Health and wellbeing volunteer volunteer roles in poplar, greater london

Are you a Somali speaker looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? We invite you to become a volunteer for our Talking Bubble Project!

Many older adults and vulnerable individuals in the UK’s Somali-speaking community experience loneliness and isolation. By offering just a small amount of your time each week, you can make a big difference by providing companionship and a friendly voice in their native language.

What is the Talking Bubble Project?

☎︎ A phone-based service that connects volunteers with individuals who may feel isolated or lonely. Through regular phone calls, you’ll have the opportunity to build friendships, brighten someone’s day, and provide much-needed emotional support—especially for those who feel more comfortable speaking Somali.

Why volunteer with us?

✔ Support members of the Somali-speaking community in the UK
✔ Make a meaningful impact on someone’s life
✔ Enjoy flexible volunteering hours
✔ Receive training, ongoing support, and a reference upon completion
✔ Enhance your own sense of fulfilment and purpose

How to get involved:

Simply apply through CharityJob’s website or by filling out our online form here: [https://lnkd.in/e36t8zWB]. No previous experience is required—just a friendly, compassionate nature and a willingness to listen.

Open to UK residents only.

Help us spread kindness and connection within the Somali-speaking community across the UK!

Are you a Sylheti speaker looking for a meaningful way to give back to your community? We invite you to become a volunteer for our Talking Bubble Project!

Many older adults and vulnerable individuals in the UK’s Sylheti-speaking community experience loneliness and isolation. By offering just a small amount of your time each week, you can make a big difference by providing companionship and a friendly voice in their native language.

What is the Talking Bubble Project?

☎︎ A phone-based service that connects volunteers with individuals who may feel isolated or lonely. Through regular phone calls, you’ll have the opportunity to build friendships, brighten someone’s day, and provide much-needed emotional support—especially for those who feel more comfortable speaking Sylheti.

Why volunteer with us?

✔ Support members of the Sylheti-speaking community in the UK
✔ Make a meaningful impact on someone’s life
✔ Enjoy flexible volunteering hours
✔ Receive training, ongoing support, and a reference upon completion
✔ Enhance your own sense of fulfilment and purpose

How to get involved:

Simply fill out the application through CharityJob's website or by following this link: [https://lnkd.in/e36t8zWB]. No previous experience is required—just a friendly, compassionate nature and a willingness to listen.

Open to UK residents only.

Help us spread kindness and connection within the Sylheti-speaking community across the UK!

Role Title: 1-1 Support Buddy

Weekly Hours: Flexible; 4 hours per week minimum

Expenses: Expenses are compensated where applicable such as travel

Commitment: At least 6 months

Responsible to: Senior Mental Health Support Worker

Project overview:

The Mind in Kingston 1-1 Support Buddy service offers goal-oriented, practical, and emotional support to individuals who have accessed Information, Advice, and Guidance but continue to experience mental health challenges. Volunteers deliver support for up to 12 weeks through flexible means—face-to-face, phone, or virtual. Volunteers will typically work with individuals needing a lower level of support, while the 1-1 Support Worker handles more complex cases.

This may include supporting an individual with setting small, achievable goals, prepare for an important appointment or helping someone regain confidence to build a social network. The work will involve building a supporting and boundaried relationship with individuals over their time with the service (up to 12 weeks). The role is about empowerment, offering encouragement and reassurance while promoting self-sufficiency.

About us:

Mind in Kingston supports people with mental health issues and raises awareness within Kingston and surrounding areas. Volunteers are essential to our work, and we welcome applicants with lived experience of mental health challenges. We provide comprehensive training, supervision, and opportunities for career development.

Volunteers are extremely valued within our team and a vital part of our service delivery. We encourage and welcome people with lived experience of mental health issues to apply to volunteer with us; this could be personal experience relating to yourself, a family member or a friend, or in a professional capacity working with people with mental health issues.

We care about everyone’s wellbeing and as an integral member of our team; volunteers receive extensive support to ensure they are trained and skilled up in their roles, so that they may also progress further in their career aspirations. They receive regular supervision and development opportunities as well as be part of our volunteer awards programme to recognise and celebrate their achievement and contribution to our community. As team members, volunteers have the opportunity to engage with the board of trustees, staff and other volunteers both professionally and socially.

Main purpose of the role:

·Provide weekly person centred, 1-1 practical and emotional support.

·Help service users set and work towards personal goals.

·Offer empathic listening and promote wellbeing.

·Signpost service users to relevant services.

Tasks will include:

· Delivering regular (typically weekly) goal-focused 1-1 support sessions to individuals. These sessions may take place online, over the phone or at Mind in Kingston offices.

· Maintain knowledge of local services for signposting.

· Reporting risks & safeguarding concerns.

· Maintain regular contact with the supervisor.

· Attend meetings and supervision sessions.

What you will receive in return:

· Training in skills that will include mental health awareness and boundaries.

· Training in adult safeguarding and local procedures.

· Training for any other skills as identified by yourself and your supervisor.

· Regular check-in with your supervisor, reflective supervision, and managerial support.

· An opportunity to learn new skills and develop existing ones while being a part of a supportive team at Mind in Kingston.

· Reimbursement of reasonable expenses.

· Professional references upon completion.

What we expect from you:

·Commitment for at least six months.

·Completion of required training.

·Adherence to Mind in Kingston’s policies (e.g., confidentiality, safeguarding).

·Confidence in supporting people with mental health challenges.

·Proactive engagement with your supervisor for support.

·Safe handling and return of any equipment issued.

You may on occasion volunteer from home, so a confidential space is essential.

Application Process:

·Two references (one from a professional contact) are required.

·An enhanced DBS check is necessary.

We ask volunteers for two references, one of which must come from a professional connection such as a current or previous employer or a tutor. You will also need to undergo an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check, as you will be working with vulnerable adults.

Time2Share@WECIL’s Befriending Service links volunteers 1:1 with a Disabled child / young person. Links are based on shared interests and activities which the volunteer and young person can enjoy doing together either in the child/family home or out in the community.

What experience do I need?

You do not need any previous experience with disabled children or young people, but we ask that volunteers are friendly, caring, reliable and able to make a commitment to visit a young person regularly.

What will I be doing?

You will volunteer within Time2Share@WECIL’s befriending service for disabled children/young people (aged 5-18 yrs) and their families. This involves spending time regularly with a disabled child or young person in their home or supporting the young person to take part in social and leisure activities in their local community. You will not be asked to administer medication or deliver personal care in this role.

Who am I responsible for?

You are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person you are linked with. All links are risk-assessed and carefully monitored by your co-ordinator.

Who am I responsible to?

The parent / carer. You must ensure that the parent / carer’s reasonable instructions and guidance regarding the welfare of their child are adhered to and that clear communication is maintained. Feedback must be given to the parent/carer following a visit.

How often will I be needed?

Time2Share@WECIL typically ask for volunteers to commit to 2-4 hours a week and the days / times are agreed between the volunteer and the family. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months to ensure the child and their family are able to benefit fully from the relationship.

The HMSA is a small and dynamic charity that helps those living with hypermobility syndromes (and carers and families) to be independent and live well. We also provide education for professionals in social care, health, teaching and local authority employees. We have big plans to expand our offer to our members and professionals, as well as raise the profile of the charity and hypermobility syndromes.  We are seeking to appoint up to 2 new trustees.  Recognising that most people with these conditions present and are supported in primary care, we are particularly keen to recruit someone with a background in Primary Care to help us develop our plans. We are also interested to hear from anyone with experience of strengthening social media channels and comms, especially within a small charity setting.

 The Trustee role involves:

•  Preparing for and attending quarterly board meetings – 2 hours in the evening or a half day on a Saturday (half online/half in person if possible). The in person meetings are likely to be in central London.
• Providing support/guidance to the other Trustees, the CEO as well as staff/volunteer team. This may include small group working in between Board meetings.
• You may also be asked to participate in sub-committees as required.
• Developing and supporting our Clinical Advisory Group and/or Comms work
• Promoting the HMSA to primary care and other health and social care professionals or other relevant external audiences.

​In addition, there may-be other events such as volunteer/staff/member meetings or conferences that would be useful to have Trustee support

Purpose of the Role:
The Treasurer plays a key leadership role in ensuring SAPHNA’s financial integrity and sustainability. In addition to the responsibilities of a General Trustee, the Treasurer provides strategic guidance and oversight on SAPHNA’s financial matters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee SAPHNA’s financial management, ensuring robust processes and controls are in place.
• Advise the Board on financial strategy, risk management, and resource allocation.
• Work closely with SAPHNA’s management team to monitor budgets, cash flow, and financial performance.
• Ensure the preparation of annual accounts in accordance with charity regulations.
• Present financial reports to the Board in a clear and accessible format.
• Support the development of financial policies and procedures.
• Ensure SAPHNA’s funds are invested appropriately, achieving both security and growth.
• Oversee financial compliance with legal and regulatory obligations.

Person Specification:

• Proven financial expertise, ideally with experience in financial management, accountancy, or charity finance.
• Strong analytical skills and the ability to present complex financial information clearly.
• Commitment to SAPHNA’s mission, vision, and values.
• Experience in governance, leadership, or financial oversight.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with other Trustees and SAPHNA’s management team.

Time Commitment:
Trustees are required to attend quarterly Board meetings, participation in working groups or committees, and occasional representation of SAPHNA at events. The Treasurer role may require additional time to review financial matters and liaise with staff.

Are you a Clinical Supervisor interested in supporting counsellors and therapists?

Burning Nights CRPS Support has a highly skilled counselling and therapy team who provide counselling and psychotherapy to adults and children who have been affected by a debilitating pain condition, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). This team is expanding rapidly and we are now looking for 2 volunteer Clinical Supervisors to join this team ensuring we can continue the provision of our vital emotional support services to this community. We would ideally like to take on 2 Clinical Supervisor supporting a small group of therapists who specialise in a range of modalities.

All our Counselling and therapy team help to develop our growing mental health support service for patients, families and carers affected by Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). As a volunteer with the CRPS Counselling & Therapy Service, your skills and experience as a Clinical Supervisor will be providing support to therapists who offer therapy to vulnerable individuals, many of whom are isolated and in need of mental health support.

Depending on your qualifications, skills and experience, you will provide group and 1-2-1 Supervision support for counsellors or psychotherapists who provide counselling support or specialist services, such as general talking (person centred) therapies, integrative therapists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for CRPS patients, their loved ones and carers. The service currently offers specialist support to anyone over the age of 5 who is affected by CRPS.

Key Tasks and Objectives

• Facilitate Clinical Supervision group sessions on a monthly basis (online) and ideally be able to offer at least 1 or 2 supervisees on 1-2-1 basis mainly trainees

• Administer this supervision from invitation through to record keeping

• Take part in complex case allocation meetings with the Clinical Lead

• Maintain appropriate clinical records of all work and to report, along with any concerns on individuals or their practice to the Clinical Lead

• Commitment to ongoing supervision of supervision practice at Burning Nights CRPS Support as well as engaging in separate own personal supervision as/if appropriate

• Work flexibly as part of a small team as necessary to provide maximum coverage for supervision, such as in the event of emergencies

• Abide by all Burning Nights CRPS Support policies and procedures

• Adhere to BACP, BABCP (or other appropriate therapies governing body) Ethical Framework

Key Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Psychotherapy/Counselling qualification with a minimum of 2 years post qualification experience in a similar field

• Qualification in Clinical Supervision - ideally level 7 or above (could also suit experienced counsellors who require a placement during Clinical Supervision placement, or experienced counsellors wishing to gain experience in supervision)

• Accreditation/registration (or working at the level of or towards this qualification) as a Supervisor with BACP/HCPC/BABCP or equivalent

• Significant proven experience of supervising individual counsellors/psychotherapists from a range of training backgrounds 

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with clients with a range of difficulties including complex medical health issues, loss and bereavement. Ideally experience of working with clients living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Willingness to engage in any Burning Nights CRPS Support training

• Understanding of issues regarding confidentiality and management of risk within a counselling service

• Good administrative skills

• Understanding of the voluntary sector

• Commitment to on-going engagement in personal supervision

• Knowledgeable of and committed to equalities’ provision

Desirable:

• Appropriate and proven clinical experience of working with clients living with or affected by chronic pain or chronic conditions

• Being able to supervise therapists who work in therapy such as CBT, ACT, EMDR etc

• Experience of working within a low-cost / free voluntary sector counselling setting

• Experience of working within the voluntary charity sector

Enthusiastic, hands-on volunteers needed to help provide food to the community. A key role, you will work at the main hub of the food bank and help the food service run as smoothly as possible. An exciting opportunity to make a real, immediate impact to those in need of support. 

Hours: Tuesdays and/or Thursdays, 10:00-12:30, 12.30-15:00 or 14:45-17:00. 

Book shifts to suit your own schedule!

Location: St Michaels Church Hall, 37 Bounds Green Rd, London, N22 8SD

About Bounds Green Food Bank: 

Open since June 2020, we serve over 1,500 children and adults in the community. We are committed to improving lives by providing food and essential household items to build a healthy, hunger-free tomorrow. We strive to promote social inclusion by supporting people who find themselves in a crisis situation where they need assistance to feed themselves and their families.

The role: 

• Help with setting up the food service and replenishing goods when needed, including decanting and repacking items.

• Warmly welcome guests, serving them the appropriate number of items depending on their household size and needs.

• Follow food bank policies including Health and Safety procedures e.g. wearing gloves when handling fresh food and lifting boxes safely. 

• Keep the hall tidy throughout the food service e.g. tidying away boxes and neatly restocking items. 

Person specification: 

• Patient and flexible

• A team player 

• Understands and is sensitive to the challenges and difficulties faced by guests accessing the food bank e.g. food and fuel poverty, feelings of shame and embarrassment, language barriers.

Benefits:

• Flexible - book shifts to suit your own schedule!

• Give back to the community - one of the NHS’ 5 Ways to Wellbeing!

• Gain access to free workshops for volunteers and upskill on a range of topics (conflict resolution, mental health first aid, arts and crafts, and more)

• Join free social events for volunteers (such as picnics, walks, games nights and celebration events)

• Gain a sense of community and meet the huge team of volunteers

Marmalade Connections is a time-limited, one-to-one project covering most of the South West. Based on the enabling/empowering social prescribing model, trained volunteers make weekly calls to project members for up to 15 weeks, focusing on their specific needs and interests.  The project supports those in our community who are the most socially isolated, and who experience chronic loneliness (feeling lonely all or most of the time). 

Marmalade Connections is not a 'befriending call project'.​ These conversations lead to volunteers signposting the project members to local social activities and community support, to improve their social connections long term. 

As a Marmalade Companion Volunteer, you will support one or occasionally two of our project members (the people we support) for a period of up to 16 weeks. The role involves phoning a matched member once a week for a friendly call lasting about 30 minutes plus researching potential social connection and activity opportunities. You will receive training on how to build up a trusted telephone relationship with your project member(s) to enable you to support and signpost them to relevant services and activities. The aim of this project is to help reduce social isolation and loneliness and to support your project member(s) to discover lasting connections in their community. 

Do you want to see more happiness and kindness in the world? We’re looking for dynamic Volunteers to be part of creating exactly that!

About the Role:

Our volunteers bring people together for shared online learning experiences, based on positive psychology, that boost the wellbeing of everyone involved.

- The amazing 6-week Happiness Habits Course is designed to be run by pairs of volunteers.  It features expert videos, science-backed exercises and the chance to form meaningful connections. Our course has been specially designed to gather the insights of the world's leading experts on six fundamental aspects of a happy and meaningful life: Gratitude, Self-Care, Relationships, Resilience, Kindness, and Meaning. It is a very impactful (many say life-changing) experience.

- Alternatively, you can get involved by supporting a Monthly Group, bringing like-minded people together to learn evidence-based tools for creating a happier and more meaningful life. Explore the monthly themes and encourage people to set personal actions towards happiness, that support both themselves and others.

Volunteering with Action for Happiness is a path of action that consistently feels like you are making a difference in the world. You don’t have to be an expert - or be happy all the time. If you are a warm and enthusiastic person that is more than enough to get started.

Why Volunteer with Us?

Do something that matters: spreading happiness and witnessing people transform for the better is a huge source of meaning.

Grow your skills: inspiring others, learning together and reinforcing your own happiness skills all contribute to personal growth.

Build community: meeting like-minded people, building lasting friendships and belonging to a global community contributing to a better future for all.

How do I know it’s right for me?

Try out free VOLUNTEER TRAINING via the Action For Happiness website and decide for yourself.

We've designed it especially to help you answer questions like this as it explains thoroughly what being a volunteer involves and helps you reflect on your readiness.

What is the time commitment?

You'll need to set aside a couple of hours for the training initially and a few more for planning your course or group and connecting with your co-volunteer. Then you'll need a couple of hours per session for facilitating (x6 weekly sessions for a course, or x1 session per month for a group). 

- Apply today! Together, we can inspire change that ripples out through people’s lives, communities and the world.
 

As a Group Leader, you’ll play a key role in delivering our life-changing therapeutic services by co-facilitating weekly self-help groups. Using a proven model rooted in Exposure-Response Therapy and CBT, you'll help guide members through understanding their conditions and moving toward recovery.

We’ll train you to confidently co-lead sessions with another volunteer. All you need is empathy, warmth, and a genuine desire to support others. Lived experience of anxiety, OCD, or phobias is a bonus, not a must. We ask for a commitment of just 2 hours a week for at least 12 months.

You’ll be part of something truly meaningful—helping others while growing personally and professionally.

What will you be doing?

Therapeutic Responsibilities

• Co-facilitate therapeutic guided self-help groups every week.
• Interact with relevant service users to arrange their initial attendance at therapeutic groups.
• Consistently work within the scope of your training and recognise the limits of your practice.
• Liaise closely with the organisation's Clinical Director to discuss challenging cases and clinical concerns.
• Inform the Clinical Director of any expected instances of absence two weeks before the event. 
• Administrative Responsibilities
• Record service users' attendance every week.
• Maintain service user attendance databases to the highest possible standards of accuracy and detail.
• Disseminate psychometric measures to service users by the organisation's evaluation strategy
• Promote a culture of evaluation amongst service users attending your groups to enhance the amount of individualised feedback available to them.
• Respond to service user enquiries, and organisational communications, in an appropriately timely manner.
• Actively engage in the initial training workshops that are provided by the organisation.
• Maintain a commitment to continual personal development and engage in additional training opportunities when provided.
• Actively engage in organised peer reflective practices
• Make use of the organisation-wide digital communication channels to share and learn therapeutic practices. 

• Safeguarding - It is every volunteer's responsibility to safeguard and protect adults and children from abuse, regardless of the setting in which your care takes place. It is the volunteer's responsibility to be aware of the charity's policies and procedures and proactively maintain safeguarding procedural knowledge.

Additional Responsibilities

• Adhere to all organisational policies and procedures.
• Support the organisation's promotion of a positive approach to diversity and inclusion, treating others with dignity and respect.
• Develop and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, taking account of their age, religion or belief, ethnicity, sex, marital or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or maternity status and any disability.
• Maintain an approachable nature, ensuring that your conduct towards colleagues is open and honest, dealing with differences in opinion in ways which avoid offence.

About Us

My Black Dog is a charity that offers anonymous, peer to peer mental health support through our web-chat service. We are committed to making a positive impact on mental health in the UK as we tackle an epidemic that millions of people face.

We were founded on the motto "talk to someone who gets it". We want to connect people who share lived experiences to provide an empathetic, non-judgmental space where everybody understands how it feels to experience mental health struggles.

Position Overview

Our web-chat service is run by our Volunteer Pack, each of whom have their own lived experience of mental health challenges. In addition, each shift has a 'Leader' and a 'Mentor'. These are Volunteers who carry out specific roles during the shift and, together, ensure its success:

• Leaders - Managers of the shift. There to ensure the shift runs as it should. They support and guide Volunteers through chats and follow safeguarding processes when an alert is raised. They are also the first point of contact for the shift’s Designated Safeguarding Lead.
• Mentors - There to support and guide Volunteers through chats. Will take over from the Leader if there are safeguarding issues that need the Leader's attention and/or if the Leader needs a break.

As My Black Dog looks to expand our opening hours, we are looking to recruit additional Leaders and Mentors who can run shifts and cover additional shifts as necessary.

Leaders and Mentors will be assigned a shift based on your availability and preference. The expectation is that Leaders and Mentors will form a ‘pair’ and, together, will do one shift at the same time each week. This is to provide stability, predictability and to encourage community-building between Volunteers. Shifts are usually 3 hours long. We may ask you to cover another shift when we are short, but you will never do more than 6 hours per week.

Training will be provided and you will be supported on shift by a Designated Safeguarding Lead, who will manage all safeguarding issues.

The work you will do as Leaders and Mentors will ensure we provide the best possible service to our Guests. You will also be helping our Volunteer Pack to do what we do best: helping those in need by speaking to someone who 'gets it'.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for people who have experienced their own journey with mental health and are in a strong position to support others. We ask that our Leaders and Mentors:

• Are strongly committed to helping others
• Have experienced mental health issues in order to relate to those seeking help
• Are collaborative and enjoy working with others
• Are encouraging and supportive
• Are organised and can monitor several things at once
• Can remain calm and focused during busy times and when safeguarding alerts are raised
• Are 18 years and over 
• Can commit the time to a regular weekly shift

We are particularly interested in hearing from people who are available during the following hours:

• Monday to Sunday, 5pm-7pm
• Friday and Saturday, 7pm-10pm

Role Responsibilities

1. Supervise and support Volunteers whilst on shift with general enquiries, positive feedback and signposting.
2. Assist with general volunteering enquiries whilst on shift. Provide time for guidance, instruction and de-briefing for Volunteers if required.
3. Follow Leaders & Mentors processes including unexpected absence reporting, Volunteer check-in and check-out, and completing Shift Handovers.
4. Monitor web-chat conversations and ensure all chats are tagged.
5. Maintain ability to listen, remain calm and provide intervention if necessary.
6. Be able to have difficult and often complex conversations about mental health, including Guests experiencing crisis and first-stage intervention support.
7. If a Leader, work alongside the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) when safeguarding risks are identified and, if a Mentor, take over responsibility for shifts when Leader and DSL have to address a safeguarding crisis.
8. Exercise discretion in handling confidential situations and information, conveying sensitive information in a timely manner to necessary individuals.
9. Provide written follow up of shifts via handover, ensuring all necessary information is handed over at the end of the shift.
10. Adhere to all standards, policies and procedures of My Black Dog.

Please note: An Enhanced DBS Certificate is required for this role. If you do not have one, My Black Dog will arrange the DBS Check for you.

Do you speak Farsi and are looking to give back to the local community? By joining our team of befrienders, you will support us to reach some of the most isolated adults in the community to reduce their feelings of loneliness, build friendships and provide support for mental wellbeing.

You will support individuals who struggle to communicate with others and help them to reconnect with their local community. You will support to relight a spark in a hobby, interest or encourage individuals to explore and participate in new social activities.

What you will be doing

• Agree a mutual time and frequency to meet in the local community
• To develop and promote a positive relationship with your befriendee
• To engage in conversation in Farsi
• To encourage your befriendee to engage in social activities and support them in doing so whilst building their confidence
• To support your befriendee in developing their goals and social skills
• Encourage your befriendee to make links with community services, based on their identified goals

The skills you need

• Able to communicate confidently in Farsi
• Ability to provide a supportive and inclusive atmosphere which motivates and inspires others
• Willingness to engage in activities in the community
• Able to maintain strict confidentiality and follow professional boundaries
• To be consistent in attendance

What's in it for you

• Supporting You - You will have a dedicated volunteer supervisor to support you in your role; Quarterly volunteer forums with the central Volunteering team and volunteers across Hestia; References for job applications.
• Developing You - You will gain knowledge and insight into issues that impact Domestic Abuse, Modern Slavery and Mental Health; You will have access to our extensive Learning and Development Programme; 40% of our departed volunteers secured a paid role at Hestia last year!
• Valuing You - Valuing You - We hold annual Volunteer Awards, outings, celebration, and social events for our volunteers to get together and have some fun; We reimburse travel expenses and up to £5 for lunch for your volunteering.

Will you share your counselling or psychotherapy skills as a child & young person's (CYP) counsellor or therapist to join an online counselling service for young patients with a pain condition (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)? We’re supporting patients, relatives, partners and carers affected by a debilitating condition; Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).

We're looking for qualified paediatric/child & young person counsellors, psychotherapists or psychologists ideally with some experience of working with chronic pain patients, who may want to volunteer their skills supporting our young service users and help develop a psychological support service. 

As a Volunteer Child/Young Person's Counsellor/Therapist you’ll be providing remote online counselling/therapy support services to young people aged 5 to 18 who are vulnerable, many of whom are isolated and in need of mental health services. You’ll be providing one-to-one counselling sessions online or by phone. With your recognised counselling qualifications and experience you will be an asset to our small charity and to our young services users. We will also consider therapists who are in need of a placement.

Depending on your qualifications, skills and experience, volunteer child counsellors / therapists provide person centred counselling (general talking counselling), integrative, pluralistic including or Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), ACT and EMDR for young CRPS patients.

We are needing to expand this service to support our young clients as it has rapidly received a high number of referrals. People can be referred both by health or legal professionals as well as having parents/guardians referring them to the service.

In this role you’ll be able to develop your paediatric counselling skills, organisation, communication and team working skills. If you have experience in younger children please do get in touch.

Most importantly you’ll be providing essential services that help make sure no one has to face CRPS alone. Be the hope for CRPS.

What the role involves

This role may vary depending on needs, but is likely to include:

• Undertake a child client assessments, followed by therapy (via Zoom or phone) to our clients, offering up to 20 one hour (or 45 mins age dependant) sessions for each client plus 4 assessments

• Providing one-to-one therapy sessions to young patients aged 5-18 (we will consider therapists who can only support primary or secondary school age)

• Update our database with the client’s basic information and session attendance

• Maintain succinct, relevant session notes and store these securely

• Attending and participating in meetings
• Project monitoring, creating, reporting and outcomes evaluation procedures

• Attend CPD training to ensure your knowledge stays current

• Participating in regular meetings with the Clinical Lead
• Maintaining client confidentiality, upholding data protection and equal opportunities principle

• Attend monthly internal group Supervision to ensure safe working practices

We can support you to develop the skills you need for this role, including an induction. You will have a chance to discuss your role and any additional needs with us.

What you need for this role

Essential

• Be a member of one of the recognised organisations (see below)
• Level 4 Diploma level qualifications as a minimum, Degree or Masters in Paediatric Counselling, Counselling/Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, Play Therapy, Dance & Movement Psychotherapy or Art Therapy 
• Minimum of 100 hours supervised
• Proof of professional indemnity insurance annually - we may consider paying this as an expense but commitment to the charity is required
• A valid DBS certificate (enhanced version), which is less than three years old and renewed every three years (the charity can provide where necessary)
• Able to keep people’s personal data safe

• Willing and able to provide counselling via Zoom from a private location with a stable WiFi connection

• Able to support a minimum of 2 child or young clients a week, being two hours of your time for counselling sessions plus time for administration. We ideally hope you to offer the charity a commitment of six months.

Desirable

• Personal or professional Knowledge or experience of chronic pain or Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
• Previous experience as a chronic pain or CRPS paediatric counsellor or psychologist 
• Committed to our values
• Willing to develop skills and experience
• Enjoy working as part of a team
• Effective administration skills, planning and organisation skills
• Approachable, presentable, enthusiastic

We welcome trained paediatric counsellors, child therapists and counselling/clinical psychologists who are willing to give their time to support our valuable work.

Once we’ve assessed your application, you may be invited for interview. If you are successful, we will arrange for you to have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service DBS or Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) check.

Recognised Organisations

• British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP)
• British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapists (BABCP)
• Complimentary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)
• General Hypnotherapy Register (GHR)
• British Society for Clinical Hypnotherapists (BSCH)
• National Council for Hypnotherapists (NCH)
• United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP)
• The National Hypnotherapy Society (HS)
• National Counselling Society (NCS)
• Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• The Association for Professional Hypnosis and Psychotherapy (APHP)
• National Register of Hypnotherapists & Psychotherapists (NRHP)

Making a difference

What impact will the opportunity have?

You will join the charity during a critical and challenging period as the service is rapidly expanding and your expert knowledge and experience will be invaluable to our success. You will have a key role in not only developing a counselling service for younger clients but also ensure we provide counselling services and mental health support to our young child CRPS patients who are in need of our support and inclusion on a regular basis. With your help we will expand our support and mental health services to ensure our service users receive mental health support that they may not have been offered.

What's in it for you as the volunteer? 

You would be a part of our small, friendly, forward-thinking charity team, focused on reaching people affected by this rare, painful and debilitating chronic pain condition and to provide them with psychological support whether they are patients, their partner, relatives, friends or carers. As this service is continually developing, you would have a key role in developing a young person counselling programme and to complement our support services that we offer. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to make a real difference in a child's life which is already isolated and painful, who may not have received any psychological support.