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New Arrival Support Worker & Residential Volunteer (Male)
the baca charity
  • Salary £18,000 - £22,000 per year pro rata
  • Location Home-based,LE11, Loughborough,Leicestershire (Hybrid)
  • Job Type Permanent, Part-time
  • Category Support Worker , Social Work
  • Sectors Youth/Children
  • Job Reference :

Job Description

Job Description 

New Arrival Support Worker & Residential Volunteer (Male) 
Responsible to: Support Team Manager 

Location: Based in Baca main office and at home for newly arrived young people in Loughborough. There will be travel throughout Loughborough and Leicester. The role may require travel to wider areas of the East Midlands and the UK. 

Hours: 25 hours – evening and weekend work with daytime shifts

Salary Band: £18,000 to £22,000 per annum pro rata 

Benefits in kind: Rent free accommodation, including Wifi, gas, electric and council tax bills. 

Contract: Permanent 

Overall Purpose 

  • To provide support and care to the young people who are newly arrived in the country, providing the foundations for them to rebuild their strength and dignity and invest hope for their futures.

  • To partner with social workers and representatives from other agencies, for the benefit of the young people. 

Duties Responsibilities  

  • To be a support worker for newly arrived young people who are in the care of Baca in all areas of the young person’s life supporting them from first arrival, through to move on to semi-independence.

  • To welcome new arrivals into the accommodation and communicate basic information about the house, making them feel safe and able to rest; with compassion without discrimination of age, race, colour or behavioural issues.

  • To help young people learn to live with good values and good boundaries. 

  • Training young people in living skills such as washing, cleaning, cooking and safety food shopping and budgeting; proactively and intentionally in line with the Baca pyramid plan.

  • Helping young people settle into a routine which will include education and social activities. 

  • Work in close partnership with social workers and other professionals and volunteers to provide a holistic development package for each young person enabling them to become independent. 

  • Maintaining very good communication with relevant members of the rebuild team and relevant social workers through regular appropriate reporting.

  • To work collaboratively with the rest of the rebuild team to ensure all young people are safeguarded and supported to rebuild their lives.

  • Complete and update all admin work as part of the role such as month end reports, support plans on time and in a consistent manner.

  • Playing an active role in developing knowledge and understanding in areas relevant to the role and especially in the areas of asylum and refugee law, trafficking, supporting separated children and the cultures of different nations relevant to Baca.

General: 

  • Play an active and supportive role within the organisation

  • Take ownership of files allocated, ensuring they are up to date and stored correctly.

  • Maintain strict confidentiality in relation to work undertaken and ensure all confidential material is stored according to Baca’s Confidentiality statement and Data Protection Policy.

  • Embrace the Vision and Values of Baca and reflect this in working practice. 

  • Treat all staff and young people fairly and without prejudice, in line with Baca’s Equality and Diversity policy 

  • Be aware of the correct procedures for dealing with any suggested incidences of safeguarding concerns and to follow them, in line with Baca’s Child, Vulnerable Adult Protection & Safeguarding Policy 

  • Adhere to all Baca’s policies and procedures. 

Personal Specification 

Baca is looking for a new team member who can provide support, care and be a role model for young people who are newly arrived unaccompanied asylum seekers aged 16 to 18.  The successful applicant will live in the new arrival house and make it their home as a residential volunteer, which has a separate role description (page 3).

They will be motivated and passionate about the work that Baca does and the young people in our care.  They will be very approachable and a strong team worker.  The successful applicant will need access to transport as the role requires visiting the young people in their homes and escorting some to different appointments. The successful applicant will have a personal style that is in line with Baca’s vision and values. Someone who is supportive, approachable, responsible, reliable, personable and willing to set boundaries in line with Baca’s values.

Qualifications/Knowledge/Experience 

  • Experience in working with young people and an understanding of cross cultural issues in working with asylum seekers. 

  • Experience of prioritising workload to meet competing deadlines. 

  • Experience in use of computers, with experience in Microsoft Office and on-line email systems.

Skills/Abilities 

  • Ability to provide a strong role model and authoritative figure to the young people and build their trust and respect. 

  • Ability and willingness to make a home that is welcoming and feels safe for young people. 

  • Ability to engage and work with young people in a professional and sensitive manner

  • Ability to provide appropriate activities for young people 

  • Very well organised, able to manage a number of tasks at any one time.

  • Ability to remain calm and controlled in all situations with young people. 

  • Good interpersonal skills and able to interact well with staff and visitors to the office and other properties.

  • Ability to use own initiative under supervision within accountability structures 

  • Enjoys working under pressure

Other Expectations 

  • Have a genuine concern for and commitment to asylum seekers/refugees, young people and UASCs in particular.

  • Ability to work flexible hours in line with the needs of the team and the young people. 

  • Ability and commitment to work at all times within a framework of confidentiality and anti-discriminatory practice 

  • Commitment to work within the aims, values and ethos of the organisation

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Role Description 

Residential Volunteer (Male) 

Role Overview: 

Separated young people seeking asylum are at risk from a variety of factors which we aim to address by using a holistic support approach. At Baca, we support our young people to achieve an increase in personal safety, social engagement and engagement with education. We also support them to improve their physical and emotional wellbeing. We believe that one key way to achieve these changes is through an adult living in the home with our young people as a Residential Volunteer. 

The role requires the individual to move in to one of our properties and be a ‘big brother/sister’ to the young people (16-18 years) who are supported by the Baca Charity. The Residential Volunteer plays an important role within the team by giving support to the young people within their homes and by setting a positive example of how to live independently. We have a member of staff on-call 24/7 for any safeguarding concerns and/or emergencies. Therefore, the role of the Residential Cover Volunteer is to communicate as required and to then sleep at the house overnight. 

Role Descriptors: 

  • Use the Baca house as your main residence 

  • Be a positive role model to the young people within the house 

  • Assist young people to settle into the house 

  • Assist the young people residing in the house with daily life skills and basic house maintenance matters such as weekly cleaning, correct use of bins and changing light bulbs

  • Encourage young people in the house to engage with their local community 

  • Communicate well with the Volunteer and Mentor Coordinator regarding anything related to the young people living there, both positive feedback and any concerns regarding safeguarding 

  • Promptly report maintenance issues to the Operations Manager 

  • Report any house or young people related emergencies out-of-hours to the on-call member of staff as quickly as possible 

  • Collate any post delivered to the house for Baca or previous tenants and forward to the Volunteer and Mentor Coordinator 

  • Give a minimum of two weeks’ notice for any nights away from the house so that we can provide the necessary cover. We recommend an average of twenty-eight nights away from the house per year 

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FAQs 

Will I receive any training? 

Yes, we will provide you with safeguarding training and a full staff induction. This will include information about Baca, our purpose and objectives; an understanding of the House Rules to be observed by the young people; more information about what the Residential Volunteer role entails; what to do in an emergency and what support is available to you, and introduction to the Baca team. In addition, we will introduce you to our existing Residential Volunteers so that you will be able to ask them about their experiences and build a healthy rapport within the team. 

What are the primary character requirements for a Residential Volunteer? 

Our Residential Volunteers must be able to commit to and actively promote the principles and practices of Baca. The Residential Volunteers must be fully sympathetic to the purpose of Baca and the needs and circumstances of the young people we support. Without these characteristics it will be very difficult for any person to provide the required oversight and care. 

Do I have to be in the house all the time? 

No. We recognise that you may well have a job/be studying full time, and also have a busy life, but we ask that you treat the house as your home. We do ask that you get to know your housemates and spend some time with them during the week as well as living your external social life and enjoying other social commitments that you may have. 

Can I go away at weekends or on holiday? 

Yes, and we would encourage you to get away from time to time. If you do intend to be away from the house either for a night or two or for a longer holiday, please let us now of your plans as soon as possible. This will enable us to assess whether we need to cover your absence and give us time to make arrangements if they are needed 

Who are the young people that Baca support? 

Baca provides housing, care and support to unaccompanied asylum seeker children who are between the ages of 16-18 years. The young people come from anywhere in the world and will typically speak very little English on arrival to the UK.