JOB SUMMARY:
Managing a small team of volunteers, this role will involve providing comprehensive support to vulnerable clients, including newly dispersed and existing asylum seekers and refugees in Nottingham, ensuring they have access to mental health services. As a caseworker, you'll deliver face-to-face and drop-in support, and group support prioritising responsiveness, professionalism, and client-centred approaches. Additionally, you will design and deliver awareness sessions for refugees and asylum seekers, destigmatising mental health and developing an understanding of the availability of help in the local area.
Your responsibilities will include assessing clients' complex needs, developing tailored action plans, advocating for their rights, facilitating referrals, and collaborating with external stakeholders while maintaining vigilance for safeguarding concerns to ensure clients' safety and well-being.
MAIN DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Service Delivery
- Refer and signpost asylum seekers and refugees to appropriate mental health services, both statutory and voluntary, following up cases as necessary supporting the client
- Run workshops for clients to raise awareness and understanding of mental health
- Work with mental health service providers and other agencies to improve access to good quality healthcare
- Work with partners to map mental health service provision for asylum seekers and refugees in the city, with a view to updating existing directory of services, to enable appropriate and informed referrals to mainstream services
- Ensure that the service is delivered sensitively, in ways that respect the culture, personal history and situation of all its users
- Work with clients to access health services to improve their mental health
- Recruit, train and supervise a team of volunteers
Partnership Working/External Links
- Attend multi agency meetings and conferences with health care professionals and agencies to highlight issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees
- Identify and address barriers to accessing services at individual, community and organisational levels
Monitoring and Evaluation
- Collate data on the mental health needs of asylum seekers and refugees
- Keep full, accurate and up-to-date case records
- Meet targets and carry out monitoring and evaluation processes as appropriate
- Complete quarterly reporting alongside the Advice Services Manager
- Work with the Advice Services Manager in reviewing, planning and developing the service
Organisational Responsibilities
- To be a NNRF ambassador by upholding and demonstrating the organisational values and behaviours at every opportunity, through verbal, written and face to face communication
- Work collaboratively with other staff and departments to help prepare and set up events e.g. Refugee Week, Conferences and AGMs
- Comply with NNRF’s safeguarding standards and procedures
- Provide support to other NNRF projects (General Advice, Specialist Advice team) if needed
- Participate in own supervision and appraisal process and attend staff and team meetings
- Any other duties which may reasonably be regarded as within the nature of the duties and responsibilities of the post, subject to the proviso that any changes of a permanent nature will be incorporated into the Job Description in specific terms, following consultation with the postholder
- The postholder will be required to undergo an enhanced DBS check for this position
This list of duties & responsibilities is not intended to be exhaustive. The post holder will be expected to perform additional tasks when required; these tasks will be in keeping with the general profile of the role.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Candidates will be short-listed on the following specifications and need to address each of them in their application. All relevant experience whether paid or voluntary, in the UK or overseas may be included. NNRF values different & creative ways of working.
E – Essential, D – Desirable
Experience
- Minimum one year’s recent experience of providing advice and support in a paid or voluntary capacity in a mental health setting (E)
- Experience of working in a paid of voluntary capacity with refugees and asylum seekers (E)
- Experience of liaising and negotiating with external agencies (E)
- Experience of keeping accurate work records and writing reports (E)
- Experience of working with professional interpreters, both face to face and by phone (D)
- Lived experience of forced migration (D)
Knowledge and Competencies
- Qualified to deliver community-based health interventions and accredited or working towards accreditation with (e.g. BCAP)
- Knowledge of statutory and voluntary sector services (E)
- Demonstrable understanding of mental health needs of asylum seekers and refugees (E)
- Skilled communicator in English both orally and in writing with the ability to produce high quality formal correspondence (E)
- Good interpersonal skills and effective in influencing others (E)
- IT competence including Microsoft packages, databases, use of the internet and email (knowledge of AdvicePro is an advantage) (E)
- Work in a flexible and agile way, adapting to changing circumstances in a positive and solution focused way (E)
- A minimum Level 3 qualification in a relevant area such as Mental Health, Health and Social Care, or Counselling (D)
- Knowledge of the health sector in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D)
- Knowledge of safeguarding (D)
- Fluency in languages in the refugee community (D)
Personal Characteristics
- Able to relate sensitively to a wide range of people from many different ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds
- Able to empathise with the life experiences of refugees and asylum seekers and recognise their possible effects on needs, attitudes and behaviour
- Understanding of the importance of maintaining confidentiality and an awareness of measures that are needed to ensure it
- Able to maintain good professional relationships with colleagues in other agencies
- Able to work in a co-operative, supportive manner within a small team
- Approachable and friendly personality
- Good time-manager, able to work on own initiative
- Willingness to work variable hours, including out of hours and/or at weekends as needed
How to apply
Please send your CV and cover letter, together with an Equality and Diversity monitoring form, to [email protected].
Top tip: Your cover letter should be no longer than 2 sides of A4, and show how your skills and experience meet each of the criteria listed on the Person Specification. Please use examples.
Deadline for applications: 23.59 July 5th 2026
Pay: £26,187.00 per year
Benefits:
- Casual dress
- Discounted or free food
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Nottingham NG3 4NB
