Befriender Volunteer () Jobs in Merton
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For Age UK Westminster, the Befriending Service is one of its most important services tackling loneliness and isolation for older people in our community. This role would suit anyone who would like to play a key part in further developing a well-established service that makes a real difference to its community.
Excellent people skills, a strong initiative, and effective communications are required for this role, including an ability to build relationships with clients and volunteers, and undertake matching in an astute and sensitive manner. While supported by the Wellbeing & Connections Coordinator, the ideal candidate for this position will be self-motivated and enjoy a certain amount of autonomy.
The role will demand a division of time between the office, and out in the community completing home assessments and matching visits. The position will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check and references.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
We’re looking for two self-starting team members who will help coordinate our JUMP befriending project for unaccompanied asylum seekers and refugees.
You’ll be responsible for half of the befriending pairs (currently 28, increasing to 50 in the coming months) and undertake tasks such as working with our partner organisations, managing referrals for young people, recruiting volunteer befrienders, and setting-up and sustaining pairs. This includes leading an initial training day.
You’ll also provide JUMP young people with casework support, help organise our group events and facilitate support from our Hardship Fund.
Main functions
Supporting young people and the JUMP Community
- Managing a caseload of young people; including offering casework support; arranging and attending appointments with the young person where necessary and signposting to available support.
- Helping plan and organise quarterly group events.
- Conducting initial assessments with young people to understand their needs, and once paired with a volunteer, hosting befriending initial meetings.
Supervising and supporting volunteers
- Recruiting, interviewing and onboarding new befrienders, including organising and delivering training.
- Supporting befriending volunteers through regular supervisions, meetings, emails and phone calls, and responding promptly to any safeguarding concerns raised.
- Ensuring that volunteers uphold JUMP’s policies and boundaries for befriending.
Publicising JUMP, and engaging with key stakeholders
- Publicising the project to existing and potential referral agencies, and establishing and maintaining excellent working relationships with them.
- Representing HIAS+JCORE and JUMP in the refugee sector as required, for example at the Refugee and Migrant Children’s Consortium (RMCC) meetings.
Project monitoring, evaluation and record keeping
- Working with experts and the JUMP Project Manager on supporting the project and its evaluation, and keeping accurate records in JUMP’s database.
Other Duties
- Ensuring that JUMP informs our campaigns, communications and education work. As the project develops, there will be opportunities for the post-holder to contribute to and support these areas of our work.
We're looking for candidates who have
- Ability to support, develop rapport and trust with, and motivate both young people and volunteers from a range of backgrounds and ages in challenging circumstances, including the ability to facilitate and engage in cross cultural communication.
- Knowledge of issues facing separated asylum seeking and refugee children and young people, and the rights and entitlements of ‘Looked After’ children and young people.
- Understanding of the current context surrounding immigration, asylum and welfare issues facing children and young people in the UK today.
- Understanding of Child Protection and Vulnerable Adult Safeguarding, and ability to communicate this to volunteers.
- Understanding of youth work principles and methods, including the benefits and challenges of befriending and other participatory methods.
- Ability to network in the refugee sector and develop strong working relationships.
- Ability to work independently and to self-motivate.
- Commitment to HIAS+JCORE values, social justice and antiracism.
- The ability to communicate in languages other than English, in particular Arabic, Spanish and French (desirable)
Experience required
Essential
- A track record of working directly with asylum seeking and refugee children and young people.
- Experience of social work, youth work, or other relevant methods of supporting people in challenging circumstances.
- Experience of training, coordinating and supporting volunteers.
- Experience of juggling commitments and responding to relevant stressful situations.
Desirable
- Educated to at least undergraduate degree level, or equivalent background or experience.
- Working knowledge of Local Authorities’ responsibilities for Looked After Children and Care Leavers.
- Experience of project management including administration, monitoring, evaluation and report writing.
About HIAS+JCORE
HIAS+JCORE is the UK Jewish voice on refugees and racial justice. Our work is driven by the belief that the Jewish community should play an active part in building a society in which refugees are able to live in dignity where the UK is a welcoming place free from racism.
Role details
Salary: £30,000 (pro-rata'd to £18,000)
Hours: 21 hours per week. Flexible working; some evening and weekend work will be required.
Location: Hybrid working between home and our North London office space.
Applicants must be UK based either in London/the South-East or be willing to relocate. We are only able to consider applicants who have the right to work in the UK. HIAS+JCORE is unable to sponsor working visas to the UK.
We warmly encourage and welcome applicants from all backgrounds, and people with any, or no, particular religious faith or beliefs. We particularly encourage applicants from people with lived experience of the asylum system.
Interviews will be held in person in north London in mid-May.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.