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Purpose of Post: The post holder will lead on the delivery of our volunteer programme. You will be responsible for the recruitment of new volunteers and the support of existing volunteers and volunteer contacts to maintain a positive volunteer experience.

You will work across teams to ensure the volunteer’s experience is positive and will play a key role in volunteer retention. You will work with the different teams to identify and develop new volunteering opportunities. You will increase the diversity and variety of our volunteering opportunities to reflect our local community and better serve our members. You will work to ensure our volunteers feel valued, fulfilled, and have opportunities to meaningfully contribute to Hear Us.

As well as oversight of all our volunteering activities, the post-holder will assist in delivering, developing and expanding upon the success of our existing independent peer support Linkworking Project at inpatient wards at the Royal Bethlem Hospital (RBH) and Croydon’s Mental Health Community Services, Jeanette Wallace House (JWH) and Queens Resource Centre (QRC). The post-holder will assist the Peer Support Coordinator in managing and supporting our team of peer support Linkworkers (volunteers) to monitor the quality of Croydon’s statutory mental health services.

This role is crucial for maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of our volunteer activities, enabling us to support more people in our community.

This post holder will work towards achieving a Hear Us Volunteer Accreditation as part of ensuring good practice for our staff and volunteers, and developing the future creative direction of our volunteering offer.

Given the collaborative and engagement-focused nature of this role, and its direct delivery responsibilities, regular face-to-face working is required, with the post-holder based primarily in the office and attending events and community activities as needed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

· Develop and support different techniques to attract lived experience volunteers to Hear Us to build a strong and diverse volunteer base

· Develop and produce volunteer recruitment and information material for our public events, website, and social media

· Monitor and screen incoming volunteer applications and make first contact with applicants

· Liaise with Hear Us managers to schedule, plan, and organise in-person and online volunteer recruitment drives and/or information days

· Support with the development and delivery of a standardised volunteer induction.

Volunteer Management

· Lead on organising and managing volunteer involvement in events and activities, ensuring effective briefing and debriefing.

· Provide volunteer supervision and support where required (usually volunteers will be line managed by their project manager if volunteering with a specific project)

· Conduct regular volunteer surveys and establish routes for volunteers to provide feedback.

Volunteer Training

· Schedule, plan, and organise group training days for volunteers to access and complete mandatory training

· To support volunteers to access and complete mandatory training, (including safeguarding, Prevent and information governance) and to encourage attending further training, workshops or other opportunities that may support in their own development.

· To provide bespoke Hear Us training to new volunteers as part of the induction process, and provide refresher and ongoing training for existing volunteers, updating and/or redesigning the training manuals where necessary.

· In collaboration with colleagues, to develop the Hear Us Academy (accredited peer support training modules)

 Volunteer Database Management

· Manage the volunteer database by maintaining an accurate record of Hear Us volunteers, including but not limited to activity status, address, and communication preferences on Hear Us database(s).

· Ensure all recruitment checks are completed and accurate volunteer records are held in compliance with the Data Protection Act and GDPR.

Linkwork Project Support

· Act as a deputy for the Peer Support Coordinator where required, in managing a small, vibrant team of peer support volunteer Linkworkers (all of who are current or former mental health service users).

· Assist with Linkworking Project support, such as supporting volunteers in signing up for the SLaM Involvement Register, arranging an induction with Hear Us and introducing peer support Linkworkers to wards and services.

· In the absence of the Peer Support Coordinator, organise and manage the peer support Linkworking rota, finding cover where necessary, ensuring as few sessions are cancelled as possible.

· In the absence of the Peer Support Coordinator, maintain good relations with the SLaM Involvement Register, and submit peer support Linkworkers’ timesheets as required.

· In the absence of the Peer Support Coordinator, ensure the ongoing delivery of Linkworking Sessions

· Help monitor the peer support Linkworking Project, evaluating its effectiveness on improving services and gathering feedback from service users, Linkworkers, and SLaM staff.

· Gather and provide peer support Linkworkers with signposting material and information that can be shared with service users.

Stakeholder Management

· Work in partnership with the Peer Support Coordinator, Engagement and Campaigns Manager, Welfare Rights Manager, Events Coordinator, Deputy CEO, CEO, trustees, and other staff members to achieve the charity's aims and ensure stability and longevity for Hear Us and its members.

· Represent Hear Us on appropriate external committees, networks and other bodies, with other voluntary, statutory and private sector agencies.

· Work on volunteer incentives, recognition and reward schemes across the year.

Other Duties

· Attend supervision and identify your own training and support needs with your supervisor.

· Develop and maintain a healthy working practice for yourself and the volunteers (including peer support Linkworkers) by having clear personal and professional boundaries.

· Keep up to date with best practice and legislation in the volunteer sector.

· Actively oppose discrimination against people who experience mental distress in Croydon in line with the Hear Us diversity and inclusion and recruitment policies

· Adhere to all Hear Us policies and procedures in all aspects of their work (including safeguarding, equity, inclusion & diversity, health & safety and confidentiality)

It is the nature of the work that tasks and responsibilities are in many circumstances unpredictable and varied. All employees are expected to work in a flexible way, as required by Hear Us. Some meetings and other events may be held out of normal office hours and could involve travel away from the local area.