Voluntary Returns Service Client Adviser

Job description

Location: North East and Cumbria

Contract: Fixed term until 31 March 2027 (with potential to be extended or made permanent)

Salary: £30,457 - Increasing to £34,682 following successful completion of a 6 months probation period

Closing Date: 9 September 2026

The role

Part of the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS) team, the Client Adviser is a new and exciting role at Migrant Help. You will provide person-centred information, practical support and ongoing engagement to vulnerable and hard-to-reach migrants who may be eligible for the service. You will help clients understand their options, make informed decisions and progress safely through the VRS process.

If you have demonstrable experience working empathetically with people facing transition and uncertainty with the ability to communicate complex information, and are looking for an exciting role that makes a difference, we'd love to hear from you!

Role responsibilities

• Deliver direct VRS information, outreach and engagement support to eligible migrants across agreed regions, including through community drop-in clinics, partner sessions, telephone, Teams and other remote channels.
• Hold voluntary return conversations with clients in a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive and impartial manner, helping them understand VRS pathways, available support and next steps without providing regulated immigration advice.
• Provide practical support to help clients navigate and progress through the VRS application process, including explaining process requirements, supporting document gathering and helping clients submit information to support their application
• Maintain accurate and timely case records, including voluntary return conversations, outreach activity, application support, Unique Application Numbers, Letters of Authority, referrals, disengagement, barriers to progression and safeguarding actions.
• Identify and respond appropriately to client needs, risks and barriers to engagement, including language, literacy, digital exclusion, homelessness, health needs, trauma, exploitation, fear of authorities or unstable accommodation.
• Maintain regular contact with clients through agreed communication channels until application completion, withdrawal, onward referral or disengagement, taking proactive steps to re-engage clients where appropriate.
• Escalate safeguarding concerns, complex case issues, complaints, risks, incidents and queries promptly to the Senior Client Adviser, safeguarding lead or other appropriate route in line with organisational procedures.
• Work within agreed service boundaries at all times, including signposting clients to official guidance, regulated immigration advice or specialist services where required.
• Support outreach and engagement activities, including community drop-in clinics, partner sessions, safe appointment arrangements, remote support and re-engagement activity for individuals at risk of disengagement.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with community partners, local authorities, accommodation providers, statutory agencies and specialist services to support referrals, safe engagement, onward signposting and coordinated case progression.
• Contribute to service monitoring, quality assurance and reporting by ensuring records are complete, accurate, timely and aligned with agreed performance measures and outcomes.
• Contribute to mobilisation, service close-down and continuous improvement activity by sharing learning about barriers, enablers, client feedback, partner insight and good practice with managers and relevant colleagues.
• Responding to complaints in a professional and sensitive manner in line with contract and organisational policies

The experience and skills you need

• Experience of providing information, advice, support, casework or outreach to vulnerable people in a client-facing setting.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, risk management, confidentiality, data protection and escalation processes when working with vulnerable adults.
• Experience of recording, monitoring and reporting service delivery activity, outcomes and client information accurately.
• Skills in liaison, negotiation and advocacy with other agencies on behalf of clients.
• Ability to absorb complex written information and communicate it clearly and accurately to clients and partners.

For full person specification please see the job description

Migrant Help is committed to safeguarding those we provide a service to, applicants will have to undergo strict vetting procedures throughout different stages of the recruitment process therefore:

• This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check therefore applicants must:

• Be able to provide documents to show their right to work in the UK (such as Passport, work visa, settled status document, certificate of registration, naturalisation as a British citizen, Biometric Residence Permit etc.)
• Provide full employment history for the previous 3 years and/or suitable documentation to cover any gaps in employment

About Migrant Help

Migrant Help is a leading charity that was established in 1963 and delivers a range of support and advice services to people affected by displacement and exploitation across the UK. Our vision is for a global society that protects vulnerable people, treats them with respect and enables them to reach their full potential.

We foster a culture in which equality, diversity and inclusion are recognised, valued and encouraged. It doesn't matter who you are or where you come from, we match your skills with the needs of our organisation, as long as you share our values, vision and goals. We welcome applications from candidates regardless of their age, religion or belief, race, gender reassignment, disability, sexual orientation, sex, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.

These are some of the benefits we offer

• Our working week is 35 hours per week offering flexibility and work life balance
• Enhanced family friendly provisions
• Employees will gain an extra day annual leave per year to a maximum of 39 days, including bank holidays (pro-rata).
• Option to buy or sell up to 5 days of annual leave
• Access to Perkbox, an employee rewards and benefits platform with over 9,000 deals and discounts, a range of free perks, employee wellbeing support and other additional employee benefits and recognitions.
• Wellbeing support.
• Migrant Help offers employees a non-contributory pension scheme Migrant Help pays 8% worth of employee salary into the pension scheme.

How to apply

To apply for this role, please click on the 'use this link to apply' button and complete the online application form attaching a copy of your CV and cover letter.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be a valuable tool during the application process, for example to help structure your sentences and identify your transferable skills. However, please ensure you don't rely on it entirely. As your application will be reviewed by people, not systems, it is often easy to recognise when AI has been heavily used. We want to hear your unique voice and understand your experience.

Selection Criteria

Your application will be assessed against the job description and person specification, which can be found via the above link, we therefore recommend you review both before you apply.

We encourage applications from disabled people and aim to progress candidates who meet the minimum criteria to the next stage of the recruitment process, For more information on how we apply the disability confident scheme, please view our FAQ page here

Please note this vacancy may close early depending on applications received

As part of your role, it is important you operate within Migrant Help's values: Protection, Diversity, Equality, Partnership, Innovation and Excellence.
Migrant Help is proud to be an equal opportunities employer.