Future Foundations Junior Caseworker

Job description

About KLS Future Foundations education team

Future Foundations is an education programme of Katherine Low Settlement. Since 2004, KLS Future Foundations education team of 10 part-time staff and over 100 volunteers, have supported young refugees and their families in Battersea and the London Borough of Wandsworth to thrive in their education. Through mentoring, family support, casework and homework clubs, we provide the tailored support each young person and their family (if they have one) needs to overcome the barriers to education they face at home and school.

Key Objectives for this Role

Working with the Senior Caseworker and Team Manager you will:

Key Objectives and Details for this Role

Working with the Senior Caseworker and Team Manager your role and responsibilities include:

• Support staff to liaise with families/carers to communicate information regarding our work

• Support staff to keep and maintain robust recording and monitoring systems

• Maintain, collect, edit and store documentation of our work including photos, case studies for Newsletters, funding reports and other records

• Support our senior case workers with weekly drop-in advice sessions at KLS, including completing forms with families, general admin tasks etc.

• Support casework team with making and following up on internal and/or external referrals, signposting whenever relevant and according to adequate referral pathways and in response to the young people s/family's needs with support and guidance from staff

• Add information to our database guided by team leads/managers - log all cases; monitor progress and ensure all identified actions are taken

• Support with casework tasks, guided by senior caseworker and manager, from initial contact to resolution, maintaining confidentiality throughout

• Liaise with external agencies and organisations on behalf of clients

• Respond to enquiries by telephone, email, referring on internally or externally organisations when necessary

• Ensure records are kept and information managed confidentially in line with the data protection legislation

• Supporting Refugee team with general admin, database, evaluation data

• Maintain excellent safeguarding practices

• Supporting with partnerships liaison work keeping records up to date

Teamwork and reporting

• Work with Future Foundations team members to coordinate work, refer young people and/or parents/carers to our casework and advice team.

• Contribute to reports for trustees and funders and attend periodic meetings with funders

• Communicate well with other teams within KLS to provide a high-quality service to our members

Other Duties

• Participate in regular supervision and annual appraisals; help to identify your own job-related development and training needs.

• Always work with anti-discriminatory, empowering practice, ensuring everyone is treated with dignity andrespect.

• Adhere to Katherine Low Settlement s code of confidentiality, safeguarding and equal opportunities policies.

• Undertake your role in a professional manner and maintain a high-quality standard of work in accordance with the aims, values and ethos of KLS.

The above job description reflects the position at the time of writing; it is not intended to be a task list but indicates the general level of work involved. It is expected that duties will be reviewed and revised as required.

Person Specification

The following skills and experience are required for this post:

Essential

Experience of working with refugee communities and/or children/young people and/or vulnerable groups ensuring that clients needs are at the forefront of service planning and delivery

Ability to manage an independent workload and support the wider team

Ability to work as part of small team, whilst also working independently

Personal attributes: hard working, organised, takes initiative, reliable, patient, high professional standards

Excellent IT skills including MS Office suite and ability to use Internet, email and social media

Committed to KLS s mission, vision and values

Passionate about social justice, education and championing the value of families from refugee communities

Excellent communicating skills (oral and written) with refugee families, staff and partner organisations

Desirable

Experience of planning, delivery and reporting in a similar voluntary sector project (preferably with refugee communities)

Experience and sensitivity working with vulnerable communities who are affected by mental health issues and past trauma. Empathetic, non-judgmental and able to form supportive but boundaried relationships with individuals

Knowledge of up-to-date best practice as regards safeguarding the welfare of children and adults

Excellent problem-solving skills and strong attention to detail

A recognised casework/advice qualification

Experience of collecting monitoring and evaluating data

Aptitude for communicating in another language, particularly Somali, Farsi and/or Tigrinya

Knowledge of Battersea / Wandsworth