Communities Officer – London

REDRESS is recruiting a Communities Officer to support a new project that will promote participatory access to justice for survivors or torture who are refugees or seeking asylum.  We are seeking applications from candidates with some experience in campaigning, activism, working with communities, or policy advocacy.

We are particularly seeking applications from candidates with lived experience relevant to the project, which may mean that they or their families are survivors of torture, or that they have escaped persecution.

Who we are

REDRESS is an international human rights organisation based in London and The Hague that pursues legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture in the UK and around the world to obtain justice and reparation for violations against their human rights. We empower survivors to access justice through human rights cases against governments, civil cases against individuals, and cases where we advocate for law enforcement bodies to prosecute perpetrators under the principle of universal jurisdiction. Our approach is strategic, so that as well as representing an individual we target the policy reasons that enabled the torture to take place, by building a campaign that uses advocacy, community engagement, and communications to influence change. Our 2025 Strategy identifies torture related to dissent and discriminatory torture as our two thematic priorities. We also support the anti-torture movement through our solidarity programme.

The Programme

Through the Justice UK programme REDRESS brings legal claims on behalf of survivors of torture based in the United Kingdom, while also undertaking policy advocacy on issues relating to survivors of torture, working with survivor communities, and explaining the issues to stakeholders.

For the next two years REDRESS will be delivering a project together with Freedom from Torture that will promote access to justice for the 30% of refugees or those claiming asylum who are also survivors of torture. Through this project we will work with survivor communities, provide advice on access to justice for torture, develop pathways for referring survivors to the advice they need, support survivor co-led advocacy to the UK government on key issues, connecting it to strategic litigation cases, and ensure that the project builds the movement.

Position Profile

The main responsibilities of the role are:

  • Community Participation. Work with survivor communities in the UK to identify their needs and priorities, share information and deliver outreach on access to justice for torture, and develop pathways for accessing justice and participating in campaigns.
  • Social Support. Review and update the REDRESS Torture Survivors Handbook to provide an accurate and up-to-date outreach resource for communities.
  • Support activities to strengthen and share learning with the legal advice and representation community working on access to justice for torture.
  • Connect with and support strategic litigation on behalf of clients of REDRESS and partners.
  • Liaise with partners in the development of survivor co-led advocacy campaigns on priorities identified by the communities.
  • Case Management. Ensure the effective management of our casework by keeping electronic and paper filing systems up to date and maintaining casework statistics.
  • Professional Responsibility. Maintain the highest ethical standards and case management.
  • Project Management. Ensure the delivery of the project. Contribute to the drafting of funding proposals, financial reports, and donor reports.
  • Foster relations with existing and potential new partners and counterparts on litigation, policy advocacy, and training. In particular work directly with colleagues at Freedom From Torture and the Survivors Speak Out network.
  • Work collaboratively with other legal and programme staff. Supervise interns.
  • Representing REDRESS. Contribute to the wider needs of the organization, including communicating REDRESS’ work to a wide array of audiences.

The position is also expected to carry out such further duties as may reasonably be required from time to time by REDRESS.

Person Specification

We are seeking applications from intermediate professionals with some previous experience in activism or community organising to contribute to this work.

Essential Competencies

The successful candidate will need to have the following essential competencies:

  • Experience working with survivors and/or survivor groups.
  • At least three years relevant experience.
  • An understanding of human rights law.
  • Demonstrated proficiency of writing and editing for a public audience.
  • Experience at delivering projects
  • Experience working with NGOs and other stakeholders.
  • Experience in public speaking to a variety of audiences.
  • Experience managing volunteers.
  • Good standard of written and oral English.
  • Willingness to undertake travel within the United Kingdom.
  • Literacy in social media in a professional environment (primarily Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook).

Desirable Competencies

A strong candidate will also have other desirable competencies:

  • A degree specialised in international law or human rights law, or equivalent experience.
  • Fluency in a language other than English.
  • Experience managing project budgets.

Personal Attributes

We particularly welcome applications from candidates with lived experience relevant to the project, which may mean that they or their families are survivors of torture, or that they have escaped persecution.

To work for Redress, the candidate should have the following personal attributes:

  • Happy to work collaboratively as part of a small and energetic team with a wide range of personalities.
  • Highly efficient and organised, with an ability to multi-task, show initiative, solve problems, and take a hands-on role when necessary.
  • Able to think and work strategically, creatively, and under pressure.
  • Able to understand and support the aims, objectives and values of REDRESS and reflect them in all aspects of work.
  • Able to work with victims of human rights abuse with a range of specific needs.

Terms

Reporting. The position reports to a REDRESS Legal Advisor.

Hours. This is a full-time position at 35 hours a week. Evening and weekend work may be required from time to time. REDRESS will consider a part-time role for this position.

Location. The position is based at the REDRESS office in London. REDRESS has a flexible working policy which allows some working from home.

Salary. REDRESS staff are paid according to set salary scales, with annual cost of living increases, and the possibility of step increase with strong performance. This is a mid-level ‘officer’ position, with a salary range starting at £31,712.

Duration. The contract is for a fixed-term of 21 months, but is expected to be extended, subject to funding.

Start date. The position would start by May 2022.

Probation. There is a six-month probationary period.

Pension. REDRESS offers a pension contribution of 10% of salary.

Holiday.  There are 25 days of holiday per year, in addition to UK public holidays. The office is also closed between Christmas and New Year.

Status. The candidate must have the right to live and work in the UK.

First round Interviews will take place on Wednesday 23 March by videolink.

Final round interview will take place on Wednesday 30 March at our offices in London.

How to Apply

We are committed to amplifying the voice of survivors of torture or ill-treatment within REDRESS and the wider sector and to working to ensure that people with lived experience are partners in bringing the change needed. In line with our Equality Policy, we also particularly welcome applications from candidates from ethnic minorities who are currently under-represented at REDRESS.

Please upload to our recruitment portal:

  • A cover letter of no more than one page explaining (a) why you would like to work for REDRESS, and (b) how you fulfil the personal specification for the role. Please name this document using: [family name] [personal name] Cover letter
  • Your curriculum vitae, including the names and contact details of two references (these will only be approached in final stage of the process). Please name this document using: [family name] [personal name] Curriculum Vitae

Please also complete the Diversity Monitoring Form (which is anonymous, so don’t name this one) and return it to [email protected].

Deadline: Wednesday 16 March 2022