Campaign Coordinator Volunteer Roles in Belfast

Humanist Climate Action (HCA) is a volunteer-led network of Humanists UK members and supporters. We are looking for a steering committee member based in Wales to lead on our partnership with Climate Cymru. You will have a keen interest in campaigning on environmental issues, be a confident networker, proactive, well organised, and enthusiastic about volunteering your time and skills to support Humanist Climate Action.

The role of steering committee members is to plan and execute HCA’s work, in line with its aims and policy, its aims being:

• to encourage humanists to promote environmentally friendly policies, and adopt greener lifestyles, in accordance with the best available scientific evidence;
• to endorse and support the actions of other environmental campaigning groups that have similar objectives;
• to challenge non-evidence-based beliefs, misconceptions, or disinformation about environmental issues, particularly climate change;
• to ensure that the humanist voice is heard in religion or belief narratives on environmental issues.

Core activities 

To be shared across the Steering Committee:

• Engagement with Climate Cymru and the Welsh Government
• Draft and send periodic emails to HCA supporters
• Regularly update HCA’s social media platforms
• Attend Committee meetings
• Develop a series of events and activist training sessions
• Respond to national and local government consultations on environmental issues
• Encourage humanists to become more active politically by for example creating and taking part in petitions and other online actions, and writing to elected representatives and other decision-makers
• Take part in demonstrations, protests, and marches
• Prepare and publish comments or statements from HCA
• Represent HCA at environmental campaign events
• Expand HCA’s membership

Please download the application pack for more information about the role.

The position is remote but the post holder must be based in Wales, and we expect the volunteer to offer approximately five hours a month to the role.

If you would like to join the Committee, please email us outlining in no more than 500 words why you think you be the best person for the role.

LGBT Humanists is the LGBT section of Humanists UK. We are LGBT people who support Humanist values and we are Humanists who support LGBT rights. We are looking for an individual to lead the LGBT section in Northern Ireland, who is enthusiastic, driven and organised, and ready to join the LBGT Humanists Committee and share ideas about how the section can reach LGBT people who are living without religion all around the UK and in particular in Northern Ireland.

Key Tasks and Activities

• Sit on the Northern Ireland Humanists committee, providing a formal link to LGBT Humanists by championing issues that are particularly relevant to LGBT people in Northern Ireland.
• Acting as the public face of LGBT Humanists to stakeholders and the public in Northern Ireland
• Attending Pride and rallying other Humanists in your area to come and support LGBT Humanists at local Pride events.
• Liaising with local Pride organisers to ensure we are represented.
• Manning our LGBT Humanists literature stands at Pride and conversing with anyone who shows interest in our cause.
• Maintaining a dialogue with the LGBT Humanists committee.
• We will also welcome any ideas you may have as ambassadors in becoming more visible in your local area and how we can make sure our engagement with local Pride events are well organised.

The application pack contains all the information you will need to decide whether the role is right for you.

To apply for the role, please email us letting us know:

• Who you are, including a little bit about yourself
• Why you are interested in the role
• What you think you’d bring to the role (e,g. your skills and experiences that would be particularly relevant)
• What you’d like to get out of the role
• Any concerns, or extra support you’d need in the role

If you have any questions about the post, please feel free to contact the LGBT Humanists Coordinator, Nick, by email at coordinator[AT]lgbthumanists[DOT]org[DOT]uk - they will be very happy to talk more about the role with you.

Do you want to take part in vegan volunteering around your local area?

You can do that – right here at The Vegan Society. 

We have an ever-growing Community Network of vegans just like you, who have a passion to volunteer and promote veganism where they live. 

Every month, our Network choose from a range of outreach tasks. These could include town centre stalls, writing to a councillor or MP, sharing our campaigns on social media or contacting local businesses. You're in control of how much or how little you do. 

We also provide our volunteers with leaflets, banners and workshops so that they are equipped to make the biggest impact possible. 

We are currently looking for volunteers all over the UK. 

Why do we need you to volunteer?

As the vegan community grows, veganism itself becomes better understood. We're finding that more people are looking to The Vegan Society to find out what being vegan is really all about.

Local communities are starting to see the vegan movement as something real and something that’s happening in their area. A greater number of people are embracing a vegan lifestyle, which we welcome. From new businesses, to families, to councillors, many people need support. This could be with a range of topics: going vegan, finding correct information, providing vegan options in their business, MPs listening to vegan constituents, and learning about our work.

Local issues are often unique and more varied than national issues. Our volunteers from local areas are vital! They enable us to share our messages and campaigns in an effective way. Research tells us that people are far more likely to trust information from a peer rather than an outside expert or organisation, so community volunteering vastly increases the impact of our campaigns. 

Our network of committed local vegans across the country is growing! The Vegan Society organises various outreach activities to influence change in every level of society. There are a range of activities going on all the time, from general educational stalls at events to meeting with local policy influencers. 

What does the Organiser role involve? 

Every month, you will be sent a collection of tasks to choose from. We create these from our programme of campaigns. You would be the point of contact for Advocates in your area, sharing these tasks and coordinating activities, such as stalls and lobbying councillors. We will provide you with a campaign toolkit and be in regular contact with you to ensure you have everything you need. You will also be invited to our private Facebook group and WhatsApp chat.

We would expect you to provide any updates from your group and give feedback on each task. It's vital that we measure the impact that we are having, in terms of positive conversations and leaflets handed out. You can also give us ideas you have for future outreach tasks or campaigning. Many Organisers find a huge sense of satisfaction, improvement in self-esteem and enjoy the social side of volunteering in this role.

You will also be responsible for welcoming new Advocates in your area. We will let you know when somebody new applies, and you will help them to get involved with any activities. As the main contact for Advocates, this role does require some awareness of safeguarding and data protection procedures and policy. You'll also be the health and safety contact for your group. There will be full training on your role in this, as well as a handbook and ongoing guidance and support. 

As an Organiser, you will ensure any resources or actions undertaken are in line with our branding and messaging guidelines and make sure that Advocates understand this too.

What training and support is available? 

There will be a full induction to the role, with a gradual introduction of new tasks and responsibilities. To start with, we will provide an initial training session to cover the basics of community organising, communication skills and event planning. This will be done remotely from wherever you are. Along with this, we will provide a full pack of resources that covers a range of work that we do. 

From there, there will be regular conversations and reviews, where we can discuss other training requirements. Staff are always available to Organisers for any questions, via phone or email. 

What skills would be useful in doing this role? 

• Great organisational skills
• Experience of coordinating people
• Experience of working to specific dates and deadlines
• Good time keeping
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to motivate people around the topic of veganism
• Ability to stick to branding
• Ability to read emails in a timely manner and translate tasks into actions quickly
• Ability to report back on activities
• Excellent knowledge of vegan issues

It would be beneficial for this role to have access to a vehicle, as some actions will involve taking resources to events or visiting MPs’ offices. However, this is not mandatory as the campaign toolkit can be carried in a backpack. 

How much time do I need to invest?

You should be able to commit around two days a month to carry out actions, and this is usually spread out across the month. We also expect timely responses to emails. When a new Advocate applies to work with you, we would like them to be contacted within seven days.

Who can I contact to find out more?

Enquiries are welcome! Please contact Katy Malkin (Volunteering Coordinator).

How do I apply?

Interested? Simply fill in our Community Organiser application form. This takes around 5–10 minutes.

Young Humanists are the voice for non-religious young people. Two-thirds of young people are non-religious. We provide them with the community and platform that their voices deserve. We think young people have a right to be heard and that more should be done to ensure policy reflects their views.

Young Humanists is led by a committee that drives national and regional events throughout the year. They are supported by a team of local Ambassadors, who are the ‘on the ground’ representatives, working as part of local humanist or other community groups. We also have a team of volunteers specialising in areas like social media, design and research, who support the committee and individual Ambassadors.

We are seeking a dedicated and driven Northern Ireland-based individual to join our network of Ambassadors, to assist the committee by:

• Sitting on the Northern Ireland Humanists committee, providing a formal link to Young Humanists by championing issues that are particularly relevant to young people in Northern Ireland.
• Putting on events with a view to getting younger people involved (e.g. pub quizzes, campaign work, family-friendly events like coffee mornings or Sunday brunches, litter picks or picnics)
• Be a contact point for other Young Humanists who want to attend nearby groups/events and an ambassador for Young Humanists at regional events.
• Provide local knowledge to make sure we promote relevant local opportunities to our members and, equally, promote Humanists UK and Young Humanist events or campaigns locally.

Please read the full Application Pack for more information.

While there are no set hours we expect that up to three hours per week on average may be spent on the role, with this possibly increasing in the run-up to Young Humanists’ events.

All Young Humanists volunteers should be aged 18 to 35 (with eligibility ending the day before the applicant’s 36th birthday). Much of the work can be done remotely, but it is required that the post holder be based in Northern Ireland. 

If this sounds like you send your CV and cover letter, with the subject ‘Young Humanists Ambassador for Northern Ireland’ 

As the vegan community grows, veganism itself becomes better understood. We're finding that more people are looking to The Vegan Society to find out what being vegan is really all about.

Local communities are starting to see the vegan movement as something real and something that’s happening in their area. A greater number of people are embracing a vegan lifestyle, which we welcome. From new businesses, to families, to councillors, many people need support. This could be with a range of topics: going vegan, finding correct information, providing vegan options in their business, MPs listening to vegan constituents, and learning about our work.

Local issues are often unique and more varied than national issues. Our volunteers from local areas are vital! They enable us to share our messages and campaigns in an effective way. Research tells us that people are far more likely to trust information from a peer rather than an outside expert or organisation, so community volunteering vastly increases the impact of our campaigns. 

Our network of committed local vegans across the country is growing! The Vegan Society organises various outreach activities to influence change in every level of society. There are a range of activities going on all the time, from general educational stalls at events to meeting with local policy influencers. 

What does the Organiser role involve? 

Every month, you will be sent a collection of tasks to choose from. We create these from our programme of campaigns. You would be the point of contact for Advocates in your area, sharing these tasks and coordinating activities, such as stalls and lobbying councillors. We will provide you with a campaign toolkit and be in regular contact with you to ensure you have everything you need. You will also be invited to our private Facebook group and WhatsApp chat.

We would expect you to provide any updates from your group and give feedback on each task. It's vital that we measure the impact that we are having, in terms of positive conversations and leaflets handed out. You can also give us ideas you have for future outreach tasks or campaigning. Many Organisers find a huge sense of satisfaction, improvement in self-esteem and enjoy the social side of volunteering in this role.

You will also be responsible for welcoming new Advocates in your area. We will let you know when somebody new applies, and you will help them to get involved with any activities. As the main contact for Advocates, this role does require some awareness of safeguarding and data protection procedures and policy. You'll also be the health and safety contact for your group. There will be full training on your role in this, as well as a handbook and ongoing guidance and support. 

As an Organiser, you will ensure any resources or actions undertaken are in line with our branding and messaging guidelines and make sure that Advocates understand this too.

What training and support is available? 

There will be a full induction to the role, with a gradual introduction of new tasks and responsibilities. To start with, we will provide an initial training session to cover the basics of community organising, communication skills and event planning. This will be done remotely from wherever you are. Along with this, we will provide a full pack of resources that covers a range of work that we do. 

From there, there will be regular conversations and reviews, where we can discuss other training requirements. Staff are always available to Organisers for any questions, via phone or email. 

What skills would be useful in doing this role? 

• Great organisational skills
• Experience of coordinating people
• Experience of working to specific dates and deadlines
• Good time keeping
• Ability to work independently
• Ability to motivate people around the topic of veganism
• Ability to stick to branding
• Ability to read emails in a timely manner and translate tasks into actions quickly
• Ability to report back on activities
• Excellent knowledge of vegan issues

It would be beneficial for this role to have access to a vehicle, as some actions will involve taking resources to events or visiting MPs’ offices. However, this is not mandatory as the campaign toolkit can be carried in a backpack. 

How much time do I need to invest?

This role requires more time than the Advocate role. You should be able to commit around two days a month to carry out actions, and this is usually spread out across the month. We also expect timely responses to emails. When a new Advocate applies to work with you, we would like them to be contacted within seven days.

Who can I contact to find out more?

Enquiries are welcome! Please contact Katy Malkin (Volunteering Coordinator).

Young Humanists are the voice for non-religious young people. Two-thirds of young people are non-religious. We provide them with the community and platform that their voices deserve. We think young people have a right to be heard and that more should be done to ensure policy reflects their views.

Young Humanists is led by a committee that drives national and regional events throughout the year. They are supported by a team of local Ambassadors, who are the ‘on the ground’ representatives, working as part of local humanist or other community groups. We also have a team of volunteers specialising in areas like social media, design and research, who support the committee and individual Ambassadors.

We are seeking a dedicated and driven individual to join our network of Ambassadors, to assist the committee by:

• Putting on events with a view to getting younger people involved (e.g. pub quizzes, campaign work, family-friendly events like coffee mornings or Sunday brunches, litter picks or picnics)
• Be a contact point for other Young Humanists who want to attend nearby groups/events and an ambassador for Young Humanists at regional events.
• Provide local knowledge to make sure we promote relevant local opportunities to our members and, equally, promote Humanists UK and Young Humanist events or campaigns locally.

Please read the full Application Pack for more information.

While there are no set hours we expect that up to three hours per week on average may be spent on the role, with this possibly increasing in the run-up to Young Humanists’ events.

All Young Humanists volunteers should be aged 18 to 35 (with eligibility ending the day before the applicant’s 36th birthday). Much of the work can be done remotely, but it is required that the post holder be based in the UK.

If this sounds like you send your CV and cover letter, with the subject ‘Young Humanists Ambassador’

Kenyan Citizens: Come learn GLOBAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT at our Nakuru, Kenya center

Have you dreamt of being a Director of an institution, school or non-profit? While foreign legacy students pay for this service, Kenyan citizens receive training for free while being provided with a small stipend plus room and board.

Overview

The International Humanity Foundation (IHF) is an award winning International Non- profit, founded and active since 2001. Our two-fold mission is to (1) Educate impoverished children, activating their highest potential and nurturing healthy, loving communities around them.

(2) Educating global citizens through real life experiences, online and in person, about the realities of impoverished communities, practical skills in aiding needed efforts, and the value of other cultures. We offer children and adults from kindergarten through retirement venues for learning and safely practicing leadership skills.

Volunteers who sign up to donate their time at our IHF Kenya Center for the Global Leader  Development (GLD) program make a very real impact during their stay participating in the various tasks.

The Role

As a GLD, you will participate in four hours of local on site tasks, in addition to four hours per day as a member of multiple International Online Teams.

Your local tasks may include, but are not limited to:

● Provide hands on help with the center's day-to-day operations

● Participate in a cultural exchange, organizing special games and activities with our children

● Support our sustainable Peace Farm Project and learn how agriculture is still a vital part of everyday Kenyan life

● Help supplement our children’s education by joining in with our evening reading and study programs

● Be responsible for the management, design and implementation of community led projects linked to your academic and or professional skills and experience

● Manage local and international volunteers and shape their experience at our IHF Kenya Center

Your international online tasks may include, but are not limited to:

● Budgeting and finance

● Donor relations and sponsorships

● Social media campaigns and fundraising

● Website development

● Recruitment

Essential Requirements

Volunteers accepted to this program will have:

● Confidence using the English language (both spoken and written)

● A passion for international development with a particular emphasis on universal education

● Career development goals aligned with IHF’s mission

Eligibility

The program requires a college diploma or University degree and minimum time commitment of four months, though we encourage volunteers to stay for up to one year. All volunteers receive one day off per week and a four days holiday per month.

Benefits

In addition to making a notable difference in the lives of the children we serve, you will also have access to the following benefits:

● Certificate of program completion

● Letter of recommendation upon request

● Acquire leadership and management capacities that will enable you to lead in the ever-changing global environment

● Gain practical experience in an NGO environment

● Join a global network of IHF volunteers and alumni

● Build a global network with people from diverse professional and backgrounds

● You will also have the benefit of receiving a monthly per diem in addition to room and board. Small Kenya shillings Stipend rises each three months: 

4,000 KS/ 7,435 KS/ 8,775/11,700KS/14,000/17,500KS

Note: Due to the nature of our work with children, should your application be accepted we do require a clean criminal background check which is less than 1-year-old.

Ref: V216 | Online Activities Volunteer | Home-based U.K, Nationwide.

We’re looking for Online Activity Volunteer’s over the age of 18 years old, across the U.K.

Days and Times:

You would be volunteering a minimum of one session per week on either a Tuesday or Friday between 2.00pm - 3.00pm and attend a team meeting for an hour once every other month.

The volunteers will:

As an Online Activities Volunteer you will join the team to support the facilitators with the delivery of our sessions and creating a supportive online experience for stroke survivors and carers.

We are looking for someone who is confident using IT, knowledge of Zoom would be useful, but training can be provided, works well with other people and is a great communicator.

· You will have the opportunity to gain experience of working with people who have been affected by stroke, an understanding of the effects it has on them, and the challenges they face.

·The role is an opportunity to connect with and support people from across the UK whilst making a difference to their recovery.

· A chance to develop new skills with a UK wide charity, which can improve your CV and employability. 

· Many Stroke Association volunteers feel like they are making a difference and giving something back.

Interested in this role?

Click on our job description to view more information.

If you are interested in this role please click onto our website to complete the application form.

About Us

Stroke Association. Rebuilding lives after stroke.

When stroke strikes, part of your brain shuts down. And so does a part of you. That’s because a stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. It happens every five minutes in the UK and changes lives instantly. Recovery is tough, but with the right specialist support and a ton of courage and determination, the brain can adapt.

We believe everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke. And it’s a team effort to get there.

We provide specialist support, fund critical research and campaign to make sure people affected by stroke get the very best care and support to rebuild their lives.

We’re working to improve the diversity of our team.  Because we know that individuality leads to a richer experience for our people and better support for those affected by stroke. 

We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. And we’re particularly looking to increase the number of applications from those with lived experience of stroke and those from under-represented communities. 

Every five minutes, stroke destroys lives. Help us rebuild them and join our team.

In 2019, we developed a bold new corporate strategy so that we can rebuild more lives after stroke and make a bigger difference to people’s lives.  

To help us deliver our strategy and make a real difference, we are looking to recruit talented people to a number of new roles.

If you would like to support stroke survivors to rebuild their lives, we want to hear from you!

NEW VOLUNTEER TEAM NEEDED! A DYNAMIC AND DEVELOPING MENTAL HEALTH CHARITY URGENTLY SEEKING VOLUNTEERS. HELP FORGE THE BEST MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELLING SERVICE

Evolve Counselling is … changing. Over the next year we have an ambitious programme to meet a large and growing demand for professionally-delivered talking therapies. We have plenty of volunteering opportunities for you. Bring your skills and experience to help us, and in return be part of an empowering community - where you can thrive in a rewarding project. Build your CV! Try something new! Put your spare time to use! Revive your career skills! Do life-enriching work helping others! All roles are flexible hours, working remotely with full IT support.

Exciting and absorbing NEW volunteer job roles

Admin Assistant . Secretarial tasks supporting the Trustee Board: Scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and board papers, taking minutes, keeping records, monitoring compliance  with legal and contractual rules, etc. Admin support for CEO: Arrange external meetings, attend planning sessions and produce notes and minutes, schedule key business events, and keep diaries up to date. General office administration: Keeping records, directing calls and messages, maintaining files and building the business ‘memory’. We are looking for a highly efficient organiser, someone used to routine and fine detail, with good IT skills.

Finance Controller or Finance Assistant. Finance tasks supporting our growing charity, working with our external Book Keeper, outsourced payroll service, and the Board Treasurer. Tasks include producing monthly reports and stats for the Board, for funders and fundraising bids. Monthly financial reporting including monitoring of income and expenditure, variance analysis and cashflow forecasting, monthly management accounts, and annual financial statements - charity income and expenditure, balance sheet, P&L. Supporting annual budget setting, and assisting when data is required for grant submissions. You will ideally be, or have been, a chartered, AAT, or qualified-by-experience accountant, have Third Sector knowledge, and have an interest and passion  for charitable enterprises.

Communications and Media Coordinator or Assistant. We are looking for help to communicate much much better with counselling clients, funders, our own “Counselling Community” of therapists, and the wider voluntary sector across our large area. You’ll be writing news stories, success ‘profiles’, publicising regular and special events, and driving social media and the web  - building the brand for Evolve. This job will be great  for a pro-active social media “story teller”, looking to build their own profile by ‘owning’ this new area of Evolve’s work. You’ll need to be creative, organised, and literate, with a very self-motivated  approach. A background in PR, marketing, social media or news will be great for this role.
 

Marketing and Fundraising Specialist or Assistant. Help us to grow our client numbers, improve the service, generate a development fund for new innovations, and get our name in front of sponsors, donors, and other charity project funders. In this demanding but hugely rewarding new role you will be in at the beginning - creating campaigns, researching and writing bids, and working with our communications and media volunteer to build and promote compelling fundable projects.

About Evolve Counselling. Evolve Counselling is a long-established charitable social enterprise, providing low cost, affordable or funded mental health counselling to adults in Cambridgeshire and surrounding counties. Our counselling community is made up of 50 – 60 qualified self-employed practitioners, working part-time. We deliver talking therapies to adults – online and in person. Our service delivers around 500 counselling sessions per month to a broad range of individuals, many of whom would not otherwise be able to access counselling support. Evolve also provides supervision, reflective practice, critical incident support and mental health awareness and related training to organisations and businesses large and small.

LMK – Let Me Know is a London based education charity running a proven prevention programme against relationship abuse, sexual assault and domestic violence. We have worked with over 10,000 young people in our first 3 years across 22 London boroughs. Two thirds of the young people we work with tell us we’ve fundamentally changed their understanding of healthy and unhealthy relationship behaviours and 84% know how to leave an abusive relationship safely. 

Are you passionate about tackling relationship abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault? Are you eager to help young people to protect their mental health and thrive in their relationships? Are you motivated by LMK’s values of being Kind, Brave, Open and Collaborative? Do you want to use your time and skills to support a small, ambitious charity making a big impact in the charity sector?

If so, you could be one of the three people LMK is looking for to join our Board of Trustees.

You do not need to have previous experience of a board role, but you do need to care deeply about the work that we do and have the time, skills and experience to contribute to the work of the board. We are particularly keen to hear from people with expert, working experience of governance, risk and compliance programmes, and safeguarding. We are looking for:

Vice Chair With previous experience of chairing meetings and strong leadership skills, you will deputise for and provide support to the Chair in carrying out their responsibilities. You will have, or be willing to develop, a strong understanding of best-practice in charity governance and an ability to implement it in a small charity context. You will act as a ‘critical friend’ and sounding board to the Chair, while remaining open to feedback about the Chair, LMK and the operations of the board from other Trustees, the CEO and members of staff. LMK’s Vice Chair will be asked to take on specific responsibility for risk and compliance, providing expertise and oversight of the risk register and contributing to sub-committees as needed.

Chair of Safeguarding Subcommittee Experience of managing safeguarding operations and up to date knowledge of safeguarding legislation is key for this role. You will champion safeguarding at board level and, through your role as Chair of the Safeguarding Subcommittee, work with the staff team to ensure that LMK has effective policy and practice in place, as well as the right culture and understanding around duty of care more generally. 

Trustee (Generalist) You will have experience in one of the following sectors: VAWG, Education, Mental Health, Community Engagement or Youth Work, and be willing to use your knowledge to guide LMK in the creation of its strategy, programmes, materials, and marketing or social media content.

If you would like to apply for the role of LMK Trustee, please look at the recruitment pack and follow the process on P9 which tells you to send us an application, explaining:

• Why you are interested in joining LMK.

• What role you are applying for Vice Chair, Chair of Safeguarding Subcommittee or Trustee (Generalist).

• What knowledge, skills and experience you have gained in your life that could benefit LMK.

• Why you feel you could make a difference to LMK.

• You can also attach your CV or other supporting material if you think it could help your application.

Deadline: 8th January 2024.

​

Independent Visitors - Shropshire

Voluntary – a few hours per month

Information to candidates

We are seeking candidates who are committed to our objectives for children and young people and equally committed to the organisation and the development of our services. We recognise we are a predominantly white workforce and are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from diverse communities in order to improve the services to the children and young people we help.

Our Core Purpose

Coram Voice exists to enable and equip children and young people* to hold the system to account, to challenge and support it to do its job properly and to uphold the rights of children and young people to actively participate in shaping their own lives.

Our vision

Coram Voice strives for a society which recognises and willingly accepts its responsibilities to children and young people, where the inequalities and discrimination they currently face have been eradicated. Where those children and young people are fully engaged in all decisions that are made about their lives. Where the views, needs and feelings that they express are at the core of those decisions.

Our Values

• We are child driven, always asking what children would want us to do. By engaging them at all levels of our work, their views and experiences are central to shaping all our plans. We are tenacious and passionate champions of children’s rights and we will not be distracted in our determination to do the right thing for children and young people.

• Second only to our dedication to children is our dedication to each other. Our work is defined and inspired by meaningful, supportive, mutually empowering relationships with and between children and young people, colleagues and partners. These relationships are powerful because they are authentic and human, where every contribution is equally valued and respected.

• We create a friendly and supportive working environment where work can and should be fun. We recognise that happy people perform at their best, and that people performing at their best are happier in their work. We celebrate our successes together and are open about our concerns and mistakes, supporting each other to grow and learn from them. We work flexibly, supporting each other in times of high workload or when life gets difficult.

• We accept personal responsibility for our work and we are accountable for delivering results against those responsibilities. Managers empower their people to take ownership of and make decisions on their areas of responsibility, ensuring that workload is manageable, that people are treated fairly, that they are supported and challenged to succeed. Everyone at Coram Voice is committed to modelling and championing these values, and managers have a particular responsibility for bringing them to life.

*We work with and for a range of children and young people who are potentially vulnerable to harm or exclusion from society, and who have a particular reliance on the state or its agencies for their rights and wellbeing, including children and young people who are looked after by the state, in need or who have severe and complex mental health problems, care leavers and young offenders. This is not an exclusive list.

Our work

Coram Voice is a national independent children’s charity which was established in 1975 and has grown to become one of the leading agencies for children and young people in the UK. Around 60 employed staff, 100 freelance workers and 200 volunteers deliver services to children and agencies through our London headquarters and regional offices. Together they provide Coram Voice with a high degree of specialist expertise in the fields of advocacy, children’s rights, mental health, complaints, secure accommodation and experience of working with children in care, in custody, in need and those who have recently left care.

We provide:

• Advocacy services direct to children and young people in care, in need, in custody and to care leavers and children and young people with severe and complex mental health problems. Advocates around the country support children and young people to get their voice heard in decisions about their lives. This may be through the telephone helpline or through an advocate working directly with a child, for instance, to support them at a review meeting or to help them make a complaint about their care. Coram Voice provides visiting advocacy services to most of the secure units nationally, to Secure Training Centres, Juvenile Young Offender Institutions, psychiatric hospitals, residential special schools and children’s homes.
• A National Helpline to provide access for children and young people to advocacy and advice, with access to legal advice and links with other national helplines such as ChildLine.
• Independent Mental Health Advocacy (IMHA) to advocate for young people as qualifying patients under the Mental Health Act, in order to fully support them to get their views heard in matters relating to their mental health.
• Independent visitors services providing volunteer befrienders to children and young people in care.
• Independent services: Coram Voice is a major national provider of independent person services for complaints by children and for reviewing whether children should be locked up in secure units on welfare grounds.
• Policy and campaigning to create a better system for all children and young people looked after by the state, for their care to be more child-centred and to give young people a greater say in decisions about their lives.
  • Participation services to ensure children and young people have a voice in the development and delivery of services and campaigns, and through the process, provide the opportunity to develop relevant skills which will be of benefit to them in their future lives.
  • Training, development and information for young people, advocates and child care workers, offering courses in advocacy, children’s rights and child-centred practice across a range of areas including the new National Advocacy Qualification.

About the Independent Visitor Service

What is an Independent Visitor?

An Independent Visitor (also known as an IV) is a responsible adult volunteer who befriends and supports a child or young person looked after by a local authority and has little or no contact with his/her parents. The children or young people may need additional support particularly as they are likely to be living in children’s homes, foster homes or independently.

What does an IV do?

An IV will be expected to visit the child/young person they are matched with regularly to demonstrate commitment to them. This could include visiting them at their home, trips out for example to football, sharing the young person’s interests or hobbies or specific activity. During term time most visits will be in the evening or at weekends. An IV can encourage a child/young person to participate in the meetings held to review his/her care plan and therefore be part of the decision making process about his/her life. The IV may also be asked by the child/ young person to speak at the meeting on his/her behalf in order to make his/her wishes, views and feelings known.

General considerations

· Please note that people employed by a local authority cannot work for Coram Voice in the same authority unless the LA gives agreement and the employee does not work in Children’s Services.

· All posts are subjected to an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service check and successful candidates will not be able to work unsupervised with children or young people until the completion of this process.

· All Coram Voice workers are required to comply with Coram Voice Codes of Practice and Code of Ethics

General consideration for applications:

• DBS checks All volunteers are subject to an enhanced Disclosure and Barring check.
• Training All successful candidates are required to complete our compulsory training programme which includes induction training and E learning courses on Safeguarding and Diversity, GDPR etc
  • Conflict of interest The independence of the service is important to Coram Voice. Prospective applicants need to raise any other potential conflicts of interest when initially contacting Coram Voice about this post.

The recruitment process:

• Shortlisting will be undertaken by the IV Coordinators.
• You will have a face to face or virtual home visit.
• The interview process comprises of a panel interview. Successful candidates will have a further one to one interview in accordance within Warner recommendations.
• Returning your application: We cannot accept general CVs.
• Applications must be fully completed.

Please return your application to: Human Resources via Blue Octopus.

If you have the necessary experience, attitudes and skills and a commitment to protecting the rights of young people we would like to hear from you.

Coram Voice is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. We actively encourage applicants from Asian, African, Caribbean and other minority ethnic backgrounds to join our teams. Whilst we have a diverse team we recognise we are a predominantly white workforce and are genuinely committed to encouraging candidates from diverse communities in order to improve the services to the children and families we help.

We are committed to the safeguarding of children and where appropriate will require the successful applicant to undertake a check from the Disclosure and Barring Service.

Registered Charity No. 312278