ESOL Assistant Volunteer

ESOL Assistant - Role Description 

About the Refugee and Migrant Centre  

• RMC vision: A society where newcomers feel welcome, valued and live dignified lives. 
• RMC mission: We will act with humanity and compassion – knowing that with the right support and a chance to rebuild their lives, people can go on to thrive and be equal citizens.

To fulfil our vision and mission, RMC offers advice and guidance in the areas of housing and destitution, training, employment, health and immigration. RMC provides a free drop-in service with face-to-face, holistic advice, support and guidance to clients 

We provide advice to clients who drop in during the mornings and book appointments for more complex cases during the afternoons. We are closed to the public all day Wednesdays. 

Volunteering with RMC 

You will be based at our office in Birmingham in a busy environment with a friendly, supportive staff and volunteer team. We are looking for an enthusiastic and committed individual to support and work alongside our experienced ESOL tutor to help teach English to Refugees and Asylum Seekers. The role helps enable refugees/asylum seekers acquire English which increases their accessibility to so many services and increases integration. 

Role Description 

• Volunteering with an experienced teacher to deliver English classes.  
• Volunteering with small groups within the class to help with listening, reading and writing 
• Helping to prepare classes and update the admin for the class to ensure a high-quality session. 
• Where appropriate; giving information, advice and guidance to learners about study options 

What are we looking for? 

We do not require teaching experience or any specialist training, but a willingness to get involved and a passion for helping others, is a must. Additional language skills would be a great benefit, but not a necessity. You will need to be able to work well with others and be understanding and empathetic to the difficulties people may face.  

Skills required 

We provide a comprehensive induction, on-going training and support to all our volunteers but there are some skills we require you to have that are specific to this role: 

• A friendly and approachable personality 
• Enthusiastic and passionate about working with refugees, migrants and asylum seekers 
• Willingness to work as part of a team 
• Ability to support the planning of lessons and comfortable assisting learning in small groups 
• Strong communication skills 
• Ability to maintain strong boundaries with clients  
• An understanding and acceptance of equal opportunities 
• Basic computer skills  
• A good level of English speaking, reading and writing 

Why RMC? 

• You will be offered regular support and supervision and provided with a mentor 
• You will gain skills with new arrival communities 
• You will gain a valuable volunteering experiences and a reference 
• An opportunity to give something back to your local community 
• Work in a supported, friendly volunteering environment where volunteers are at the heart of what we do 
• Develop key employability skills for your CV such as communication, teamwork, empathy, organisation as well as role specific skills 
• Volunteer expenses will be reimbursed 

Other information 

Disabled access: Yes 

Insurance: Yes 

Expenses: Yes 

Induction: Yes 

Training: Yes 

Health and Safety Policy: Yes 

Equal Opportunities Policy: Yes 

Application process 

The application process will involve the completion of an application form (link below), an informal face-to-face meeting, reference checks and a DBS.  

If you would like more information on the role, you can find out more and complete your application on our website.