ROLE PURPOSE / DESCRIPTION:

The Intercultural Support Worker will work with our Social Inclusion Community Activation Programme (SICAP) team in supporting our response to the needs of people living in IPAS centres and BOTP (Beneficiaries of Temporary Protection) located in the South West Mayo Development Company SICAP areas of Castlebar and Claremorris Municipal Districts. 

REPORTING TO:

New Communities Coordinator

KEY RESPONSIBILITY AREAS

• Act as a support person for asylum seekers in IPAS accommodation and BOTPs in the SICAP Castlebar and Claremorris Municipal District areas. 

• Co-ordinate day-to-day activities and organise support, including providing advice, guidance, and translation supports where necessary. 

• Co-ordinate health and wellbeing activities to promote mental health and wellbeing. 

• Work as part of the SICAP team to support clients with our complementary services, training and capacity building and refer clients to other relevant SWMDC programmes and external agencies as necessary. 

• Engage with, attend and coordinate, where necessary, the Local Area Response groups in relation to asylum seekers and refugees. 

• Represent SWMDC on various interagency fora as required. 

• Work in tandem with other in-house social inclusion programmes including Community Connection Project, AMIF and Family Support. 

• Assist in the overall delivery of SICAP services 

• Maintain files and collect and process relevant data in line with programme requirements and data protection principles, ensuring the IRIS CRM system is kept up to date with all SICAP-related work. 

• Maintain up-to-date files and records, preparing periodic reports as required. 

• Adhere to SICAP guidelines and operational procedures within SWMDC. 

• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as may be assigned. 

CRITICAL COMPETENCIES 

• Fluent in English (written and oral). 

• Coordination, advocacy, and networking skills. 

• Excellent time management and workload planning skills. 

• Understanding of, and a commitment to, the promotion of equal opportunities and cultural diversity. 

• Excellent listening, communication, and interpersonal skills. 

• Understanding of the barriers and issues facing immigrants (including asylum seekers and refugees) and obstacles in accessing social and other services in Ireland. 

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Minimum one year’s experience of working in a similar role is desirable. 

• Working with socially excluded and/or minority groups. 

• Experience working in a busy environment with the ability to prioritise and manage your own calendar. 

• Excellent ICT, communication, and report writing skills. 

• Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• Third-level degree in relevant areas or post-graduate qualification. 
• Fluent in a second language

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

1. Salary – Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be no less than €37,000. 
2. Duration of Contract – This position is offered as a one-year, full-time fixed term contract with the possibility of extension subject to funding.  
3. Probation – Six-month probation period will apply. 
4. Working Hours – 9am – 5pm (35 hours per week). 
5. Annual Leave – Annual leave 25 days per annum. 
6. Pension – Company pension following satisfactory completion of probation period. 
7. Travel & Subsistence – Travel and subsistence will be paid at public sector rates. 
8. Location of the position – SWMDC Castlebar Office, with right to request a maximum of two days’ remote working arrangements, subject to approval. 
9. Transport – Access to own transport is essential. 
10. Garda Vetting – Garda vetting is required. 

SELECTION PROCESS

Selection will involve short listing of applicants for an interview based on the criteria for the position as outlined in this job description and person specification.

HOW TO APPLY

Please submit your Curriculum Vitae and cover letter by email to jobs@southmayo.com quoting Intercultural Support Worker_Application_YOURNAME in the subject line. 

Please save and submit your CV as YOURNAME_CV and your cover letter as YOURNAME_CoverLetter. 

IMPORTANT: When you have submitted your application, we recommend that you add jobs@southmayo.com to your email address book to make sure that you receive our emails, and that they are not redirected to your email Junk/Spam folders. 

To make sure that you don’t miss any correspondence from us, we also recommend that you check your email Junk/Spam folders in the weeks following your application. SWMDC accepts no responsibility for missed correspondence. 

Closing date for applications for this role is 12noon, Tuesday 3rd February 2026. Late applications are not accepted. 

It is anticipated that interviews will take place during the week starting 9th February 2026.