find difficult and distressing, helping them to move forward in their new lives in a new country. We would like volunteers who; - Can commit to volunteering on a regular weekly basis. - Can volunteer for at least one day per week. - Will be able to volunteer for a minimum of 6 months. - The ability to speak Arabic and Kurdish Sorani would be helpful. We would be particularly interested to hear from you if you are (or have been) an asylum seeker or refugee. Diversity is something we celebrate. We want you to be able to bring your authentic self to the Red Cross and feel that you belong. We want to create an inclusive environment, and promote and spread the power of kindness. As part of creating an inclusive space we have an expenses policy that prioritises volunteers not being out of pocket for expenses linked to your role. If up front costs are difficult, you can speak to your volunteering manager about this to find alternatives. We want volunteering to be accessible to everyone. **Health and Safety Statement** We take an individual approach to ensuring your safety. We may ask you to complete a simple risk assessment and will also have a conversation with you to discuss and identify any adjustments you may need. If you have any questions before applying, please contact us at
Why we want you: We need caseworker support volunteers to assist caseworkers to help people who have experienced Displacement and Migration to access our services in person or remotely. We are looking for empathetic casework support volunteers to help people access the vital services and opportunities they need. You will enjoy being part of a supportive team, who will guide and train you to develop the skills you need to become one of our casework volunteers.
* Tasks: Shadowing & supporting caseworkers to learn how to give support to people e.g., advice on accommodation, accessing legal support, education and healthcare, signposting where appropriate and agreeing a plan of action to help people access their rights and entitlements.
Assist with assessing service users' needs face to face or remotely.
Through assessment identify protection needs faced by our service users and escalate these to our caseworkers.
Helping to maintain our service user databases.
Performing general casework administrative duties, e.g., booking appointments or recording enquiries.
Provision of destitution support if instructed by a caseworker.
Provision of appropriate information or signposting as instructed by a caseworker.
Working with interpreters to establish people's needs.
Provision of trauma informed emotional support.
* Skills: A willingness to develop your understanding of trauma informed practice.
A willingness to develop your skills & knowledge through shadowing, training and reading.
Able to volunteer in a multicultural environment.
Emotionally resilient as you may need to deal with challenging or difficult situations.
Able to speak English (If you can speak another language commonly used within the local refugee population this would also be helpful).
Keep the people we support at the heart of what you do.
* Benefits: Meet new people and be part of a supportive and inclusive team.
A great opportunity to develop your existing skills and gain new ones.
All training and induction for the role (there is no charge for training).
Reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses.
Ability to get involved in other opportunities within the BRC.
An opportunity to be part of the world's largest humanitarian organisation and the knowledge that you are making a difference to people's lives.