Centring Lived Experience
A new intensive support model to help lived experience-led organisations deliver immigration advice by getting registered with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) (formerly known as the OISC).
overview
Training and mentoring for frontline staff
Training and mentoring for frontline staff to prepare for IAA assessments, become a qualified adviser and build confidence and competence in their new role.
Support to plan services, get regulated, and stay connected
We offer needs assessment, help to plan your growing service and advice remit, support through the IAA registration process and Continuing Professional Development, and membership of a Community of Practice to connect with other organisations on the same journey.
Commitment
One manager and one frontline staff member, each with lived-experience of migration, will commit to participating in the project to gain full benefit from the project.
Case studies
Discover how lived experience-led organisations have grown their immigration advice services with CLEX support. Explore stories of organisations and advisers who have gained IAA registration and are now delivering vital legal advice to their communities.
What’s Involved
Close support for 6-8 grass-roots organisations led by people with lived-experience of migration to grow their service by delivering legal, immigration advice to their clients is now available, free-of-charge, through the Frontline Immigration Advice Project (FIAP).
We will train frontline staff, and support managers to plan, adapt services, and apply to register with the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA) in order to deliver greatly-needed legal advice to their service-users.
*(IAA - formerly known as the OISC)
This a unique opportunity to access holistic support and training, tailored for the charity sector. It is ideal for growing, grass-roots organisations led by people with lived experience of migration.
What we are offering
- One-to-one needs assessments to understand the challenges and goals of individual organisations
- Support through the steps to getting IAA-registered, and developing a sustainable immigration advice service
- Introduction to our Online Learning Platform of course materials
- Quarterly mentoring sessions
- Regular online study group
- Second tier advice and casework support, by phone, email and/or online meeting
- Membership of a Centering Lived Experience (CLE) Co-Design Advisory panel to help shape the project for one person from each organisation
- Opportunity to become a Refugee Action Volunteer, if you wish, after 6 months of active commitment to the project
What we are looking for (criteria)
Don’t stress! If you’re not sure whether your organisation meets some of the criteria below. Please complete the form below as best you can. We’ll get in touch if we have any questions.
- Your organisation must be lived experience led.
For the purposes of this project, lived experience led means that there are staff / volunteers with lived-experience of migration working throughout your organisation, ideally at every level, particularly in managerial, senior leadership and trustee roles. And that people with lived experience of migration have a significant impact in the design and delivery of your services. We will ask you to complete a survey to help us assess this.
And
- Ready to Engage:
This includes:
- We would normally expect 1 named caseworker and 1 named manager with lived experience of migration prepared to engage with the project for a minimum of 18 months. (This can be the same person, staff or volunteers)
- A clear understanding of the immigration advice needs of your clients. (e.g. knowing your clients’ immigration statuses and the applications they want to make)
- Some understanding of IAA advice regulation, its categories (Asylum and Protection / Immigration) and levels (1 - 3), and how these relate to the work of your organisation.
- How your future advice service would be delivered (e.g. who may provide the advice, when, and how)
- A plan including estimated dates for IAA training, completing your registration application, and IAA assessment dates.
- Focus on training up existing staff / vols
- Time commitment - Please ensure that the relevant staff and volunteers will have enough time to attend these events / meetings ? (see below)
*Don’t worry, you don’t need to have every single detail planned. Just tell us as much as you can. We can help you figure the rest out.
What is the commitment?
The table below is just a rough guide to the time-commitments involved. Overall, it is important that both the organisational lead and the training advisor can take part fully in the project and IAA registration process, alongside trustees and senior managers doing their bit, too.
Trainee Adviser
CEO
Trustees
Complete reporting surveys and/or interviews: 1 hour once every 6 months.
Trainee Adviser (optional)
Co-design Advisory Panel - 1.5 hours every 2-3 months.
Explore training in Immigration law at Level 1 and/or Level 2: minimum of 5 days, preferably consecutive
Study leave to prepare for IAA assessments: 5 days recommended
Opportunity to become a Refugee Action Volunteer, if you wish, after 6 months of active commitment to the project.
Interested?
If so, please complete this Expression of Interest form.
We’d love to know more about what the term 'lived-experience' means to your organisation. Please let us know here.
Get in touch
If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Dan.
Stories from the FRONTLINE
Find out about how the Frontline Immigration Advice Project can support you