Helpline Worker Volunteer Roles

Faith to Faithless are launching a brand new helpline for apostates in the summer of 2023, for people leaving high-control religions, and we’re looking for committed, compassionate volunteers to join us. 

You will be a motivated, dedicated, and organised person with great communication skills, who is enthusiastic about volunteering your time and skills to support individuals leaving high-control religions (also known as apostates). You will have lived experience or understanding of the issues apostates face, and a kind and empathic approach to working with others.

We’ll train you to handle calls with confidence, and you’ll be getting valuable experience in supporting service users with multifaceted needs. This is a volunteering role where you can develop your interpersonal skills, help members of our community that need it most, and make a real difference in their lives by helping them to get back on track to living happy, purposeful lives without religion.

Key Tasks and Activities

• To respond quickly and efficiently to calls requesting help, providing a listening service, signposting and information to people who have experienced victimisation due to leaving their religion.
• To deliver work which adheres to high service standards, ensuring compliance with all policies and procedures.
• To keep and maintain accurate and confidential records of all work undertaken.
• To identify and maintain appropriate boundaries for all callers and recognise when and where to signpost callers for further help/information as appropriate with appropriate support from the apostate services manager
• To proactively continue to develop appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills through regular reading of information and attending training courses.
• To support the training of helpline volunteers as required.
• To attend supervision, meetings and appraisals.
• To undertake any other appropriate duties as requested by the ASM
• To work at all times within the policies and procedures of Humanists UK.

Download and read the full application pack for more information. To apply, please complete the application form telling us why you’re interested in the role and detailing how you match the person specification on page 4 of the application pack. Then return the completed form with the subject ‘Helpline Volunteer’ to volunteer[at]humanists[dot]UK.

Our volunteers champion the rights of young people in care and on the edges of care, support them to access advocacy and make their voices heard. Training is provided. Whether you are currently studying, recently graduated, working part-time, retired or between jobs, volunteering with Coram Voice is a great opportunity to make a difference at the same time as gaining experience of working for a national children’s rights charity.

Our Helpline Supervisors will support you to develop valuable advocacy skills and knowledge of children’s rights and we offer specialist training in safeguarding, equality and diversity and advocacy. This training and other resources will help you to prepare for the role. You will be joining a team that provides quality support to young people in a friendly and supportive environment.

Our volunteer team is integral to our service and we could not provide the service we do without them, particularly in terms of the support we offer to homeless children.

We believe this role will be of particular interest to anyone looking to develop a career involving giving advice, advocacy, children’s and human rights, legal work, social work or youth work; or for professionals in those fields who want to use their experience to support the work of a children’s charity.

Please see our candidate information document for more information about our organisation and the training provided.

We ask that recruitment agencies do not contact us in relation to this position. We have chosen to recruit directly as this helps us to minimise our recruitment costs, ensuring that funds are not diverted from the children and young people we help.

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.

At Teenage Helpline, we are a tight-knit community of people who are passionate about make a difference in the lives of young people across the UK �� 

Teenage Helpline is an online peer-to-peer mentoring service for young people. We can act as the first stepping-stone for young people who do not feel comfortable seeking support for themselves, or who need a listening ear to help them cope with personal issues. 

All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers. We have great systems in place to allow our employees and volunteers to get to know each other, work effectively together and do great work! 

We are a flexible organisation that values the contributions of everyone. We will never ask more from our volunteers and employees than they can give, but we are sure to celebrate and recognise their efforts. 

About the role

The Digital Innovations Team Lead is responsible for overseeing the delivery of value for Teenage Helpline through research of emerging technologies, development of proof of concepts and the delivery of new solutions through technology identified. The role involves communication with other Teenage Helpline team leads; managing team workload; creating an opportunities-based technology plan for the charity; researching technology opportunities; overseeing communication and awareness of technology; liaising with departments to develop use cases and developing solutions.

You’ll be at the forefront of our digital transformation journey. You’ll work closely with cross-functional teams to design, develop, and implement innovative solutions that enhance user experiences, streamline processes, introduce new workflows and ultimately drive charity growth.

Responsibilities 

• Collaborate with IT Project Managers to ensure digital innovations projects are assigned, worked on and project requirements are understood.
• Exploring new opportunities with low/no code products such as those in the Microsoft portfolio, making the most of opportunities to provide more value for the charity. 
• Forecasting work through research and creation of development plans.
• Promote best practices such as adhering to the project's software development lifecycle requirements.
• Planning initiatives and tracking associated timelines.
• Management of Digital Innovations Team, ensuring work is allocated, managed and tracked effectively.
• Reporting key updates and results to the CIO.
• Identify opportunities for new solutions and improvements in Teenage Helpline’s IT infrastructure and operations.
• Willingness to advise on the direction of development through clear reasoning and justification.
• Explore emerging trends, tools, and frameworks to drive continuous improvement. 
• Participate in brainstorming sessions and contribute fresh ideas to solve complex challenges. 
• Ensure code quality, scalability, and security across all projects.

Skills 

• Enthusiasm and willingness to learn about Teenage Helpline’s IT systems and processes.
• Passion for research and development and how it can create value for Teenage Helpline’s operations.
• Excited about the possibilities of implementing new technology.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Organisational skills and the ability to ensure set tasks are delivered on time.
• Ability to plan and manage time effectively.
• Experience working with others and leading a team.
• Understanding of relevant software engineering and security by design principles such as the Software Development Lifecycle and OWASP.
• Strong familiarity with and use of Microsoft 365 and Azure products.

Our mission is to make Teenage Helpline the best charity in the UK. To build inclusive processes, we need to build an inclusive team. Please know that this list is indicative and that we would still love to hear from you even if you feel you only are a 75% match. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot. We promote a diverse and inclusive culture at TeenageHelpline.

The Process

Our hiring process typically has three stages 

1. Video or Written Application (when applicable) 
2. Interview with the Talent Team
3. Interview with the Hiring Manager 

Some roles will have extra stages but we’ll let you know as early as possible if so.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations for the interview process, and we’ll do our best to assist.

At Teenage Helpline, we are a tight-knit community of people who are passionate about make a difference in the lives of young people across the UK �� 

Teenage Helpline is an online peer-to-peer mentoring service for young people. We can act as the first stepping-stone for young people who do not feel comfortable seeking support for themselves, or who need a listening ear to help them cope with personal issues. 

All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers. We have great systems in place to allow our employees and volunteers to get to know each other, work effectively together and do great work! 

We are a flexible organisation that values the contributions of everyone. We will never ask more from our volunteers and employees than they can give, but we are sure to celebrate and recognise their efforts. 

About the role

As a Digital Innovations Developer, you’ll be part of our dynamic team dedicated to uncovering the next big digital breakthroughs.

The role involves communication with other Teenage Helpline team members; researching new technologies; reviewing and updating existing application portfolio; prototyping; developing solutions; creating technology education and awareness material for volunteers and cross-team collaboration.

Responsibilities 

• Turn concepts into reality. Build prototypes, test hypotheses, and iterate.
• Strong familiarity with and use of Microsoft 365 and Azure products.
• Exploring new opportunities with low/no code products such as those in the Microsoft portfolio, making the most of opportunities to provide more value for the charity.
• Investigate emerging technologies that could have a use case within our charity, primarily supporting our volunteers.
• Develop and maintain web and mobile solutions using cutting-edge technologies. 
• Create responsive, user-friendly interfaces.
• Develop technology use cases and collaborate with stakeholders to implement solutions and update existing applications and processes.
• Create awareness around new technologies being adopted by the charity, highlighting value.
• Engage in cross-disciplinary discussions, brainstorming sessions.
• Promote best practices such as adhering to the project's software development lifecycle requirements.
• Reporting key updates and results to the Digital Innovations Development Team Lead.
• Identify opportunities for new solutions and improvements in Teenage Helpline’s IT infrastructure and operations.

Skills 

• Enthusiasm and willingness to learn about Teenage Helpline’s IT systems and processes.
• Passion for researching new technologies, presenting how they can create value for Teenage Helpline’s operations through use cases.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Organisational skills and the ability to ensure set tasks are delivered on time.
• Ability to plan and manage time effectively.
• Experience working with others in a team.
• Software engineering, programming, website development and software development understanding.
• Strong familiarity with and use of Microsoft 365 and Azure products.
• Understanding of relevant software engineering and security by design principles such as the Software Development Lifecycle and OWASP.

Our mission is to make Teenage Helpline the best charity in the UK. To build inclusive processes, we need to build an inclusive team. Please know that this list is indicative and that we would still love to hear from you even if you feel you only are a 75% match. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot. We promote a diverse and inclusive culture at TeenageHelpline.

The Process

Our hiring process typically has three stages 

1. Video or Written Application (when applicable) 
2. Interview with the Talent Team
3. Interview with the Hiring Manager 

Some roles will have extra stages but we’ll let you know as early as possible if so.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations for the interview process, and we’ll do our best to assist.

At Teenage Helpline, we are a tight-knit community of people who are passionate about make a difference in the lives of young people across the UK �� 

Teenage Helpline is an online peer-to-peer mentoring service for young people. We can act as the first stepping-stone for young people who do not feel comfortable seeking support for themselves, or who need a listening ear to help them cope with personal issues. 

All of our volunteers and employees are remote workers. We have great systems in place to allow our employees and volunteers to get to know each other, work effectively together and do great work! 

We are a flexible organisation that values the contributions of everyone. We will never ask more from our volunteers and employees than they can give, but we are sure to celebrate and recognise their efforts. 

About the role

The CFO holds the overall responsibility of the financial health of Teenage Helpline. Their role is to drive growth in income and manage expenditure to a high level, whilst holding the team to account for their actions. Your role is to maintain professional customs, enforce ethical practices, meet targets, and manage organisation budgets.

Responsibilities 

• Act as a Director of Teenage Helpline with direct oversight of the Board of Directors. Your key responsibility is always to protect and uphold the reputation and principles of the organisation. 

• Delegate job activities effectively to ensure optimal performance of all operations departments.
• Design roles as needed and ensure the effective recruitment of individuals to fill those roles successfully.
• Analyse, review, and develop organisation strategies to ensure their ongoing effectiveness and improvement.
• Develop and drive key performance indicators that evaluate the success and effectiveness of Teenage Helpline finances.
• Hold all departments responsible for the financial health of Teenage Helpline accountable for their results.
• Think at a strategic level with the intent to continuously improve and grow the financial health and position of Teenage Helpline and drive industry best practices. Strategic thinking should involve both continuous development and a growth mindset.
• Continue to define the roles and responsibilities of the finance departments at all time to ensure they are suitable for the context that Teenage Helpline is operating in.
• Ensure that all statutory and regulatory reporting is completed.

Skills 

• All directors should be overachievers, successful in business and strong capable, leaders.
• Exceptional leadership, business, and interpersonal proficiency.
• Prior thriving managerial experience.
• Be able to set business/financial targets, timelines and plans.
• Be able to stimulate and motivate the finance department.
• Demonstrate a sound ability to network, negotiate and lead.
• Demonstrate a sound ability to be successful, self-directed, flexible and tactical.
• Excellent computer and technology skills.
• Be a visionary and inspirational leader and pioneer the organisation from the top.
• Demonstrate sound communication and presentation skills.

Our mission is to make Teenage Helpline the best charity in the UK. To build inclusive processes, we need to build an inclusive team. Please know that this list is indicative and that we would still love to hear from you even if you feel you only are a 75% match. Skills can be learned, but diversity cannot. We promote a diverse and inclusive culture at TeenageHelpline.

The Process

Our hiring process typically has three stages 

1. Video or Written Application (when applicable) 
2. Interview with the Talent Team
3. Interview with the Hiring Manager 

Some roles will have extra stages but we’ll let you know as early as possible if so.

Please let us know if you require any accommodations for the interview process, and we’ll do our best to assist.

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.

Make a difference – become an Academy Governor

You don’t have to be a parent or member of staff to be an academy governor – applications are appreciated from all with an interest in the local community. Academy governors come from all walks of life and specialist knowledge is not always needed. What IS essential is a desire to get involved in children’s education and make a difference to their lives.

We welcome applications from those with educational, health & safety and safeguarding experience, but academy governors are all volunteers and training and support is provided. The University of Chichester (Multi) Academy Trust partners new governors with a ‘buddy’ – a trusted and more experienced colleague on the governing body – who initially acts as their mentor. Briefing information and assistance is also available through newsletters, websites and helplines provided by the local authority and the Department for Education.