Legal Aid Contract Consultant - Volunteer

Manchester Refugee Support Network (MRSN) is an IAA Level 3 accredited, registered charity that helps asylum seekers and refugees get the basic support they need. We are seeking an experienced consultant to support us to scope, design and set up a Legal Aid contract.

Setting up a Legal Aid contract at MRSN would directly increase access to high‑quality legal representation for people seeking asylum and other migrants, in a context where there is currently a severe shortage of immigration and asylum legal aid provision ("legal aid deserts"). It would turn our existing drop‑in and advice work into a pathway to full representation under Legal Aid, so people don’t fall between signposting and actually having a lawyer.

Without legal aid, people seeking asylum improving asylum decisions, and giving refugees joined‑up, holistic support and a more stable, sustainable service.

Having a Legal Aid contract embedded in a specialist refugee organisation means more people in Greater Manchester can secure representation for asylum claims, appeals, and protection from removal, rather than trying to navigate complex systems alone. Indeed it will

• Stronger, fairer asylum decisions. Evidence shows that lack of early legal aid leads to worse decision‑making, more refusals, and higher downstream costs through appeals, detention and further litigation.
• With in‑house Legal Aid, MRSN could support people to prepare better, earlier, and more coherent cases (statements, evidence, expert reports), which increases the chances of fair outcomes and can reduce unnecessary appeals and delays.
• Filling a local "legal advice desert". National mapping has identified serious gaps in immigration and asylum legal aid capacity, leaving "oceans of unmet need" where people simply cannot access a lawyer despite being eligible.
• As a grassroots, refugee‑led organisation already supporting over 60 people per week in Moss Side, MRSN is well placed to convert existing demand into actual casework capacity, reducing the need for clients to travel far or join long waiting lists.
• More holistic, joined‑up support. MRSN already supports refugees with immigration, housing, welfare, integration and community activities, and understands how immigration status interacts with those areas.
• Long‑term sustainability and influence. Legal Aid, when set up and managed properly, can provide a stable income stream for specialist casework and supervision, which helps sustain expert staff and reduce reliance on short‑term grants.
• Building an in‑house legal team also strengthens MRSN’s ability to contribute evidence to policy discussions and campaigns on access to justice for refugees and migrants, drawing on real casework experience.

We are looking for someone with

• Significant experience in Legal Aid practice, ideally in immigration/asylum or social welfare law.
• Good understanding of Legal Aid Agency contracts, quality standards (e.g. supervision, peer review, file audits) and compliance.
• Experience of setting up or managing a Legal Aid contract within a small firm or not‑for‑profit organisation.
• Ability to communicate complex legal and regulatory requirements in clear, accessible language for non‑lawyers.
• Commitment to access to justice, refugee and migrant rights, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

We welcome applications from people with lived experience of the asylum or immigration system and from under‑represented groups in the legal profession.

Hybrid

You will work closely with our senior management team and trustees to help us

• Clarify which Legal Aid categories and matter types are realistic for MRSN (e.g. immigration/asylum) and align with our existing advice offer.
• Understand Legal Aid Agency (LAA) requirements for new contracts, including supervision standards, quality frameworks and audit expectations.
• Map the organisational changes needed (governance, policies, supervision, file management, data and reporting systems) to become "contract ready".
• Develop a practical roadmap and timeline for applying for a Legal Aid contract, including key risks, dependencies and indicative costs.
• Advise on…