Advocacy Officer - London, United Kingdom - Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO)

Description

Job description

IRMO works to enable the development, agency and participation of Latin Americans and other Spanish and Portuguese speakers by responding to both immediate needs and structural inequalities.

About the Children & Young People Area at IRMO

Our programme of support for recently arrived Latin American children and young people ensures that our young service users can have the best possible start in the UK.

We offer English language classes and academic mentoring, advice & advocacy to access compulsory education and statutory services, learning workshops for young people and targeted mentoring for education and employment.

Children and young people at IRMO can access the following activities:

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English for Speaker of Other Languages (ESOL): children and young people can learn English through targeted ESOL classes tailored to age, language abilities and learning needs.
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Advice & Advocacy: parents can access one-to-one advice, practical support and workshops on school admissions as well as access to SEND support, healthcare, welfare and other basic needs.
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Individual Mentoring: children can find the support they need to overcome educational challenges and young people can plan their next steps into employment.
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Group Learning Workshops: young people can learn new skills, socialise, explore career paths and get exposure to industries of interest through a weekly provision of inspirational, theme-based and creative workshops.


About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Children & Young People area and further develop IRMO's advocacy expertise on how to challenge the
barriers faced by migrant children when accessing mainstream education.

The Advocacy Officer is a newly created role funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation who will contribute to IRMO's aim of reducing structural barriers by influencing migration system reform; improving access to support services; and strengthening civic participation.

IRMO comes into contact with hundreds of families each year who face difficulties accessing services and formal education for their children, which hinder children's integration to society.

Our advocacy efforts work towards a system where migrant children and young people have
equal access to education so that they can thrive in the UK, regardless of their immigration status, language barriers, cultural differences, ethnic background or class.

The Advocacy Officer will work closely with IRMO's advisers and community organiser to
achieve clarity on the legal framework on education rights for undocumented children, highlight existing challenges and develop avenues for change.

The role will facilitate
advocacy and community organising interventions to increase access to information and to support services available for families, to increase awareness of education and migrant rights and to ultimately co-create an access to education toolkit in community languages.

The Advocacy Officer will play a fundamental part in
informing public understanding by drafting evidence-based reports, sharing key findings and recommendations with public bodies, community groups and social justice organisations.

This is a multifaceted role which requires empathy, flexibility, knowledge of the education system in the UK and understanding of the current UK legislation for migrants and asylum seekers.

Ability to speak
Spanish is essential for the role and knowledge of Portuguese or willingness to learn is a bonus.