Community Support Officer

Job description

Job responsibilities

The Post

The role is to support Asylum Seekers / Refugees in Brent empathically and reporting to the Senior Public Health Strategist regarding the Health and Wellbeing of the Brent Asylum Seekers and Refugees. You will engage and provide support, and referrals to the services that Asylum guests need during their stay at the Brent accommodations, who are either awaiting home office decision regarding their right to remain in the UK, as well as the guests who have been given a positive decision and are waiting for their date to leave the accommodations provided. Good communications with accommodation managers, and front-line staff working within the Brent accommodations is essential, as well as raising safeguarding issues to the Brent Council Safeguarding team if needed, and to foster a good and helpful working relationship with all parties involved while working with Asylum guests.

It is essential to engage in good communications with the Brent services, such as with Local Refugee Charities, Brent Mental health services, Crisis skylight Brent homeless charity, Brent Start and Brent Works (in order to support guests in to becoming job ready, if and when they receive their right to stay in the UK), and to engage with our Brent Public health Improvement team, especially regarding exercise sessions offered to Asylum Seekers in Brent. There would be regular Asylum guest health needs meetings to attend, both online and face to face where feedback, attendance and positive input is expected. There will be some data analysis involved, with general admin duties. Weekday working, and flexible weekend working at times. There is also the need to keep up to date with any changes regarding home Office legislation via discussions during supervision.

The Person

The ideal candidate for this position would have the following qualities below:

• Is a good listener
• Enjoys engaging with people from various communities and cultures.
• Understands the needs of Asylum Seekers / Refugees and is empathic to their individual experiences.
• Can speak fluent English and at least one other language either : Arabic, Middle Eastern such as Farsi or Pashto, Spanish.
• Has ideally been an Asylum Seeker previously themselves and has come through the system positively, having gained the right to remain in the UK.
• Or who has known Asylum Seekers closely and has a good knowledge of the experiences that Asylum Seekers generally go through.
• Will be a good communicator.
• Is physically able to, and likes to work out in the community, making regular visits to the Brent contingency accommodations, as well as working at the Brent Civic Centre as their base, with some possible remote working also.
• It would be preferable if the candidate has previous experience of working with or supporting Asylum Seekers / Refugees.

If you are interested in applying for this job, please start by clicking the "Apply Now" button below. You must provide a supporting statement as part of your application that clearly shows how you meet the criteria on the Person Specification. We will accept a CV in support of your application, however, you should still provide a supporting statement.

Person Specification

Experience

Essential

• You must apply directly on Brent Council website to be considered for this post
• https://fa-epzg-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer details

Employer name

London Borough Of Brent

Address

London Borough Of Brent

Engineers Way

Wembley

Middlesex

HA9 0FJ

Employer's website

https://www.brent.gov.uk (Opens in a new tab)