London Refugee Voice
JOB DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:            Coordinator

RESPONSIBLE TO:    Chair: London Refugee Voice

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THE WORK OF THE LONDON REFUGEE VOICE

The London Refugee Voice (LRV) works with Refugee Community Organisations (RCOs) with the aim of supporting and assisting them in making their organisations efficient and effective in providing services to refugee communities. This support and assistance is provided by means of meetings, seminars, workshops, information circulation, newsletters, training, conferences, and lobbying relevant organisations.

The training programme is a key element of our work with RCOs. By raising awareness of issues and good practice we aim to enable individuals to deal with problem areas confidently and to enable organisations to share skills and learn from each other.

The generic work of LRV includes offering advice and assistance on a range of practical, organisational and legal matters such as governance, responsibilities of management committees as well as specific funding and management issues, financial management and development of services for refugees.

MAIN PURPOSE AND CONTEXT OF THE JOB

•    To service bimonthly meetings of LRV.
•    To administer LRV’s work and projects including the administration of petty cash.
•     To co-ordinate, plan and review the training and support offered by the London Refugee Voice (LRV) to RCO’s.
•    To support RCO’s in the development of their organisations.
•    To provide specialist advice and support enabling RCOs to achieve their aims and objectives.
•    To promote networking and joint work between RCOs and liaise with agencies and organisations working with RCO’s.
•    To co-ordinate and plan the administrative work required to successfully support LRV training programmes.
•    To support the other members of LRV in planning and organising training for RCOs.

SPECIFIC DUTIES

Training

1.    To act as the LRV contact person on training and respond to enquiries made by RCOs, other organisations providing services to refugees and individuals on training offered by the LRV.

2.    To set up, plan, organise and review annual programmes of training offered by the LRV to RCOs.

3.    LRV to plan, organise and run specialised training sessions for its own management committee, management committees, staff and volunteers of RCOs on a variety of relevant organisational topics.

4.    To set up and maintain an efficient system of monitoring and evaluation of training and to use the results in the planning and running of further training and other areas of LRV work.

5.    To liase and network with other training providers in order to identify current training provision and ensure that it is relevant to RCOs, and also to recruit external trainers for LRV Training Programmes.

Development

1.    To assist refugees and asylum seekers in setting up and managing community organisations by providing direct advice on organisational and legal matters such as governance, funding, management, communication, roles and responsibilities of management committees, etc.

2.    To develop close links with appropriate funding bodies and service agencies both in the voluntary and statutory sector and to facilitate RCOs’ access to the resources and services they provide.

3.    To keep abreast of current thinking, strategies and directions in the field of refugee integration and related issues.

Networking

1.    Working with the Chair and Executive Committee of LRV to assist RCOs in developing their organisations, partnership development and consortia in their areas of interest.

2.    To organise conferences, seminars and meetings to facilitate joint work and to discuss other issues related to the needs of RCOs.

3.    To ensure that LRV’s equal opportunities policy is implemented in all aspects of the work.

4.    Administration and Team Development

1.    To attend and participate in regular meetings where priorities will be established.

2.    To draw up work programmes and maintain records of work in the format agreed by LRV.

3.    To participate in the effective planning, monitoring and evaluation of one’s own work and the work LRV.

4.    To prepare and present written or verbal reports as agreed by the Chair.

5.    To undertake the administrative work associated with the post, and contribute to that arising from teamwork.

6.    To follow good practice guidelines and team procedures.

7.    To participate in the work of the London Refugee Voice as a whole, such as internal sub-groups.

Flexibility

In order to deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform work not specifically referred to above. Such duties will fall within the scope of the job, at the appropriate grade. The job description will therefore be subject to periodic review with the post-holder to ensure it accurately reflects the duties of the job.

Occasional evening and weekend work may be required, for which time off in lieu will be given.

Equal Opportunities Statement

As part of its recruitment policy, the London Refugee Voice (LRV) intends to ensure that no prospective or actual employee is discriminated against on the basis of race, sex, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, employment status, class, disability, age, religious belief or political persuasion, or is disadvantaged by any condition or requirement which is not demonstrably justifiable.

The following criteria will be assessed at the application stage:
1- Two years experience of report and successful proposal writing and fundraising from trusts and/or government agencies.
2- Strong administration and organisation skills and a proven ability to meet deadlines.
3- Excellent written and verbal communication.
4- Experience of working in an environment in which you need to be proactive and had to show initiative, energy and be self-motivated.
5- Experience of the UK refugee community and/ voluntary sector would be desirable.

Salary: £33,090.00 ( inclusive of ILW and employer contribution).  35 hours per week.
Closing date:  Tuesday , 2 June 2009
Please send your CV and personal statement to: Pindurai Makufa – Pindurai@lrv.org and The Chairperson, Ms Helena Ismail, London Refugee Voice, Cocoon House, Shepherd’s Bush, London, W12   8EE or by e mail: hacg86@hotmail.com
Telephone: 02087438733