Bilingual Resettlement Officer in Winchester

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

IRC UK is part of the IRC global network, which has its global headquarters in New York. Our team in the UK works to raise profile, deliver policy and practice change, and increase funding to help restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Since 2021, IRC UK has also provided integration services directly to refugees in England.

The Bilingual Resettlement Officer will provide culturally and linguistically tailored casework support to refugee households—including both adults and children—resettling in Hampshire under the UK Government Resettlement Programme. This includes the Afghan Resettlement Programme (ARP), the United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS), Community Sponsorship, and other eligible schemes. This role will primarily focus on providing intensive, hands-on resettlement support to households in their first year of service, particularly those with higher and more complex needs.

This role will help families access essential services, understand their rights and entitlements, and build the confidence and knowledge needed to live independently in the UK. Support will be delivered in English and Dari/Pashto through one-on-one assistance and group sessions. This support will be provided within client’s homes, within partner offices and remotely.

Key Working Relationships

Position will report to the Senior Resettlement Officer. This position will work closely with all staff involved in the delivery of the Hampshire Resettlement and Integration Support Service. This will include Senior Resettlement Officers, Bilingual Resettlement Officers, Resettlement Officers, ESOL Coordinator, Education Officer, Community and Engagement Officer and Project Officer. This position will work closely with staff at our partner organisation, Citizens Advice Rushmoor.

Key Accountabilities

• Support to households (70%)
  • Provide practical casework support to refugee households, ensuring timely access to housing, income, healthcare, education, and other statutory services.
  • Provide enhanced support to households with complex needs, including but not limited to health needs, safeguarding concerns, limited English literacy, trauma-related barriers or difficulties navigating UK systems.
  • Prioritise and manage caseloads to ensure households receive timely and appropriate support.
  • Research, identify and outreach to services and resources that enable clients to meet their short and long-term goals and facilitate external referrals.
  • Deliver group session support, including orientation sessions on life in the UK, both virtually and in person.
  • Support the completion and regular review of individual Support Plans, using the Outcomes Star tool.
  • Advocate, verbally and in written form, on behalf of clients with service providers and statutory agencies.
• Key Administrative tasks (20%)
  • Ensure timely and accurate compliance to all reporting requirements, including database management, case noting, and file maintenance.
  • Assist with project logistics, such as arranging essential items for clients, setting up the training rooms or events and preparing participant materials.
  • Provide flexible administrative support to meet the project needs.
• Ways of working (10%)
  • Deliver flexible, responsive support that reflects the intensive and time-critical nature of first-year resettlement, including home visits, joint working with partners, and multi-agency coordination.
  • Collaborate with partners, local councils, charities, schools, and diaspora organisations.
  • Attend multi-agency coordination meetings and contribute to service development.
  • Regularly gather client and partner feedback in order to assess programming needs and responsiveness through focus groups, key informant interviews and surveys.

Carry out all the above in accordance with the aims, values and policies of International Rescue Committee, in particular in relation to safeguarding, confidentiality, impartiality and Equal Opportunities.

Person Specification

Essential Skills, Knowledge and Qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills: the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues, partners and clients in both English and Dari/Pashto.
• Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills, with the confidence to navigate and maintain a wide range of internal and external partnerships.
• Good IT skills, including proficiency in using Microsoft Office and experience leading meetings or trainings via online platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
• Ability to travel regularly throughout the service delivery area.
• Ability to work flexibly both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to work in line with confidentiality and safeguarding standards.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and deadlines and to quickly learn information systems.
• Access to a personal vehicle.

Experience:

• Minimum two years of related experience, paid or voluntary, working with refugees, asylum seekers or other vulnerable populations in Hampshire.
• Proven ability to plan and deliver group workshops and educational sessions in diverse, multi-lingual and cross-cultural environments.
• Experience handling confidential documents and sensitive information.
• Lived experience of forced migration, resettlement, or navigating support systems as a refugee or asylum seeker.
• Prior experience of using a client relationship management system.

Criteria in the Person Specification marked with ** are the minimum criteria in line with our commitments under the Disability Confident Employer Scheme in the UK. UK based candidates who state that they have a disability and meet these criteria, will be invited to interview.

Compensation: Pay Rate: 33,756.76. Ranges are based on various factors including the labour market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements. This is a Fixed term until 31st June 2027. You must have the right to work in the UK.

The deadline for this role would be 12th June at 11.59pm BST.

Standard Responsibilities

Promote and actively participate in initiatives and efforts to build team engagement, inclusion and cohesion in IRC team. Foster ongoing learning, honest dialogue and reflection to strengthen safeguarding and to promote IRC values and adherence to IRC policies.

Professional Standards

All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation.

IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.