Job Description – Advisor

SALARY: £17k to £18.9k (dependent on experience)

HOURS: 28 hours per week Monday to Friday

CONTRACT TERM: Permanent subject to passing a successful probationary period. 

HOLIDAYS: 28 days per year. 

REPORTS TO: Operations Manager 

LOCATION: The Harbour Project, Broadgreen Community Centre, Salisbury, Swindon, SN1 2AN 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 10th June 10am

INTERVIEW DATES: 18th and 19th June 

PROPOSED START DATE: 1st July (subject to notice period)

About Us

The Harbour Project has supported people seeking asylum and people with Refugee status for more than 20 years, giving us a huge depth of knowledge and insight to draw upon. We are the only organisation in Swindon and Wiltshire providing face-to-face support specifically for this community. By providing advice, support, activities, and friendship, our mission is to be a family for every individual who seeks asylum or is granted Refugee status in Swindon, and to help them rebuild their lives. We particularly welcome and encourage applications from those with Lived Experience of the UK asylum system.

Job Purpose

The Advice Centre at The Harbour Project is the heart of the charity. Seeing 30 to 40 people a day, our team of Advisors provide key help and support to Harbour Visitors (our beneficiaries), responding to a variety of questions and issues. For those seeking asylum, this includes: health-related matters, access to education, accessing asylum support, contacting immigration solicitors, Migrant Help, and the Home Office. For those with Refugee status, questions often revolve around: applying for mainstream benefits, accessing housing, and finding employment opportunities. 

This is a new position, following restructuring of other roles within the team. The role gives an opportunity to assist some of the most vulnerable people in our society, providing important and necessary support to those who might otherwise be excluded.

Specific Responsibilities

  1. Respond to a variety of queries and issues, providing face-to-face Advice sessions to Harbour Visitors. Advice should be given in a way that helps the Visitor gain skills to become more self-reliant. 
  2. Effective and secure record-keeping of all Visitor data. Recognising the sensitive and personal nature of information shared and held. Recording all Visitor interactions on AirTable (our reporting system). 
  3. Liaising with other agencies to help address Visitor requests. This may include working with different teams within Swindon Borough Council, health providers, Migrant Help, immigration solicitors, housing providers, DVLA, DWP, local schools and colleges. 
  4. Liaise with other Advice Team members to ensure continuity of support, and escalate any issues to the Operations Manager.

Essential Criteria

  1. Committed to the values and charitable objects of The Harbour Project. 
  2. Reliable with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team. 
  3. Administrative skills, organisational skills, and high-levels of self-motivation are all vital.
  4. Excellent written and verbal communication & interpersonal skills, adaptable to the breadth of different stakeholders (Visitors/ Volunteers/ other members of staff/ Trustees/ other voluntary and statutory agencies). 
  5. A good understanding and application of the principles of Safeguarding, particularly in relation to people at The Harbour Project. 
  6. I.T. skills, specifically Google Docs and Microsoft Office or equivalent. 
  7. Evidence of entitlement to work in the U.K.

Desirable Criteria

  1. An understanding of the UK asylum system and its policies. 
  2. Understanding of the UK welfare system. 
  3. Previous experience working with people seeking asylum or those with Refugee status.
  4. Someone who has Lived Experience of the asylum system.

Please apply directly on Charity Job.

Information about the contents of the interview will be provided ahead of time.