Support Worker – Welcome Hackney (Refugee, Migrant and Asylum Seeker) Service

1 Year Fixed Term Contract / Secondment Opportunity

Hackney is one of the most dynamic and progressive local authorities in the UK. We are a resilient, vibrant, and creative borough in the heart of London, with strong, diverse communities and a powerful set of shared values.

Over the past twenty years, the Council has built up first-class services, outstanding public infrastructure, and a reputation for excellence, innovation, and ambition. We are leading the way on essential work such as our fight for equity in Hackney with a particular focus on becoming an actively anti-racist borough. But the work doesn’t stop there, we are proactive in our approach to bringing fairness to all aspects of life including gender, neurodiversity and across the poverty divide.

Hackney has a longstanding reputation of being open and welcoming to migrants, refugees and asylum seekers – both as a Council and a community. The London Borough of Hackney is committed to ensuring people arriving in Hackney feel welcome and safe, and can access the support that is available. Hackney was recently awarded Borough of Sanctuary status.

Currently 800 people are seeking asylum in Hackney, and Welcome Hackney provides access to timely and effective support while they await the outcome of their claim. Hackney has also welcomed over 500 Ukrainians since 2022, as well as a number of Afghan families through the UK’s resettlement schemes.

This role sits within the Welcome Hackney (Refugee, Migrant and Asylum Seeker) Service, and will focus on supporting Afghan families resettled to the borough. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from Dari and Pashto speakers and those who have a lived experience of seeking sanctuary and/or resettlement.

We will be running a dedicated briefing session for those with lived experience of seeking sanctuary on Monday 22nd June 11:00-12:00.

The call will be online, and accessed here

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/xaw-ezid-aho

It would be highly desirable if you could speak any of these following languages:  Dari, Pashto, Tigrinya, Arabic 

Skills & experience:

– Excellent communication skills. Ability to build trust with refugees who have experienced trauma and to advocate with agencies on their behalf. Experience of working with refugees, asylum seekers or migrants (people with lived experience are particularly welcome).

– Experience of providing advice, guidance and advocacy regarding rights and entitlements (particularly related to housing and benefits) 

– Solutions focussed with a can-do approach. Proactively and independently finding solutions to barriers.

There is no better place to work in London than Hackney; we have great pride in our borough, our communities, and our services. Hackney is one of London’s most vibrant and diverse boroughs. It’s one of the most sought after areas to live in London with good schools, parks and local amenities, as well as great transport links and vibrant and diverse communities.

As a Council, our most outstanding asset is our staff, who are highly dedicated to serving our residents and committed to our goals as an organisation.

If you want to work in a place where you can represent our values so we achieve the best for our residents, please click on the apply button below.

We operate a fair and open anonymous selection process. Therefore, we do not accept supporting statements or CV’s.

To proceed with your application, you will need to create an account and submit your application.

As part of the application process, you will need to complete a number of competency based questions. These questions allow you to demonstrate your suitability for the role and provide examples of your skills, knowledge and experience outlined in the job description.

We understand the benefits of using AI in the workplace. However, if you are thinking of using this tool to submit your application, we ask you to think about what value it will add. AI tools tend to lack the personal touch and authenticity we value in candidates. We encourage you to showcase your unique knowledge and skills using your own voice.

Closing date for applications: 28 June 2026 (22.59)

Interview date: W/C 13 July 2026

We are also working towards our vision, which is to be a place for everyone; where residents and staff can be proud; a place that celebrates diversity and where everyone can feel valued, included and involved. In order to achieve this, we look for people who are: Proud; Ambitious; Pioneering; Open; Proactive; Inclusive.

Hackney Council works to eradicate discrimination on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. We also recognise that people can be disadvantaged by their social and economic circumstances, so we will also work to eliminate discrimination and disadvantage caused by social class. We also welcome those interested in flexible working. We particularly welcome applications from disabled people, as this group is currently under represented in our workforce.

The Council has a dedicated employment support service (Hackney Works), which offers Hackney residents guidance in relation to applying for jobs. If you are thinking about applying for a job, please contact the Hackney Works team to find out what support is available: hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk