The Irish Council for Prisoners Overseas (ICPO) provides information and support to Irish prisoners overseas and their families. The ICPO was established by the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference in 1985 in response to serious concerns regarding the number of Irish men and women in UK prisons.
Our objectives are to:
Identify and respond to the needs of Irish prisoners abroad and their families;
Research and provide relevant information to prisoners on issues such as deportation, repatriation and transfer;
Focus public attention on issues affecting Irish prisoners;
Engage in practical work in aid of justice and human rights for Irish migrants, refugees and prisoners at an international level;
Visit Irish prisoners abroad when possible in the UK and elsewhere.
The ICPO is recruiting a full-time Caseworker & Family Support Officer on a 9 month fixed term contract as maternity cover, commencing on or before 1st March, 2017.
Job Description
The primary role of the Caseworker & Family Support Officer will be to provide an advice and information service to Irish prisoners overseas and to undertake support work in relation to the families of Irish prisoners overseas.
Responsibilities will include:
Taking responsibility for a caseload of clients and liaising with other teams in service delivery to provide a comprehensive service to those incarcerated abroad;
Providing, by telephone, email and letter, information and advice about foreign legal and penal systems to prisoners overseas and their families;
Liaising with external agencies, including government agencies, embassy personnel, probation services, legal and welfare groups, housing authorities, on behalf of clients;
Becoming familiar with the legal and penal framework relevant to the caseload;
Referring clients to specialist agencies as appropriate;
Maintaining a paper and electronic ‘case file’ to ensure notes of all correspondence, conversations and meetings are efficiently retained in accordance with data protection requirements;
Maintaining a filing system that incorporates a planned and managed file review;
Supporting the families of prisoners overseas, particularly providing assistance with travel plans for prison visits to the UK and Europe.
This role will involve some travel, both in Ireland and overseas.
Skills & Qualifications
The successful candidate will have:
A qualification in social work, law, criminology or human rights;
Experience of working with marginalised groups;
Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
Excellent organisational, administrative and IT skills;
The ability to work with initiative as a part of a small team;
The ability to build relationships with relevant stakeholders.
Terms
This is a full-time position (35 hours per week). The successful candidate will be employed on a 9 month fixed-term contract, which will include a 2 month probationary period. Salary will be commensurate with experience.
How to Apply
To apply please send a CV and cover letter to icpo@iecon.ie by 5pm on Thursday, 5th January, 2017.