Volunteer Migration Advisor

Role description

Volunteer Migration Advisors are part of our Migration Advisory Group, made up of refugee background people with lived experience of resettlement in Aotearoa New Zealand. They help provide a National Board representative and senior staff in our Migration team with advice and recommendations on Red Cross services that support asylum seekers, convention refugees, former refugees and their families in their transition into New Zealand society. You will receive input and feedback from other former refugees and refugee background communities about these services.

The Migration Advisory Group meets six times per year on weekends - three in-person and three online.

Your tasks 

You’ll be helping people navigate life in a new country, which might include:  

• Contribute skills and knowledge by participating actively in meetings.
• Prepare for meetings by reading agendas, minutes, reports, and other documentation required to actively participate in them.
• Inform the Board and Senior staff of current issues affecting refugees, asylum seekers and refugee background communities in New Zealand.
• Provide advice as required for national migration programme staff regarding service development.
• Provide a client / former refugee perspective to the Board on all aspects of the Board’s work
• Keep up to date with issues and trends that affect our services for former refugees

Location

Anywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand

Volunteer requirements and training 

You will be supported by our Migration team throughout your volunteer journey. To undertake this role, you will need to complete one-day training. While you are volunteering you will also need to:

• Declare any potential conflicts of interest which may arise during your term in
  this position
• Understand and maintain confidentiality of all matters discussed
• Help our migration team with job interviews, if needed
• Connect with local migration team, as needed 

Health, Safety and Wellbeing (HSW)

• Make sure your actions (or lack of actions) don’t harm your health, safety and wellbeing, or harm anyone else.
• Take part in a HSW induction, training, programmes and activities.
• Follow all instructions given to you about health, safety and wellbeing.
• Follow all NZRC HSW policies, standards and procedures about health, safety and wellbeing.
• Make sure you have the right training for any activities you are doing.
• Use personal protective equipment (PPE) for any work activities that may need it to stay safe.
• If you spot a hazard, or you are involved in an incident or near miss, report this straight away