Gloucestershire Action for
Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Support and Advice Worker for Ukrainian Scheme
Job Description

Post:

Hours:

Support and Advice Worker for Ukrainian Scheme

37.5 hours per week (with some ‘on call’ requirements)

Duration:

Initial 1 year post

Salary:

£31,537 (NJC Scale 6, points 18-22 depending on experience)

Location:

Gloucestershire

Responsible to:

Ukrainian Team Manager and GARAS Director

Job Summary

The purpose of this role is to assist Ukrainian individuals and families as they settle into
life in Gloucestershire. The successful candidate will also be involved with supporting
hosts in their role to assist the integration process. The support will include help with
benefits, education and health and advice on the well being of the household.

The role will involve working with key partners across the geographical area, to ensure
that clients are referred and signposted into appropriate support services and networks.

This role is peripatetic across the county and requires the use of a car. Please therefore
only apply if you hold a full driving license. An enhanced DBS check will be required for
this post.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

This role will require the post holder to travel across the county of
Gloucestershire to visit host communities and families.

●  To meet newly arrived families and assist them through their enrolment onto the
necessary parts of resettling. This will include reviewing and meeting regularly to
ensure these are being met.

●  To be responsible for assisting families and hosts, including: helping them to apply for

benefits; organising and ensuring attendance at ESOL classes where possible;
facilitating access to medical services including initial health assessments and follow
ups; applying for schools and ensuring children are supported to settle in.

●  Regular connections, to ensure that there is integration into local community groups

and organisation.

●  To support individuals and families with complex physical and physiological

vulnerabilities in order that they can link with the help that they need to overcome these
as fully as possible.

●  To keep confidential records for each family using in-house data recording systems.

●  To ensure that the well being of the hosts and families are being maintained, raising any

safeguarding or support needs with relevant agencies as needed.

●  To assist the families and hosts into independence by empowering families to
understand the systems and develop the skills required to live well in the UK.

●  To provide support and advice to families and hosts in a manner which helps hosts
understand the core elements of the refugee journey and the impact of trauma.

●  To build and maintain collaborative relationship with partner agencies and community
services to provide effective support for families. This will include Benefits, Housing,
English Learning, Healthcare and Social Care providers as well as others as needed.

●  To help other agencies understand the needs of the families of this programme and to

help to avoid misunderstandings between parties due to cultural and language
differences.

●  To connect families with meaningful engagement opportunities to enable them to build
community connections and networks, develop confidence and learn new skills to
improve their well-being.

●  To manage the workload effectively using flexibility and adaptability, ensuring a good

balance between competing priorities such as urgent client issues, pro-active casework
support, medium to long term plans and other project work. This will include providing
regular updates on all areas of work to the Advice Team and Director.

●  Understanding or experience with the benefit system and homelessness.

Professional Development

●  Keep up to date with legislation, policies and procedures and undertake appropriate

training particularly with migration and understand the changing nature of the situation
around resettling Ukrainians and those who may return home when safe to do so.

●  Flexibility as new policies introduced and implemented at GARAS and by Government,

both Local and National.

●  Undertake cultural awareness training where appropriate and understanding of UK

processes in order to assist the new families as they settle.

Administration

●  Use IT including Lamplight database, maintain accurate records.

●  Prepare for and attend supervision sessions, team meetings, staff meetings and

meetings with external partners.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

●  To demonstrate commitment to the aims, principles and policies of the Ukrainian

Sponsorship project.

●  Abide by health and safety guidelines and share responsibility for own safety and that

of colleagues.

●  To abide by GARAS confidentiality requirements.

●  To maintain relevant professional boundaries.

●  To undertake any other duties and tasks as may lie within the scope of this post.

Person Specification

Candidates will be shortlisted on the following specifications and need to address each
of them in their application.

All relevant experience whether paid or voluntary, in the UK or overseas may be
included. GARAS values different and creative ways of working.

Essential

●  Experience of providing advice and support to vulnerable people.

●  A strong understanding of the services available to, and the needs of, refugees moving

to the UK.

●  A willingness to learn quickly and develop new skills to support your client group.

●  An up-to-date experience of the processes in relation to the following systems.

●  - Benefits, Education, Health and Social Care and Housing.

●  The ability to prioritise tasks, to identify and work to deadlines and to manage time

effectively under your own initiative.

●  The ability to communicate effectively and sensitively with clients, and to manage

difficult situations.

●  An understanding for the need of confidentiality and a non-judgmental, person centred,

approach to service delivery.

●  Ability to work as part of a team and to work collaboratively and professionally with

external agencies, host families and local community representatives, colleagues and
volunteers.

●  Ability to use IT including Google Office and Android systems.

●  Ability to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the service. This includes occasional

evening and weekend meetings (pre-arranged).

●  To have and hold a full clean driver’s license and have access to a vehicle.

Desirable

●  Experience of working directly with refugees. Knowledge of the core components of the
refugee journey; the impact of trauma and principles to support effective recovery.

●  Experience of managing a caseload with particular regard to Benefits, Housing and

Debts.

●  Experience of working with interpreters.

●  A Ukrainian/Russian speaker would be a significant advantage in this position.

Please return your completed application form to Warren Lee (Director) at
director@garas.org.uk

Application deadline: 9am on 3rd November 2025
Interview Date: 6 or 7 November 2025