Community Development Worker

About us

The Refugee Council is the nation s refugee charity. Together with community groups, partners and volunteers, we help people who have escaped war and persecution to rebuild their lives, integrate into communities, and play their part in Britain. Born in the aftermath of World War II, our frontline services support over 14,000 refugees each year to find safety, get to know their neighbours, and enter education, training or work. We share our evidence and expertise with policymakers to help build integrated communities where everyone can contribute.

Our Values

Our values underpin everything we do:

• Inclusive: We are inclusive. We work with - not for - refugees and people seeking asylum, so they have an equal voice, co-producing projects and ensuring their expertise and experiences are at the heart of what we do.
• Collaborative: We are collaborative. Working with others is a priority in order to have the collective impact that is vital to achieve policy and practice reform.
• Courageous: We speak out when we see injustice, cruelty and unfairness. We always stand up for what we believe is the right thing to do to transform the experiences of those seeking protection in our country.
• Respectful: We are respectful of all those we interact with. We treat everyone our staff, volunteers, beneficiaries, partners and people we disagree with with the same respect, professionalism and understanding.

About the role

The UK government s resettlement programmes (such as UKRS, ARAP as well as other UK Resettlement Schemes) support refugees who are selected and processed in the region of origin and brought to the UK with their status already determined. Under this scheme, a specific quota of refugees will be coming to the UK for resettlement. The Refugee Council has agreed to work in partnership with Migration Yorkshire and Local Authorities across Yorkshire and Humberside to deliver the regional programme.

The Refugee Council resettlement team provides advice and support for resettled refugees to help them adjust to live in the UK, access services and mainstream provision and establish community links. Working with the Resettlement Team Manager and the rest of the team, the Community Development Worker will enable newly arrived refugees to take an active role in their successful resettlement through initiatives involving both the communities of new arrivals and the wider community.

Working closely with local stakeholders and in partnership with other voluntary sector agencies running similar services across the UK, the Refugee Council resettlement team in Yorkshire and Humberside promotes both the integration and independence of resettled refugees. By promoting successful resettlement through community development projects, helping newly arrived refugees fulfil their needs and aspirations for their new life in the UK and establishing strong links with the wider community. This post will work with refugees at different stages of the resettlement programme.

The post holder will be working from the Leeds office covering Wakefield and York and will report to the Resettlement Area Manager.

Staff benefits

To reward our staff for the value they bring, we offer a variety of enhanced terms and conditions and a wide range of benefits, including:

• Training & Development
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Pension Scheme
• Work Life Balance Policies
• Employer-Sponsored Volunteering
• And more.

Let s work together to improve the lives of refugees in the UK - apply on our website today.

Closing date: 24 October 2025.

Ensuring that the Refugee Council is an inclusive and accessible place to work is important to us. We want to enable people from different backgrounds to apply and thrive with us. We believe our recruitment process enables that and are also happy to make adjustments on request.