JOB TITLE: Public law and Immigration Supervisor
LOCATION: Asylum Aid Office (London)
RESPONSIBLE TO: Director of Asylum Aid
HOURS: Permanent, full time (37.5 hours)
SALARY: £45,000 p.a.
BENEFITS: 27 days holiday plus 4% matched pension contribution
START DATE: Immediately subject to references.
For over thirty years, Asylum Aid has been providing legal representation to some of the most vulnerable people seeking asylum. We have built an expert service, delivering vital and life-saving services in some of the most complex legal cases, with a particular speciality in working with Survivors of trafficking, torture or other forms of human cruelty, unaccompanied minors and stateless people.
Asylum Aid fills a critical gap in support for people at risk of being returned to danger and violence overseas or languishing in the legal system, resulting in crisis and exploitation in the UK. We know that without the proper legal advice and representation, which require both time and care, people seeking protection in the UK can end up in limbo for years, causing them great pain and trauma, and leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and potentially being trafficked. At Asylum Aid, we provide specialist advice and end-to-end casework, which allows us to gain the insight and knowledge that are essential in putting the best case forward for our clients, so they are able to obtain legal protection and remain safe.
Since August 2020, Asylum Aid has been part of the Helen Bamber Foundation Group. Asylum Aid operates as an independent charity, led by its own Director within the group structure, and is ambitious about growing its impact and reach in the future to ensure protection from persecution for those who need it. The Helen Bamber Foundation is a pioneering Human Rights charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers who are survivors of trafficking and torture, including gender-based and ‘honour-based’ violence. Recognising the complexity of each client’s suffering and needs, the Foundation offers specialist services within a Model of Integrated Care encompassing: therapy; medical advice; legal protection; counter-trafficking support; housing & welfare advice; and community and integration.
The ideal candidate will be a qualified solicitor with IAAS supervising senior caseworker accreditation and have significant experience in publicly funded immigration work under a Legal Aid Agency Contract, including significant experience in judicial review litigation.
As the Public Law Supervisor, you will lead the development of Asylum Aid’s public law caseload, including strategic legal work, as well as managing a growing team. You will supervise the public law casework of the team and conduct a small, mostly Legal Aid funded caseload, delivering high-quality legal services on the full range of immigration and public law issues that affect migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. Asylum Aid specialises in providing legal advice and representation to vulnerable clients, such as survivors of torture, trafficking and sexual violence, as well as representation of Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Children and stateless persons.
The legal team at Asylum Aid is growing, and this is a good opportunity for a supervisor to lead the growth and development of Asylum Aid’s public law work, and contribute to the wider strategic impact of Asylum Aid. Experience in strategic litigation is highly desirable, and there will be scope within the role to lead and contribute to our growing use of public law to tackle issues relating to the treatment of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
As is the nature of this sector, the role will be exposed to a high volume of traumatic and distressing material, and, whilst they will be supported by the Director and surrounding team, the candidate should also be able to demonstrate knowledge of good self-care principles in an intense work environment and dissemination of those principles to junior members of the team.
The Foundation and Asylum Aid are an equal opportunities and Living Wage employer. We are committed to attracting and recruiting diverse candidates as we are keen to make sure that our staff, trustees, volunteers and ambassadors reflect the communities we serve and the wider community we work in at every level within the organisation. We particularly welcome applications from those with BAME backgrounds and with lived experience of the UK immigration system.
Legal Casework and Supervision
- Lead the development and implementation of Asylum Aid’s legal strategy, in particular its public law casework;
- Work with other team members to identify and drive challenges through strategic litigation;
- Manage and develop growth within the public law team;
- Comply with professional standards and accreditation;
- Provide legal advice and representation to clients on asylum and immigration and related public law matters;
- Where appropriate, apply for LAA Case Funding for controlled and certificated work and ensure timely and accurate billing of all concluded matters;
- Ensure that legal aid and other income is maximised, and targets are achieved;
- Deal with referrals and other initial advice enquiries;
- Maintain client files and records on the case management system in line with file management procedures;
- Provide technical supervision to other staff where necessary;
- Supervise the public law team of fee earners and other caseworkers as required.
Other duties:
- Together with the Helen Bamber Foundation Group Finance Team, be responsible for the correct management of Asylum Aid’s client account in accordance with the Solicitors Accounts Rules and OISC Code of Standards;
- Act as the main point of contact for the Solicitors Regulatory Authority and be responsible for ensuring that Asylum Aid solicitors’ practising certificates are maintained, and CPD requirements are met;
- Recruit and supervise volunteers where necessary;
- Keep abreast of relevant developments in asylum/immigration law and practice and public law;
- Design and deliver training on public law and relevant legal developments for colleagues at Asylum Aid and externally;
- Ensure that any reporting and monitoring requirements are met in full;
- Use the evidence base generated to identify strategic challenges that can feed into wider policy, research and campaigning work.
- Assist, inspire and support colleagues in carrying out their duties;
- Attend and actively participate in legal team and staff meetings;
- Attend and actively participate in internal and external meetings, events, and training sessions as appropriate;
- Play a full part in the development of Asylum Aid generally;
- Adhere in full to all Asylum Aid’s policies and procedures;
- Undertake any other related activities as required.
Essential skills, knowledge and experience:
- At least four years experience of maintaining a caseload of complex asylum, immigration and human rights cases in line with OISC/IAAS and LAA regulatory requirements;
- Significant experience in providing legal advice and representation on Judicial Review applications;
- Authorised litigator (qualified solicitor or barrister with authorisation to conduct litigation)
- Current level 2 (Senior Caseworker) accreditation under the Law Society’s Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme (‘IAAS’);
- Necessary experience and skills to meet the LAA public law supervisor standard;
- Accreditation as a supervising senior caseworker under the Immigration and Asylum Accreditation Scheme, or the skills and experience to attain accreditation within six months of appointment
- Experience in undertaking publicly funded work under a legal aid contract, including Exceptional Case Funding, in the immigration and asylum category and/or the public law category
- Experience in handling immigration and asylum appeals in the First Tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal, and on appeal to the Court of Appeal;
- Experience in using the LAA’s Client and Costs Management System, including applying for legal aid certificates, costs and scope extensions and civil billing;
- Experience in achieving billing targets;
- Experience in obtaining inter partes costs; and
- Demonstrable experience in managing a successful team.
Desirable Experience
- Experience as a Legal Aid Agency public law or immigration and asylum supervisor;
- Experience in civil billing
- Experience in strategic litigation relating to the treatment of migrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
- Experience and understanding of representing vulnerable clients, including survivors of torture, trafficking and sexual violence, and unaccompanied or separated children, within Home Office decision-making;
- Understanding of the Statelessness determination procedure;
- Experience in designing and delivering training to others;
- Experience in contributing to policy work, such as drafting consultation responses or attending external stakeholder meetings.
In addition to the essential criteria and desirable criteria above, the ideal candidate will meet the following criteria for the post:
Knowledge
- Excellent working knowledge of the law and policy as it relates to public law issues in immigration and asylum law and of judicial review practice and procedure in the Administrative Court and Upper Tribunal (IAC);
- Understands the requirements of OISC/SRA/Lexcel and LAA in relation to the conduct of cases, file management and supervision;
- Thorough understanding of LAA contract provisions in relation to certificated and controlled work and exceptional case funding and civil legal aid billing;
- Good awareness of the welfare and support entitlements of asylum seekers in the UK; and
- An understanding of the barriers migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers face regarding access to legal advice, reasons why they may become destitute and why this makes it more difficult to access advice and support.
Abilities
- The ability to provide effective supervision to others in their provision of immigration advice and representation and/or in public law;
- The ability to maintain a high level of client care;
- The ability to work cooperatively with colleagues;
- The ability to work autonomously, prioritise workloads and meet deadlines;
- The ability to analyse and assess detailed information, and to grasp complex issues rapidly;
- The ability to communicate effectively with people from a wide range of backgrounds;
- The ability to deal empathetically and supportively with migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers;
- The ability to communicate fluently and effectively in English, with a range of internal and external contacts;
- The ability to be self-servicing in an office environment;
- The ability to work outside normal office hours as required; and
- The ability to travel in order to carry out the responsibilities of the post.
Throughout all aspects of the role
- Respect for client confidentiality at all times in line with Asylum Aid’s confidentiality agreements and consent forms;
- Ensure accurate and timely record keeping of client data on the case management system and participate in gathering data when required for monitoring and evaluation in line with organisational KPIs;
- Attend staff training days, meetings and any departmental meetings when required;
- Attend forums and meetings with relevant external agencies to promote Asylum Aid, share information and keep knowledge up to date;
- Promote the aims, principles, policies, interests and well-being of Asylum and protect its integrity and reputation at all times;
- Support the organisation at special events and initiatives.
Please note that the successful candidate will be offered the job subject to suitable references and an enhanced DBS check.
If appointed, you will be required to give your consent to Asylum Aid to receive regular updates on your criminal records status throughout your employment.
Please submit an up-to-date CV and a cover letter by 9am on Monday 22nd May 2023 outlining your relevant skills and experience, as well as how your previous experience matches the listed responsibilities and person specification to jobs@helenbamber.org. Please state in your cover letter when you would be available to start the role. In setting the salary, regard has been had to average sector pay and the NCJ payscales.
Interviews are scheduled to be held in person at our central London offices during the week commencing 5 June 2023. For any queries, please email Alison Pickup, Director, at alison.pickup@asylumaid.org.uk.
We regret that we can only respond to applicants who make it to the interview stage.
No agencies.
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