Family Support Volunteers To Support Our Team Volunteer Roles
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Family Lives was formed over forty years ago by volunteers with the aim of ensuring that all parents had somewhere to turn before they reach crisis point.
Remote Family Support Volunteer – Live Chat
We know that the right support at the right time makes all the difference. Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling.
Organisational values:
Mission: We build better family lives together.
Vision: Families should have access to active support and understanding.
Values: Trustworthy, Compassionate and Collaborative
Purpose of the role: To be part of a flexible team providing empathic, caring and informed support to families, carers and others who use our services.
Live chat: is a free confidential service that is accessed via our website. Service users are offered emotional support, information and advice and guidance on a broad range of family issues.
Supervised by: The Shift Supervisor
Activities: The volunteer will be fully supervised, supported and trained to provide the following activities:
·Provide emotional support to family members via our live chat service
·Use the Family Lives support model and tools to provide an empathic responses
·Ensure that all service users receive a high quality experience
·Sign post users to other agencies for information and additional support
·Complete conversation data records
·Alert the shift supervisor to any difficult situations
General: Volunteers should be willing to:
·Attend the relevant volunteer training
·Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the other policies and procedures of the organisation
·Participate in regular support, supervision meetings and learning sessions as agreed
For home based volunteers only:
·Volunteers will need a Laptop/PC, plug in headset with microphone, fast broadband and a private place to work from home
·Volunteers need to be IT/PC literate and confident troubleshooting should they have technical difficulties
Time: We would be looking for volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift per week, plus attending training and supervision.
Location: working remotely from home
You need to be a UK resident
Supervision and Support:
·Supervision during shifts
·Debrief after every shift
·1 to 1 supervision every 6 months
·Staff available outside of shift within office hours
·Annual review
The Benefits of Volunteering:
·Satisfaction in making a real and lasting difference to families who are struggling
·An opportunity to develop experience for CV and references. Family Lives is committed to helping volunteers develop their own learning and development, gaining new skills, knowledge or work experience
·Being part of a team of Family Lives volunteers and staff
·Personal development
·Opportunities to meet and interact with a wide range of people
·Out of pocket expenses reimbursed to a maximum of £10 per session if working from a centre
·Flexible hours
Volunteer Person Specification. We are looking for individuals who:
·Have experience of parenting/being in a parenting role or demonstrable experience of working with parents or children e.g. in their work, previous volunteering or a previous role
·Have an ability to respond empathically to emotional content
·Good written and verbal communication
·Have good keyboard skills and IT skills, with a minimum of 50 wpm
·Can demonstrate a willingness to question their own attitudes e.g. toward different forms of parenting
·Have a fluent, descriptive and expressive use of English
·Can remain open minded and non-judgemental
·Willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies, in particular our Confidentiality Policy and Risk of Harm Procedures
·Willing to commit to attending regular supervision and support sessions
·Willing to work as part of a team
·Willing to commit to a mutually agreed period or ideally a 12 months commitment to the organisation.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
We have remote voluntary call taker training groups the dates are below are you would need to be able to attend all 5 Modules from the training group.
Our next training groups are:
June Saturday training dates:
Module 1 – Saturday 8th June
Module 2 - Saturday 15th June
Module 3 – Saturday 22nd June
Module 4 – Saturday 29th June
Module 5 – Saturday 6th July
10am to 2pm
Please note that all roles offered are subject to a satisfactory DBS being obtained, you will receive details of documentation required prior to your training and this must all be in no later than the second session of your training.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
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!
Family Lives operate a free confidential helpline for anyone experiencing difficulties in their family or relationship.
Our volunteers take calls from parents and carers on a wide range of subjects, whether that might be issues around separation and divorce, isolation, depression, bullying and abuse, dealing with behavioural problems, etc. You can find out more about our services on our website.
We are a national service with home-based call takers county wide and we also have a call centre in Old Hatfield Hertfordshire. Once trained volunteers sign up for a weekly 4-hour shift comprising 3 hours ‘online’ followed by a debrief session with your supervisor which can lasts around half to one hour.
We recruit volunteers with a range of backgrounds and experiences though we ask that volunteers have experience of parenting or working with children and young people, are good listeners and have a willingness to learn. Being remote it will be very important that you have a PC/laptop, plug in headset with microphone, good Wi-Fi and a private place to work from home.
You need to be a UK resident.
Our training programme is excellent and will give you the opportunity to develop the skills needed to offer empathic support and guidance to callers whatever their circumstances; all shifts are overseen by a regular shift supervisor who provides ongoing remote support. We ask our volunteers to make a commitment of 1 year (with time off for holidays), obviously we understand that circumstances sometimes make that an impossibility but can be helpful to know at the outset that is the general expectation.
We have call taker training sessions that run over five sessions and is done remotely connecting you via a Microsoft Teams link.
You would need to be able to attend all five sessions from one of these remote training groups and be available on four occasions to listen into calls, this can be organised remotely.
Remote Call Taker Training Dates:
June Saturday training dates:
Module 1 – Saturday 8th June
Module 2 - Saturday 15th June
Module 3 – Saturday 22nd June
Module 4 – Saturday 29th June
Module 5 – Saturday 6th July
10am to 2pm
Please note that all roles offered are subject to a satisfactory DBS being obtained, you will receive details of documentation required prior to your training and this must all be in no later than the second session of your training.
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!
The Family Works is an exciting trauma-informed, early intervention family support programme working across South Yorkshire. It equips workers and local volunteers to support families in their communities, families who may be isolated, lonely, vulnerable, or struggling to cope, across the whole of South Yorkshire. We provide support though relation-based services working to see the tide of family breakdown turn, to see children who are loved and cared for prosper and family relationships that are constructive instead of destructive and damaging.
We are now recruiting for Family Mentors to join our dedicated team. Family Mentors are trained volunteers who can work with the family by listening to them in a non-judgemental way and helping them gain the support they need to make changes, find solutions to their challenges and bring new hope into their lives.
The role involves working closely with a Link Worker, offering one to one listening support for a family, for one hour per week and supervision for one hour, over a period of 12 months.
If you are passionate about helping families to help themselves we’d love to hear from you.
The Family Works is an early-intervention, trauma-informed family support charity, working across South Yorkshire.
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!
As the Head of Family and Youth, you will oversee the planning, coordination, and delivery of activities for children, youth and families at Pride Cymru events. You will be an essential part of creating a welcoming and safe space for families to participate in Pride Cymru.
Duties and responsibilities:
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Build and maintain strong relationships with community organisations, schools, youth groups, and family support networks to enhance collaboration and outreach efforts.
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Develop new partnership opportunities and support positive partnership working
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Oversee the planning and execution of family-friendly activities and youth-focused events during Pride Cymru festivals and other community gatherings.
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Ensure that events are accessible, inclusive, and engaging for participants of all ages.
Skills and experience
Due to the nature of this role, the successful candidate must hold a valid DBS with the DBS Update Service before conducting any work with Pride Cymru.
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Enthusiasm for creating a family-friendly environment within the LGBTQ+ community.
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Previous experience working with children, youth, and families in a community-based or nonprofit setting, with a focus on LGBTQ+ issues and advocacy.
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Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire and motivate staff, volunteers, and community members.
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Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
About you
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A genuine desire to support the LGBTQ+ community in Wales
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Commitment to upholding and promoting values of equality, diversity and inclusion
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Ensure work is completed to a high professional standard and in accordance with relevant policies and procedures.
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Attend appropriate meetings/events
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Represent the organisational ethos and values
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Carry out any other reasonable duties as the role develops and as may be requested by the management/trustees
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!
Be rewarded and have new experiences, volunteer with us as a Child and Family Support Volunteer.
Key Details
- Based across South Lakeland, Cumbria.
- We are looking for a commitment of about half a day per week. Location, time and day will vary depending on current needs, and we can work with you to match you to appropriate opportunities.
- Currently, many of our groups run between 4-6pm on week days.
Can you:
- Provide motivational support, a listening ear, a friendly face, and a positive attitude to parents, carers, children and young people?
- Build trusting relationships, empathise, and communicate clearly?
- Be reliable?
- Be a positive role model?
- Be non-judgemental and respectful, while not accepting of behaviours that are damaging to others?
- Respect confidentiality?
- Work alongside staff to support families, based on individual need?
- Embody Action for Children’s values, and adhere to our code of conduct?
What you can expect:
- To work with families to support them to make and sustain positive changes through structured group programmes. An example is the very successful Decider Skills programme which teaches CBT techniques in an accessible and interactive way.
- To assist practitioners with running the group, providing a safe and nurturing space for families, and supporting all participants to engage in the activities.
- At times, we may have opportunities to play with children while their parents work with a practitioner on targeted support.
- To receive regular support and supervision from staff.
- To report any safeguarding or wellbeing concerns you may have as soon as possible.
What we can offer:
- Feel the satisfaction of supporting families to lead healthier, happier and safer lives.
- Full induction, training and support package. Ongoing training will be available to expand on your skills and knowledge.
- Gain valuable experience of working with children, young people and their families to provide early help and support.
- Be part of a fun and friendly team.
- Agreed travel expenses paid.
- Improve your confidence, CV, and employability. We can provide references to support your career development.
- Access to Action for Children's wellbeing resources.
- Feel recognised, supported and proud to donate your time and experience to help vulnerable children and young people.
If you would like an informal chat, have any further questions about the role, or need assistance with the application form, then please contact Kay Cheer on ( 015 39 734 456 )
Action for Children is passionate about promoting equality, valuing diversity and working inclusively. We welcome applications from all persons particularly those who identify as Male, people with Disabilities, and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic applicants, as these groups are currently under-represented in our organisation.
Action for Children are Passionate, Ambitious, Collaborative and Inclusive. We aspire for every child and young person in the country to have a safe and happy childhood and the foundations they need to thrive.
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!
Are you passionate about young people and ensuring everyone has equitable access to opportunities? Do you have a vibrant energy and experience to bring to our families and children? Then we could be looking for you to join our team of volunteers supportung families and young people in the North Kensington community.
As we ease out of lockdown, we are looking for volunteers to help on day trips in and around London to support families in getting back to normality again.
Trips will include anything from horse riding through to the beach, farms and Kew Gardens. This is an opportunity to help families in our community while gaining experience of working with a small, friendly and supportive charity.
Volunteers will help the group leader to accompany groups of parents/guardians and their children on a variety of cultural/fun trips, helping to make them feel welcome.
Suitable volunteers will be reliable and sociable and enjoy working with children. Volunteers must be available for day trips during school holidays, as this is when most of the trips take place.
Volunteers receive a full induction, and support from the Children and Young People Coordinator. Travel expenses on the outings and any entrance fees are covered, and some further expenses can also be claimed.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We are looking for individuals with professional or lived experience of working with children. Our volunteer playworkers are passionate about play and providing a welcoming and safe space for all children.
About the Role
As a volunteer play worker, you will work in partnership with the Specialist Family Support Worker in the planning and delivery of play sessions. Most children will be between the ages of 2-5 years.
Play sessions will be child-centered and age-appropriate, and will include arts and crafts, sensory play and free play with toys/resources in the refuge. Working with the Specialist Family Support Worker, you will be able to respond to the individual needs of the children and adapt sessions as needed. You will record your observations on each child at the end of the session and reflect on how the sessions went with Specialist Family Support Worker.
You will be supported by the Specialist Family Support Worker in monthly supervisions. This is a space to discuss your volunteering role, what is going well for you and areas of support you need.
We are looking for volunteers to support one session per week, either:
- Wednesday 10am – 1pm (Islington)
- Friday 12pm – 3pm (Enfield)
You will be expected to participate in setting up and in the evaluation of the session. You may also be asked your availability to attend additional sessions and trips to be held over school half terms.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking volunteers who have:
- Professional and/or lived experience of working with children
- Understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people
- A strengths-focused approach to working with challenging behaviour
- Knowledge of Safeguarding Children and Child Protection Procedures, or who are willing to learn
- Commitment to attend Safeguarding, Health and Safety, and Equality and Diversity training with Solace Women’s Aid
- Ability to communicate effectively with children aged 0-5, parents and staff
- Basic knowledge of child development
- Organisation and time management skills
Although not essential, we would welcome applications from volunteers who have a formal qualification in working with children, young people and families, or who have knowledge of trauma-informed approaches to working with children and young people.
What can you gain from this opportunity?
Volunteers will gain:
- Experience of facilitating play sessions for children in recovery from domestic abuse
- An insight into the experiences of children in recovery from domestic abuse.
- Experience in working in partnership with Specialist Family Support Workers in the planning, delivery and evaluation of play sessions in a refuge/community setting.
- Opportunity to attend training and social events with other Solace Women’s Aid volunteers.
- Trauma-Informed Practice training from the Specialist Family Support Worker team.
- Being part of a supportive team who aim to build on the strengths and skills of all our members.
We offer great volunteer induction training, where you will be fully supported to understand, and carry put every aspect of the role. Training includes CPD accredited courses, and the opportunity to apply to complete the level 3 Understanding Domestic Abuse Award (DAPA), which is recognized by the Home Office.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We have a variety of volunteer roles in our Family Hubs and Nurseries:
- Day-care assistant
- Reception/admin
- Group support worker
- Cook
- Domestic
- Caretaker
Volunteers play an important part in helping us to provide a quality service, while helping you build a portfolio of work experience and qualifications.
Why volunteer with us?
Make a difference
You can help create a positive and nurturing environment for our little ones to thrive.
Gain new skills
Gain valuable skills while working with an amazing group of like-minded people.
Community Connection
Join a community of compassionate individuals who share your passion for creating a better future for all generations.
Have fun!
Experience the joy of sharing laughter, learning, and special moments with our children and team!
What else do we offer?
- A wide variety of vacancies
- Advice and support
- Opportunity to develop new skills and gain experience in a work environment
- A placement with regular supervisions, guidance and feedback
- A professional working environment with well developed policies and procedures
- In house training if appropriate
- Paid expenses if necessary
- References for future employment
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
SLDAS OCN Accredited Volunteer Training Programme
SLDAS is a local organisation working in South Liverpool. We support women who have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. We are a small team and are busier than ever and we need volunteers to help us reach all the women who we support. Have you got some time to give us?
All volunteers complete our Open College Network training programme that is accredited with Open Awards. Our aim is to provide trainee volunteers with the skills, knowledge and confidence necessary to enable them to work with women who are currently experiencing domestic abuse or have experienced it in the past.
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!
About Us
We are the only national non-profit supporting people in the UK impacted by borderline personality disorder (BPD). We provide peer support, signposting, information and advice to individuals living with BPD, their families and carers.
About the Role
Our busy support services team is seeking a reliable and organised volunteer to assist the signposting service. You will respond to queries from health and social care professionals and service users. In addition, you will provide administrative support to the team and processing referrals emailed into the service.
Responsibilities in this role include:
- Providing information and advice to health and social professionals and service users
- Processing new referrals
- Navigating and inputting information into our secure database, handling client data and sensitive information
- Explaining confidentiality to health and social care professionals and service users and seeking consent to store or share information where necessary
- Signposting and referring callers to appropriate alternative services as required
Who are we looking for?
The ideal volunteer will have:
- An understanding of the issues faced by people impacted by BPD, or willing to learn about this
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Good administrative and computer skills including proficient use of Microsoft Office
- A solid understanding of the importance of professional boundaries and confidentiality
- The ability to exercise a non-discriminatory, non-judgemental approach to supporting people
- A flexible approach to your work
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise
Please note you will need a DBS check (if you do not have one, we can do that for you)and two references for this role.
What can you gain from this opportunity?
As part of this role you will have the opportunity to:
- Work as part of a national organisation to support people impacted by borderline personality disorder, and their families
- Develop skills in providing signposting, information and advice
- Gain knowledge of the support service options available to people in the UK
- Gain experience of multi-agency partnership working
We offer full volunteer induction and training, where you will be fully supported to understand, and carry out every aspect of the role.
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment for our volunteers. The service users we support come from all backgrounds and we want to reflect that in our volunteering team. We are happy to consider any adjustments you might need to support you in your role. If you would like to discuss this further with the volunteer team, please let us know. This will not affect your application.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Ref: V225 | Support Group Volunteer | Maldon
We’re looking for Support Group Volunteers over the age of 18 years old, based at Fullbridge Church, 27 Fullbridge, Maldon, Essex, CM9 4LE.
You’ll be volunteering fortnightly on a Thursday from 10.15am-12.15pm.
As a support group volunteer, you will help with the running of the group. The role is designed to suit the needs of the group, and the skills of people offering support. If you enjoy getting to know your community, working with others and making a real difference then this is the role for you.
The volunteer will be
· A people person, with good listening skills
· A great communicator who enjoys meeting new people
· Good at putting people at ease
· Reliable and organised
· Passionate about supporting people affected by stroke
· IT literate, have good administrative and record keeping skills and be able to follow relevant policies
A DBS check is required for this role.
Interested in this role?
Find out more by downloading the role description for the Support Group Volunteer role.
If you are interested in this role, please complete our application form on our website.
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.
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!
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
The Family Bereavement sessions - What we do
We run sessions for bereaved families, offering three different age groups which are tailored around different developmental needs for 4-7-, 8-12- and 13–18-year-olds.
These Family Bereavement sessions currently have four components:
- An assessment with an allocated support worker to provide information and assess eligibility.
- An online parent information session for parent/carers to provide guidance and support in preparation for attendance at the bereavement session and to answer any questions or concerns.
- A social activity for families to meet and engage prior to the bereavement session.
- One Saturday Family Bereavement Session bringing families together (typically from 9am-3.30pm). These sessions will mostly be delivered as a family, with an hour in the afternoon where children and parents meet separately.
The Family Bereavement Sessions currently take place in Reigate but could be run from other locations in our catchment area across Surrey, parts of West Sussex and Kent.
The Social Event will be at a convenient location for the participating families which will be agreed with them. This is usually held on a Tuesday or Wednesday after school for the 8-12 and 13-18 groups and on a Saturday for the 4–7-year-olds.
How we ask you to help with groups:
We ask that volunteers can commit to the following aspects of the family bereavement session delivery – online session, social activity and Family Bereavement Session.
During delivery, you will be required to assist the Support Workers in the delivery of the activities and to support the children, young people and parents/carers to engage. Various activities are run at the family bereavement sessions - such as making salt jars, memory boxes and other craft activities, etc.
Additionally, volunteers would be expected to serve teas and coffees, wash up and support the setting up and delivery of the activities.,
Social events- What we do
We provide different social events and activities throughout the year to help bring children and young people in a similar situation together. This helps bereaved families and those facing the death of a loved one to have an opportunity to connect as a family and create special memories.
It also allows children and young people to know that they are not alone and to meet with others who are grieving or facing the death of a loved one. Research shows that social connections and social support is important for health and well-being.
How we ask you to help with social events:
To help the Support Workers in the delivery of the events and to connect and engage with children, young people and their families in attendance.
Training – before supporting families
We will provide you with all of the information and training you need and you will join a vibrant and committed group of volunteers ensuring that children and young people across our communities will not be alone during their bereavement journey.
Jigsaw South East is committed to the wellbeing of our volunteers and we will provide you with the information and support you need to fulfil your volunteering role. You will have a named member of staff as a central point of contact, access to supervision where relevant and the opportunity to meet other Jigsaw South East volunteers on, at least, a quarterly basis.
We provide our group volunteers with some comprehensive training to prepare them for the role – but it is worth noting, volunteers are always working alongside professional Support Workers at the groups and are not expected to ‘go it alone’.
Who we need.
Jigsaw South East believes in the value of voluntary activity as an important component of the organisation in supporting children, young people and their families when facing or following the death of a loved one.
Jigsaw South East takes responsibility for ensuring that volunteers within its own organisation are appropriately involved, respected and valued for their contribution.
We are looking for enthusiastic and passionate volunteers over the age of 18 (we will be looking to recruit under 18 Young Ambassadors shortly).
We are looking for volunteers with the following essential/desirable credentials and who can commit to at least one Family Bereavement Session (and associated online and social components) and two Social Activities per year. The volunteer agreement and commitment to Jigsaw SE will be reviewed after 18 months as we know that people’s circumstances change.
Essential:
Excellent listening skills
Ability to empathise
Experience of bereavement (personal and/or professional)
Ability to work in a team activities
Use of a car (our venues are not easily accessible via public transport)
Ability to adhere to JSE’s policies and protocols for safeguarding and confidentiality
Desirable, but not essential:
Ability to commit to a minimum of one Family Bereavement Session and associated elements per year and two additional social activity per year
Experience with children and young people
Knowledge of different religious and cultural beliefs around death and dying
As an engager of volunteers Jigsaw South East is committed to a policy of equal opportunities. This principle will apply to service delivery, recruitment, promotion, training, facilities, procedures and all terms and conditions.
Volunteers will be expected to adhere to Jigsaw South East’s Equal Opportunities Policy, a copy of which can be found within the Jigsaw South East’s Volunteer Pack.
The children’s health and wellbeing are of paramount to us, therefore we are looking for very special people to help us provide the support they deserve and ask that you can meet the above criteria.
We will also require an enhanced DBS check and two references.
We look forward to hearing from you.
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!
Bipolar UK was originally formed in the 1980s as a local support system for the community by the community. Our first meeting was held in 1983 and since that day Bipolar UK has supported people living with the condition and their loved ones. Our aim is to enable everyone affected by bipolar to live well.
Each year we support thousands of individuals through our range of peer support services, which include:
- Peer Support Groups (in-person and online)
- A call-back Peer Support Line
- Our eCommunity
In the years ahead, providing peer support services will remain central to everything we do. This vital work is only possible because of volunteers such as yourself.
How volunteers support us
We couldn’t exist without the amazing support of our dedicated team of volunteers. They help us by giving us key insights from our community. They also provide hands-on support so we can run a significant network of peer support groups and a one-to-one peer support line via telephone and email.
Thanks to the incredible collaboration between our staff team and our volunteers we currently empower approximately 1,000 people a month to stay well, and we have the ambition to reach thousands more.
Our commitment to volunteers:
We want you to get the most out of volunteering with us and we take our responsibility towards you very seriously.
To support you, we will:
- Provide clear descriptions for our volunteering roles
- Treat volunteers fairly and in accordance with the Bipolar UK Equal Opportunities policy
- Ensure volunteers’ information is kept securely and in accordance with Bipolar UK Privacy policy, the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR
- Keep volunteers informed of relevant changes, including to policies and staff
- Provide appropriate training and support to encourage and develop volunteers in every role
- Work collaboratively with all our volunteers to improve the services we deliver, identifying training needs and providing additional learning
- Ensure our volunteering practices are compliant with current and relevant legislation
- Reimburse agreed out of pocket expenses in line with Bipolar UK’s policy and guidance
- Celebrate and recognise all our volunteers’ successes and ongoing contributions to the charity
- Support aspirations to upskill with relevant training and development
Training and development
All volunteers are given an induction and training relevant to their role before they begin volunteering so they can feel confident to carry out their tasks. Training is an ongoing commitment for both Bipolar UK staff and volunteers. Training sessions are usually held by the Bipolar UK team, although external training will be given whenever relevant and appropriate.
Who can volunteer?
As part of the volunteer recruitment process, we ask you to complete an application form. We will then invite you for an informal phone interview and ask you to provide two referees.
Roles within Bipolar UK are subject to an enhanced DBS check. The information gathered throughout this process helps us to make an informed decision about whether the volunteering role is right for you, as well as following our safeguarding procedures.
Skills and experience
We look for people who:
- Communicate well
- Enjoy teamwork
- Are able to adapt and willing to learn
- Are reliable, punctual and good at time management
- See situations with objectivity and compassion
- All our volunteers must be 18 or older.
Bipolar UK will make sure that people are judged on their ability and potential, not on their background and situation. We will seek to treat people fairly, regardless of visible and non-visible differences such as mental health, health, gender, race, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religious beliefs or practices, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, disability, age, family/marital status, social background, pregnancy or potential pregnancy, caring responsibilities, spent criminal convictions or trade union affiliation.
We appreciate that these differences will contribute to diverse experiences of life, attitudes, values, and ways of thinking and communicating - and that these different perspectives can make a valuable contribution to our work.
What we ask of volunteers:
We ask that all volunteers commit to a minimum of two to four hours a week for our phone/email service or up to 4 hours per month for our support groups, for at least six months wherever possible.
We expect all volunteers to attend regular training as part of role development and progression, and to abide by our policies and guidelines. A commitment to our mission and values is imperative, along with a desire to make a difference to those affected by bipolar. All volunteers represent the charity and must always remain professional when interacting with the public and external services.
Volunteers should:
- Have personal experience of bipolar if the role requires it
- Display empathy and understanding of the needs of others
- Understand and remain conscious of their own needs, including managing their own wellbeing
- Communicate effectively with the team
- Be always respectful of others, in line with Bipolar UK policies
- Have basic IT skills and computer literacy
Our volunteering roles:
- Support Group Co-facilitator (online)
- Support Group Co-facilitator (in-person)
- Support Group Administrator
- Peer Support Line Volunteer
- Media Ambassador
- Fundraising Assistant
- Events Assistant
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!
Ref: V224 | Support Group Volunteer | Wolseley
We’re looking for Support Group Volunteers over the age of 18 years old, based at Wolseley Business Park, Wolseley Close, Plymouth, Devon, PL2 3BY.
You’ll be volunteering 3 out of 4 Wednesday mornings per month, from 10am until 1pm
As a support group volunteer, you will help with the running of the group. The role is designed to suit the needs of the group, and the skills of people offering support. If you enjoy getting to know your community, working with others and making a real difference then this is the role for you.
The volunteer will be
· A people person, with good listening skills
· A great communicator who enjoys meeting new people
· Good at putting people at ease
· Reliable and organised
· Passionate about supporting people affected by stroke
· IT literate, have good administrative and record keeping skills and be able to follow relevant policies
A DBS check is required for this role.
Interested in this role?
Find out more by downloading the role description for the Support Group Volunteer role.
If you are interested in this role, please complete click apply.
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.
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!
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!
The Coroners' Courts Support Service (CCSS) is a registered Charity whose trained volunteers give emotional and practical support to bereaved families and other witnesses attending an inquest.
We need volunteers to provide emotional support and practical help to bereaved families, witnesses and others attending Inquests at Coroners' Court. Our volunteers at court also provide help and assistance to the Coroners' Officers, as and when required.
We are looking for reliable, supportive people with excellent communication skills. A mature and calm attitude is needed in order to be able to talk to people during a sometimes bewildering and emotional experience. Volunteers must be willing to undergo a period of observations and shadowing, as well as attend a 3 day training course. A minimum commitment of one day (9:00am - 5:00pm) per fortnight is asked for. Training and mentoring is provided and travel expenses to the court are reimbursed.
New volunteers should possess good communication and listening skills and the ability to empathise with people they support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.