women in london

Hours: Full Time
Salary: £23,264 + 7.5% employer’s pension contribution

This post will be responsible for providing Quality Marked, Culturally sensitive advice and advocacy services to disadvantaged and excluded Irish women in London. The service will be provided both at the London Irish Women’s Centre and at venues across London. There will be networking and development opportunities within the post. Support and management will be provided by the Centre’s Director and Advice Co-ordinator.

Responsibilities include:
- Providing regular drop in advice sessions, one to one appointments and telephone advice, primarily on housing and benefit rights, but covering other areas such as family law (domestic violence, divorce etc.), debt, legal and health issues as required. To represent clients at benefit tribunals.
- To network with Irish, statutory and voluntary sector agencies and to develop outreach advice services for target groups.
- To provide outreach sessions at community venues and carry out home visits as and when required to meet the needs of groups with particular needs such as older women, disabled women and Travellers.
- To contribute to policy development work, strategy and networking with other services as required.
- To maintain and update case files, case notes and monitoring statistics on clients and to enter statistics on clients into a computer database (AIMS).

Experience:
- At least 18 months experience of giving housing, welfare advice and tribunal representation in a voluntary or paid capacity.
- Experience of supporting women who are experiencing crises and are distressed.
- Experience of negotiation and liaison with welfare and housing agencies and statutory bodies.

Knowledge:

Essential
- Housing legislation, housing systems, policies and procedures.
- Benefits legislation and benefits system.
- Statutory and voluntary sector support services across London relevant to the needs of the clients.
- The Irish community in London and issues relating to the experience of Irish women in London.
- Promoting equal opportunities.
- Community Legal Service systems and the Quality Mark requirements.

Desirable
- Law and services for disabled people.
- Family Law.
- Pensions and services for older women.
- Employment law.

Additional Information:

Section 29 ( c) of the Sex Discrimination Act and Section 38.1 (d) of the Race Relations Act apply. LIWC is an Equal Opportunities Employer. All staff are required to have a satisfactory enhanced CRB Disclosure which can be arranged by LIWC.

See Job Description and Person Specification for full details. Telephone 020 7249 7318 or email info@liwc.co.uk for further information or to receive an application pack by post.

Application forms may be downloaded by visiting http://www.liwc.co.uk/page12.htm and submitted by email info@liwc.co.uk or post to LIWC, 59 Stoke Newington Church Street, London N16 0AR.

CVs will not be accepted.

Closing date: 5pm 30th September 2009

For an informal discussion about the job please telephone and ask for Arlene Kilim.

Visit our website for information about our work. The Annual Report 2008 is available to download on the ‘Vacancies’ page on http://www.liwc.co.uk