Community Connector Support Volunteer Roles in Home Based
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our Orchard House service is located within a busy local community. We’d really like to explore and help our Service users to access the activities and groups in the local area.
Your volunteer role will involve regularly meeting with our Service Users and finding out the types of activities and groups they would be interested in joining. You will research the local area using a variety of different search methods including online searches, phone calls, and in person conversations to put together a community groups file.
Once you have put together a list of local connections you will work with our Service Users to make contact with the groups and coordinate their attendance, including planning travel to and from the group or activity, and if they need to provide any particular equipment for the session. For example, if joining a local walking group, you will help the service user to make contact with the group lead to find out where the group meets, what time, and if walking boots and waterproof clothing are needed.
Volunteer duties:
· Consult regularly with Service Users to find out the types of activities or groups they would like to join.
· Scope the local area using a variety of research tools.
· Create a community groups list.
· Act as a connector between the group contact and Service users to join the group.
· Keep in contact with service Users to find out how the group is going, and if they would like to explore different groups.
As a volunteer with Creative Support we offer training for your role, access to a volunteer supervisor, an induction, a monthly volunteer newsletter, and an online volunteer support network group on Zoom.
Suggested time commitment: Monday to Friday, 2 days per week
Creative Support is a passionate, inclusive, and anti-racist organisation. We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, Disability Confident Employer who have recently received Investors in People Silver award. We actively encourage applications from candidates from all backgrounds and cultures.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Amazing, giving, inspiring and awesome are just a few of the words we would use to describe our volunteers.
Our volunteers play an integral part in the services we provide and the people we support. If you are looking for a rewarding role where you will really make a difference whilst gaining experience along the way, then join us here at Rethink Mental Illness.
About the role
We are looking for Volunteer Befrienders to support our Brent Mental Health service in the London Borough of Brent. Volunteers must be based within this area to take part in face-to-face befriending activities.
As a Volunteer Befriender, you will be required to travel across Brent to meet with service users and carry out your role. Ideally, you will be able to commit a minimum of 2 hour per week to volunteering.
There will also be opportunities for you to support staff who deliver wellbeing and recovery workshops to service users e.g. managing anxiety or confidence and self-esteem, if this is something you would like to get involved with.
You will be supported by Befriending Volunteer Coordinators who will provide regular supervision to ensure you feel confident in your role. You can read more about the benefits of volunteering on the full advert on our website.
About the service
Our Brent Mental Health service provides support to people aged 18 and above, who live in the Borough of Brent, and who have a mental illness and are known to the local NHS trust Central and North West London (CNWL).
The aim of the Befriending Service is to;
- Reduce social isolation of service users
- Increase the confidence of service users in accessing community resources independently
- Provide meaningful activities and peer support for service users
- Help service users to live happier, healthier, independent lives
- Provide volunteering opportunities for people with mental health issues
- Reduce stigma and raise mental health awareness
What you will be doing as a Volunteer Befriender:
- Meeting with service users in locations and times which meet their needs (including evenings and weekends)
- Provide befriending support to a maximum of 2 services users at any one time
- Provide emotional support based on your own lived experience
- Support service users to access and build social and community networks and activities
- Act as a community connector to local services
What will make you a great fit for this role?
- You will have lived experience of mental illness, either as a carer or as a person who has experience your own mental health need
- You will have good communication skills
- You will be flexible in order to meet the needs of the service users
- You will live within the London Borough of Brent
If would like to express an interest for this opportunity, please complete an application as soon as possible as the advert may close early if we receive a high level of interest.
Who are we?
We’re Rethink Mental Illness, a leading charity provider of mental health services in England. We support thousands of people through our groups, services, policy, campaigns and advice and information. Our work supports us in delivering on our mission: “A better life for everyone severely affected by mental illness.”
We welcome applications from everyone, applicants with lived experience, those who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning (LGBTQ ), people with a disability, or those from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are actively encouraged to apply. We are proud to have also been awarded Disability Confident employer status. We have an ambition of becoming an anti-racist organisation and we recognise there is more to do in ensuring our recruitment is fair and inclusive, which is why we are recruiting new roles in helping us to achieve this.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.