Resettlement Caseworker

**About The Role**:
We are looking for a caseworker to join the team that supports refugee families to settle in Dorset and adapt to life in the UK.

The resettlement programme in Dorset is evolving as more refugee families arrive in the area and caseworkers are required to help the families achieve independence and integration in the local communities, including access to further education and employment.

You’ll need to be enthusiastic about making a real difference to the quality of life for refugee families and young people across Dorset.

Dorset Council has pledged to continue to support refugee resettlement, and the programme is currently focused on supporting Afghan families who are arriving in the UK, with support based on the availability of affordable, suitable accommodation and local support services.

We help all of these families settle through a combination of in-house resettlement caseworkers and various service contracts or grants for specific provisions.

It’s a challenging but hugely rewarding role.

We are looking for someone who:

- is experienced working with vulnerable families
- is passionate about the challenges refugees face resettling in the UK
- can find creative solutions to best support families
- can build and maintain effective partnerships
- is an excellent communicator
- has a proven track record of anti-racist and inclusive practice

It would be advantageous if you also had experience with:

- health, education, housing, or employment sectors
- local community resources
- translation and interpretation

The context statement provides more details about the role.

**Further Information**:
The posts are funded by central government as part of the national schemes to offer protection and stability to refugees most in need of protection.

The nature of the role means that sometimes work outside of normal working hours is required, which may occasionally include evenings and weekends, so flexibility in approach to this is a pre-requisite.

Interviews will be scheduled w/c 7th May and will be held online via Teams call.

This post requires significant travel. You must have a vehicle (or transport we deem suitable) available for use as needed.

See our policy on safeguarding children and young people.

**About Us**:
You will be working with a team of equally passionate individuals who support vulnerable families as they resettle and thrive in Dorset.

Within the team, you will be responsible for:

- working with vulnerable families (adults and children)
- preparing for new refugee arrivals
- establishing a positive rapport with families
- developing support plans
- delivering services according to individual needs
- partnership working with other service providers supporting refugee families to integrate into their communities and the UK
- Ensuring families have access to services to help them settle and thrive, including:

- interpretation and translation services
- health care
- education
- social care
- English tuition
- employment
- housing

You will regularly meet with the families, supporting them to access a wide range of services to meet their needs. You will manage your own caseload and work in coordination with both other members of the team and service providers. The work is very varied and requires a flexible approach as well as the ability to prioritise situations and effectively communicate with families and those supporting them.

**Dorset Council: A great place to work**

We’re passionate about making Dorset a great place to live, work and visit. Working for us should be no exception.

At Dorset Council we:

- provide more than 450 services to over 300,000 residents
- have ambitious aspirations
- are excited about our future
- care about Dorset and all the people who live here
- know that all roles make a difference and that our employees are key to our success

You will:

- have access to a range of employee benefits
- be part of an organisation that supports each other to grow and succeed
- have access to range of training opportunities which will help with your personal development and career progression

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer. We offer an interview to everyone who declares a disability and meets the essential criteria for the role.

We also look for applicants who share our commitment to our behaviours. We will ask you to evidence when you have demonstrated them as part of the selection process

This role is UK based and we will need to establish your Right to Work as part of the appointment process.

We use generic job descriptions and person specifications. This means the job title on any attachments may differ from the job title in the advert. We may provide specific information in a context statement if relevant.

Find out more about how to apply.