Befriending Volunteer Coordinator Jobs in Ealing, Greater London
Home-Start Westminster, Kensington & Chelsea and Hammersmith & Fulham (HSWKCHF) is going through an exciting time; we are an innovative team who are creative and wholly committed to giving children and families the very best start in life. We are expanding our team to meet the growing needs of our communities and reach more families in need. This is an opportunity to join our enthusiastic and supportive staff team for a 12-month post (with the possibility of extension subject to funding).
As a Family Support Co-ordinator you will join our team of compassionate, experienced Family Support Co-ordinators, working to build strong relationships with local families facing complex challenges;
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You will work one-to-one with families to identify their needs, match them to a trained volunteer and regularly review their progress.
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You will provide on-going support and supervision to skilled, diverse volunteers, and work hard to build and maintain links with referring partners throughout our communities, ensuring holistic support for families.
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As needs are identified, you will work together with our team of Family Support Co-ordinators to develop and facilitate supportive groups and activities for families.
Essential requirements:
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Experience of supporting children and families; knowledge and understanding of their needs
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Good interpersonal skills and a positive team player
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Knowledge of safeguarding and the ability to supervise befriending volunteers
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A commitment to anti-discriminatory practice
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Ability to work using your own initiative
If you share our passion for supporting families and have experience in early years, family support or community work, we would love to hear from you!
We offer a genuinely rewarding and positive work environment with ongoing opportunities for training and development.
To apply, please download the documents below and return your Application Form and Monitoring Form to us by Monday 27th May, 5pm.
HSWKCHF is committed to Equality of Opportunity and Diversity.
An appointment will be made subject to satisfactory references and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check.
Interviews will be held the week beginning 3rd June in our Westminster office.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Cherry Lodge Cancer Care is an independent charity committed to improving the quality of life for people living with cancer, their carers, family, and friends.
We have an exciting opportunity for you to join us as a Cancer Information Specialist Nurse, and are seeking an experienced, flexible, and dynamic NMC registered nurse to join our team.
At Cherry Lodge, we work alongside the clinical care of the NHS in an area centred on Barnet and covering much of North London and South Hertfordshire. We are based at the very friendly and welcoming Cherry Lodge Centre, in Union Street, Chipping Barnet. We also have an Outreach Service with an impact across the borough of Barnet, concentrating particularly on providing information and support to members of black and minority ethnic groups. Our Befriending Service provides additional support for people in their own homes.
Job Purpose:
To act as a specialist information resource for the management of people with cancer, their carers, and families.
To co-ordinate, manage and develop the Cherry Lodge Cancer Care (CLCC) information service by providing assessment, information, support and signposting to people visiting and telephoning the centre. Oversight of interventions and therapies delivered, ensuring the person with cancer/carer/family experience of support feels seamless and is transparent.
To work proactively with primary and secondary care and voluntary sector partners to promote Cherry Lodge Cancer Care and build awareness of the support available for people living with and beyond cancer. This will include further developing relationships with local cancer care providers including the North London Hospice and North Central London Cancer Alliance.
Contribute to the coordination of the day-to-day running of therapy and complementary therapies delivered at CLCC, including mentoring of junior staff and volunteers as necessary. Working in close partnership with the Volunteer Co-ordinator and Befriending Service Lead.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Information/Service Provision
To ensure people with cancer their carers and families/friends gain access to the information they require by providing the following services:
1. To provide one to one sessions where assessment and planning ensures people are able to discuss all information aspects of their illness (symptom management, treatment, and living with cancer).
2. Provide support, access to therapies and signposting to other local services and support services.
3. Provide appropriate psychological support throughout the cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow up pathway, as appropriate and identified by the person with cancer.
4. Facilitate and support nurse/therapy led groups
5. Act as the person with cancer’s advocate, particularly where informed discussion may affect care management options, by ensuring robust links with secondary care Clinical Specialist Nurses.
6. Deliver support, information, and education to promote self-care following a diagnosis, and reduce risks of future complications. Actively encourage a Health & Wellbeing, enabling approach.
7. Work closely with the Cancer Information Specialist Nurse (Outreach).
8. To maintain a comprehensive, accurate and up to date information resource, including a database of information about local and national services.
9. Maintain professional links and liaise with other units/centres to ensure continuity of care and support for patients throughout their care pathway.
10. To use communication skills and empathy to impart information at all levels. To work with the Operations Manager to audit the service on a regular basis ensuring that feedback from users of the service is used to develop services further.
11. Support and participate in service review and ongoing development of nurse/therapy led services.
12. Ensure clear and concise records are documented ensuring effective communication observing NMC guidance for records and records keeping.
13. To provide information by telephone and respond to written requests for information.
Managerial and Leadership responsibilities
1. Act as a role model demonstrating high standards of care and providing leadership to all staff in the Cherry Lodge Cancer Care team.
2. Responsibly manage resources utilised within the role.
3. To publicise the facilities and activities of CLCC within the local provider trusts and in the wider community.
4. To ensure all activity delivered at CLCC is recorded on the database and provide regular updates to the Operations Manager and Trustees, helping to identify where there is unmet need in order that new services can be developed/commissioned.
5. To develop policies and procedures to assure the quality of information giving and support, including monitoring and evaluation systems that meet the highest standards, and is in line with activity across the North Central London Cancer Alliance.
6. To contribute to the Charity’s annual and strategic plans by working with the Operational Manager and Trustees to provide data & narrative that will assist in planning future service developments.
Training and Education
1. Support a positive learning environment for all staff – including volunteers.
2. To contribute to CLCC’s education programme by organising talks, seminars and workshops relating to cancer information and support.
3. To lead on the delivery of CLCC’s Induction Day for all staff and volunteers, evaluating its effectiveness by seeking and incorporating participant feedback.
4. Take responsibility for own learning and development needs.
5. Develop and maintain awareness of current local and national guidelines and workstreams which affect cancer information services, sharing a regular update with CLCC staff and Trustees.
6. Participate in regular clinical supervision and have responsibility for maintaining that supervision.
7. Attend management meetings, Trustees meeting and events as appropriate.
8. To understand and comply with all policies at CLCC including (but not exhaustive) Health & Safety, AL/TOIL, sickness reporting and monitoring and GDPR.
Research, Audit & Quality
1. To develop methods of obtaining useful feedback from people with cancer and other users of the service in order to provide high quality and responsive service, and to develop mechanisms to audit the effectiveness of the service.
2. To critically evaluate latest research and audit findings, disseminating these findings into practice in order to develop best practice and helping to support understanding by all (centre users and staff).
Personal Development
1. To maintain own expert level of competence.
2. To maintain current NMC registration by ensuring compliance with the NMC revalidation process.
3. To actively participate in the CLCC appraisal process.
4. To facilitate access to training for all volunteers within the service, working closely with the Volunteer Co-ordinator.
Communication
1. Develop and maintain good channels of communication and openness with colleagues within Cherry Lodge Cancer Care.
2. Ensure effective communication regarding all matters across the service. Be aware that all staff and volunteers represent Cherry Lodge Cancer Care and ensure that your actions always represent Cherry Lodge Cancer Care’s values and beliefs. Keep up to date with Cherry Lodge Cancer Care’s internal communications and share these with junior staff to ensure compliance with current requirements. Foster and encourage a sense of inclusiveness with all members of the charity’s team.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
For Age UK Westminster, the Befriending Service is one of its most important services tackling loneliness and isolation for older people in our community. This role would suit anyone who would like to play a key part in further developing a well-established service that makes a real difference to its community.
Excellent people skills, a strong initiative, and effective communications are required for this role, including an ability to build relationships with clients and volunteers, and undertake matching in an astute and sensitive manner. While supported by the Wellbeing & Connections Coordinator, the ideal candidate for this position will be self-motivated and enjoy a certain amount of autonomy.
The role will demand a division of time between the office, and out in the community completing home assessments and matching visits. The position will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check and references.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Befriending Scheme Coordinator
Part-time, 21 hours per week
£13,152 per annum (£21,921 FTE)
We have an exciting part time opportunity to join our Befriending Service which aims to ease loneliness and isolation of older people across Dacorum.
You will be responsible for coordinating our volunteers who either provide companionship through home visits or friendly telephone chats. You will also help to promote volunteering throughout Dacorum.
This rewarding position offers flexibility and autonomy in the way that you work.
It requires someone with excellent communication and organisation skills.
As you will be required to travel throughout the Dacorum area, a full driving licence with daily use of a car is essential.
Main purpose of Role
The purpose of the role is to coordinate the Befriending Service by carefully matching volunteers to visit an older lonely, isolated person in their own home to provide friendship and company.
Key Responsibilities
- Receive and record referrals for the befriending scheme from a variety of health and social care professionals, voluntary organisations, or family and friends
- Make contact with potential clients by undertaking initial telephone assessments and carrying out initial assessment visits, taking time to understand the needs of the clients and to assess suitability for the befriending scheme
- Actively recruit volunteers for both the visiting service. This will include interviewing potential volunteers and completion of DBS and references checks
- Provide individual inductions for all new volunteers recruited within the locality, ensuring that volunteers are appropriately trained to carry out their befriending role
- Carefully match volunteers with a client to ensure compatibility, and personally introduce visiting volunteers to clients
- Maintain regular contact with volunteers and clients to offer ongoing support and advice
- Manage and organise own administration work, ensuring that it is accurate and meets quality targets
- Complete and record monitoring forms
- Respect the confidentiality and dignity of clients and their rights to make their own decision
- Promote volunteering throughout the district by using a variety of media, attending public events and generally raising the profile of Age UK Hertfordshire
- Maintain the database, keeping up to date and accurate records
- Attend all training and meetings as requested by the Service Manager
- Work within AUKH policies and procedures and keep up to date with legislation for volunteer based projects.
In order to be successful you must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:
Essential
- Proven IT skills including MS Office and Outlook to an intermediate level as well as database management experience
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal together with the ability to tailor your communication style to your audience
- The ability to work both as part of a team as well as independently
- Excellent organisational skills where you are able to priorities tasks in order to meet deadlines and/or expectations
- A positive, helpful, conscientious work ethic
- Full UK driving licence and own car
- The ability to be flexible in working hours from time to time
Desirable
- Experience of dealing with either volunteers and /or the elderly/vulnerable. This could have been gained from a previous role or a personal situation
- Experience of when you have had to assess clients needs in a sensitive manner
- Knowledge of the local area
We offer
Training and development, travel expenses and a contributory pension scheme
TO APPLY
Submit your CV and a covering letter telling us how you meet the requirements of the role by the closing date of noon, Monday 13May 2024.
Interviews are scheduled to be held on Thursday 16 May and/or Friday 17 May 2024.
Take a look at Age UK Hertfordshire's website Work For Us for further information
Email your CV together with a covering letter telling us how you meet the person specification to us by the closing date of noon, Monday 13 May 2024.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Using Anonymous Recruitment
This organisation is using Anonymous Recruitment to reduce bias in the first stages of the hiring process. Our system keeps your personal information hidden until the recruiter contacts you.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
This role offers an exciting opportunity to grow and develop a Dementia Service that was launched at Age UK Westminster in 2022. Offering a weekly community-based Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy group that provides a vital contribution to living well with dementia and a monthly Memory Cafe, we are looking for someone with the knowledge, skills, experience and passion to ensure that more residents can benefit from this Service.
Summary of role Age UK Westminster launched its Dementia Service in 2022 supporting older people (aged 50+) living in the City of Westminster who are experiencing memory and cognitive impairment and are experiencing confusion and dementia resulting in severe social isolation. The service also supports those who are caring for people with these issues.
In 2024 the ambition is to grow the reach of the successful monthly ‘Heart of Westminster' Cafe delivered in partnership with the Salvation Army’s Regent Hall and a weekly community-based MCST group and provide expertise to the Befriending team to manage some befriending matches. Demonstrating the value of these community-based activities and ensuring they are supported by a trained and supported volunteer team will contribute to securing continuation funding.
The role will involve close liaison with Westminster’s Memory Service and other community organisations that support older people living with memory loss and dementia.
Key responsibilities
● Co-ordinate the successful running of the monthly ‘Heart of Westminster’ Cafe in the Soho ward of the City of Westminster.
● Co-ordinate the successful running of up to two weekly MCST groups at Marylebone Church in Westminster including the co-ordination and triage of referrals for MCST groups
● Ensure the design and provision of activities and information that will enhance the lives of those attending and their carers. There is a significant resource bank of materials and activities
● Facilitate an environment where acceptance of dementia will bring about positive feelings for anyone affected by it
● Promote the service across Westminster to ensure that all those who would benefit are able to attend. This will include working with other professionals and ensuring that publicity materials are available
● Working with colleagues at Age UK Westminster and other professionals to identify and assess individuals who would benefit from being matched with a trained dementia volunteer. Home-visiting may be required.
● Deliver dementia awareness training to staff and volunteers
● Working with Age UK Westminster’s Volunteer Coordinator grow the volunteer resource
● Provide ongoing support and supervision to the team of Dementia volunteers
● Ensure that all records are kept up to date for the service and be responsible for the implementation of monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance procedures
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re looking for two self-starting team members who will help coordinate our JUMP befriending project for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees.
You’ll be responsible for half of the befriending pairs (currently 28, increasing to 50 in the coming months) and undertake tasks such as working with our partner organisations, managing referrals for young people, recruiting volunteer befrienders, and setting-up and sustaining pairs. This includes leading an initial training day.
You’ll also provide JUMP young people with casework support, help organise our group events and facilitate support from our Hardship Fund.
Main functions
Supporting young people and the JUMP Community
- Managing a caseload of young people; including offering casework support; arranging and attending appointments with the young person where necessary and signposting to available support.
- Helping plan and organise quarterly group events.
- Conducting initial assessments with young people to understand their needs, and once paired with a volunteer, hosting befriending initial meetings.
Supervising and supporting volunteers
- Recruiting, interviewing and onboarding new befrienders, including organising and delivering training.
- Supporting befriending volunteers through regular supervisions, meetings, emails and phone calls, and responding promptly to any safeguarding concerns raised.
- Ensuring that volunteers uphold JUMP’s policies and boundaries for befriending.
Publicising JUMP, and engaging with key stakeholders
- Publicising the project to existing and potential referral agencies, and establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with them.
- Representing HIAS+JCORE and JUMP in the refugee sector as required, for example at the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium (RMCC) meetings.
Project monitoring, evaluation and record keeping
- Working with experts and the JUMP Project Manager on supporting the project and its evaluation, and keeping accurate records in JUMP’s database.
Other Duties
- Ensuring that JUMP informs our campaigns, communications and education work. As the project develops, there will be opportunities for the post-holder to contribute to and support these areas of our work.
We're looking for candidates who have
- Ability to support, develop rapport and trust with, and motivate both young people and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and ages in challenging circumstances, including the ability to facilitate and engage in cross cultural communication.
- Knowledge of issues facing separated asylum seeking and refugee children and young people, and the rights and entitlements of ‘Looked After’ children and young people.
- Understanding of the current context surrounding immigration, asylum and welfare issues facing children and young people in the UK today.
- Understanding of Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding, and ability to communicate this to volunteers.
- Understanding of youth work principles and methods, including the benefits and challenges of befriending and other participatory methods.
- Ability to network in the refugee sector and develop strong working relationships.
- Ability to work independently and to self-motivate.
- Commitment to HIAS+JCORE values, social justice and antiracism.
- The ability to communicate in languages other than English, in particular Arabic, Spanish and French (desirable)
Experience required
Essential
- A track record of working directly with asylum seeking and refugee children and young people.
- Experience of social work, youth work, or other relevant methods of supporting people in challenging circumstances.
- Experience of training, coordinating and supporting volunteers.
- Experience of juggling commitments and responding to relevant stressful situations.
Desirable
- Educated to at least undergraduate degree level, or equivalent background or experience.
- Working knowledge of Local Authorities’ responsibilities for Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
- Experience of project management including administration, monitoring, evaluation and report writing.
About HIAS+JCORE
HIAS+JCORE is the UK Jewish voice on refugees and racial justice. Our work is driven by the belief that the Jewish community should play an active part in building a society in which refugees are able to live in dignity where the UK is a welcoming place free from racism.
Role details
Salary: £30,000 (pro-rata'd to £18,000)
Hours: 21 hours per week. Flexible working; some evening and weekend work will be required.
Location: Hybrid working between home and our North London office space.
Applicants must be UK based either in London/the South-East or be willing to relocate. We are only able to consider applicants who have the right to work in the UK. HIAS+JCORE is unable to sponsor working visas to the UK.
We warmly encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and people with any, or no, particular religious faith or beliefs. We particularly encourage applicants from people with lived experience of the asylum system.
Interviews will be held in person in north London in mid-May.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
C4WS Welfare Coordinator Advert 2024:
C4WS Homeless Project (registered charity, no 1189622) which provides support to people experiencing homelessness year-round, through a well-established winter night shelter in Camden, a lunchtime club, Jobs Club, mentoring scheme, hosting scheme and various other activities. We are passionate about helping people rebuild their lives after homelessness and working towards living independently.
What We Do:
Every winter, we work with a number of churches in the London Borough of Camden who offer their venues to us to run a night shelter. We operate from a different venue every night of the week, and run one circuit, accommodating 16 guests.
We provide camp beds and offer a hot evening meal. Our guests leave in the morning after a hot breakfast, ready to attend activities and meetings in our offices in Euston.
Advice and Support
Whilst the shelter operates seasonally, every winter, our team works year round, dedicated to offering advice, advocacy and practical support. This can be accessed by former night shelter guests, and via our weekly drop in, Friday Club. Guests can also access other services provided by C4WS including lunch, laundry and showers.
The Role:
Our small, dedicated team is looking for a Welfare Coordinator, to deliver holistic welfare support to all those who access our services. You will work alongside another member of the team to ensure that guests are supported both during and after their stay in the C4WS night shelter to ensure the stability of their move on.
You will possess a passion for working in the homeless sector, supporting those experiencing homelessness to rebuild their lives and ideally have direct and relevant experience of working with this demographic, or similarly vulnerable and/or disadvantaged groups.
As well as providing Welfare Support, you will also be a presence at the shelter for up to two evenings a week during the shelter season (November – March) including weekends, and you will need to lead a team of volunteers to ensure the safe running of the shelter on those occasions.
C4WS is a small charity, that delivers an outstanding service to those who access our support. It is thanks to a wide network of referral partners, corporate and individual volunteers, plus the support of several religious communities in Camden, who we have worked with over the last 20 years, that we can have such a positive impact on a person’s life. You will become part of that network, and learn more about the sector, as well as being focused on the current landscape of homelessness in the Borough of Camden.
Essential:
• Experience of working with and supporting homeless people, or similarly vulnerable and/or disadvantaged groups.
• Highly organised, the ability to prioritise workload and work efficiently to deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills: the ability to listen to and work effectively alongside shelter guests, volunteers, staff, trustees and partner agencies.
• Experience of assessing risks both formally and ongoing, and at putting appropriate measures In place.
• Experience of managing challenging behaviour, incidents and emergencies.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• The ability to take initiative when appropriate and work unsupervised, including being punctual and reliable.
• Good office-based administrative skills including computer literacy.
• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively.
• The willingness to undertake any training, as deemed appropriate by C4WS.
Desirable
• Knowledge of welfare benefits process
• Experience of representing an organisation publicly i.e. via the media and at events
• Knowledge of Camden
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Contract: 1 year contract subject to review and extension based on performance
Application deadline: Tuesday 7th May at 12pm (midday)
Interviews: Week of 13th May 2024
Please send your CV alongside a covering letter detailing why you are the right candidate for the role.
C4WS is an equal opportunities employer.