Refuge Support Worker Volunteer Roles
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 Sessional Play Worker in the planning and delivery of play sessions. Most children will be between the ages of 2-5 years.
Playworker volunteers will lead and assist a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, games, etc. to engage and support the children’s emotional wellbeing and enhance their confidence and resilience. Activity sessions will be carried out in the refuges, supported by the Sessional Play worker.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking volunteers who have:
- Shared vision, mission and values of Solace Women’s Aid
- Professional and/or lived experience of working with children
- Understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people
- 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 Sessional Play 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.
- 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.
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.
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!
Our Enfield team is looking for reliable and enthusiastic volunteers to help support children in our refuges.
About the role
Solace’s refuges provide safe accommodation for women and children fleeing domestic abuse. Volunteer CYP Playworkers will lead and assist a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, games, etc. to engage and support the children’s emotional wellbeing and enhance their confidence and resilience. Activity sessions will be carried out in the refuges, supported by the Sessional Play worker.
Who are we looking for?
The ideal volunteer will:
- Have direct experience of working with children and young people is desirable.
- Be reliable and committed to promoting the enjoyment and wellbeing of children and young people.
- Be understanding of domestic violence issues and a discretion in handling confidential and/or sensitive information.
- Be approachable and empathetic
- Be non-judgemental.
- Have the ability to maintain confidentiality.
What can you gain from this opportunity?
As part of this role you will have the opportunity to:
- Gain experience and understanding of working with children using a trauma-informed approach.
- Contribute and support a busy and diverse team.
- Gain hands on experience in a dynamic charity working in the Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Sector.
- Work as part of a feminist organisation.
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.
Solace Women’s Aid values diversity promotes equality and challenges discrimination. We encourage and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We particularly welcome applicants from black minority and ethnic communities.
This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
As part of safer recruitment, we require all successful candidates will be required to complete a satisfactory DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) disclosure.
We are looking for individuals with professional or lived experience of working with children in our Haringey Refuges. 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 Sessional Play Worker and Family Support Worker in the planning and delivery of play sessions. Most children will be between the ages of 2-5 years.
Playworker volunteers will lead and assist a variety of activities such as arts and crafts, games, etc. to engage and support the children’s emotional wellbeing and enhance their confidence and resilience. Activity sessions will be carried out in the refuges, supported by the Sessional Play worker.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking volunteers who have:
- Shared vision, mission and values of Solace Women’s Aid
- Professional and/or lived experience of working with children
- Understanding of the impact of domestic abuse on children and young people
- 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 Sessional Play 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.
- 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.
At Solace 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.
Solace recognises the expertise and perspective that women with lived experience bring to their volunteering roles. We also recognise the potential for re-traumatisation that may occur whilst volunteering. We will therefore consider each volunteer opportunity on a case by case basis, with a focus on the suitability of that individual for that specific role. Suitability for the role will be determined by the Service Manager at the point of interview and will not be solely based on the length of time elapsed since receiving a service. Women cannot volunteer for a service in the same borough as where they received Solace services.
This service is run by women for women and is therefore restricted to female applicants under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, and Part 1. Section 7(2) e of the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 apply. The post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Do you have the passion and commitment to support women experiencing Domestic Abuse to reach a place of safety? We are recruiting volunteers to support our Refuge Referral Line team, which supports women and children experiencing domestic abuse to find a safe, secure, and suitable refuge space across London.
What you will be doing
- Taking calls to assess the risks and needs of the women fleeing from domestic abuse whilst under supervision/guidance of the Referral Line Worker and the Service Manager
- To use a range of skills and tools to make phone conversations with women effective and empowering
- To provide women with knowledge of how to access refuge space and other types of support with the aid of a trained staff team
- General admin support: typing, taking notes, filing, scanning documents, keeping accurate records on our digitalised client management syste
- To develop positive relationships with staff members and women whilst promoting self-care
- Engage, support, and interact with women from a diverse range of needs and backgrounds
The skills you need
- A desire to provide support to women who are in crisis due to domestic abuse
- Always maintain confidentiality and professional boundaries
- Calm, patient approach with empathy and a willingness to listen without judgement
- To have a willingness to learn about supporting women impacted by domestic abuse with a diverse range of needs/ backgrounds
- Effective verbal and written communication
- Good time-management
- Experience of using email, internet, and other digital IT skills
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.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role title: Chair of the Board of Trustees
Location: Flexible (travel to London will be required at least once a quarter)
Salary: N/A (Volunteer role)
Time commitment: 2-3 days per month
Contract: The Chair is appointed for an initial 3-year term with the option of renewal for up to 3 terms. The maximum term for all trustees (including the Chair) is 9 years.
Purpose of the role:
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced leader to join a growing, impact-focused and ambitious charity supporting refugees to access meaningful employment and build a new life.
The Chair leads the board, ensuring that it governs Breaking Barriers effectively, in service of our vision and mission. The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the Chief Executive. The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.
The Chair of Breaking Barriers provides visionary leadership and strategic direction, ensuring that the organisation effectively achieves its mission while adhering to its core values. This pivotal role involves governance oversight, board leadership, executive support, and serving as an ambassador for the organisation.
Key responsibilities:
- Strategic leadership and vision: Guide the organisation with a strategic vision, aligning the board and staff's efforts with the mission. Lead the development and review of long-term strategies to ensure responsiveness to community needs and adaptability to the changing environment.
- Governance and oversight: Ensure effective governance, oversee board operations, and ensure compliance with legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities. Monitor financial performance and adherence to non-profit management best practices.
- Resource mobilisation: Support and participate in fundraising strategies, leveraging networks, and engaging with donors and stakeholders to secure necessary resources for the organisation's work.
- Building and leading the board: Ensure the board comprises members with diverse skills and perspectives. Lead recruitment, orientation, and training of board members and facilitate effective meetings and discussions, ensuring productive governance to advance the purpose and values of the organization.
- CEO support and evaluation: Support and maintain a constructive relationship with the CEO, creating a positive and strong working relationship to jointly set and achieve appropriate targets, staying in regular contact and acting as a sounding board to discuss strategic or staffing issues - coaching, supporting and challenging as necessary. Ensuring accountability for organisational performance.
- Ambassadorship: Act as the primary ambassador, representing and promoting the organisation's mission, values, and interests to external stakeholders, enhancing its reputation, and fostering collaboration, fundraising and promotional opportunities.
To view the full job description and person specification, as well as details on our accessible recruitment process, please view the attached recruitment pack.
Other considerations
- As part of our safeguarding commitment to our clients, we carry out pre-employment checks to ensure that successful applicants are suitable to work with adults at risk. These include basic DBS checks, obtaining references and verifying a candidate’s identity and right to work in the UK.
- Breaking Barriers is committed to protecting an adult’s right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect and for their views, wishes and beliefs to be fully considered when deciding action.
- We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity status, race, religion or belief.
How to apply
If you are looking for a role where you can make a real difference, we want to hear from you. Please apply via Charity Jobs by submitting a cover letter (up to approximately 2 A4 pages), referencing how you believe you best meet the person specification. You are also welcome to include any reasonable adjustments you require for the interview process. Please view the attached recruitment pack for further essential information for candidates.
Closing date for applications is 11:59pm on Thursday 2nd May. Interviews will be held on a rolling basis so please apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
We belong to the Experts by Experience Employment Initiative, which advocates and supports organisations to employ more people from a refugee background. With this in mind, we particularly welcome applicants with experience of seeking asylum and/or a refugee background. If you are an expert by experience (a refugee or a migrant with direct, first-hand experience of issues and challenges of the UK asylum or immigration system), you can ask for an independent and confidential support for your job application from the Experts by Experience Employment Network. Please reach out to HR Manager Dani Meier for further details (we are unable to include email addresses in this advert, but you can find contact details on the final page of the attached recruitment pack).
Breaking Barriers exists so that every refugee can access meaningful employment and build a new life.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
Role Summary
We are looking for a new Chair of Trustees who will offer strategic and supportive leadership to our highly effective, collaborative and committed Board. The Chair leads the board, ensuring that it governs the charity effectively, in service of the charity's vision and mission. The Chair leads in an inclusive way, supporting the Board to work together well, and providing support and challenge to the Chief Executive. The Chair is also an ambassador for the charity.
Chair role & responsibilities
Provide strategic leadership to the charity and the Board, ensuring that Glass Door achieves its mission with the interests of Glass Door's guests at its centre.
Work collaboratively with the CEO, staff and volunteers to achieve our mission and optimise the relationship between the Board and Glass Doors's staff and volunteers.
Provide leadership within the Board, ensuring that it fulfills its responsibilities for the governance of the organisation and promoting governance among fellow Trustees, providing clarity around boundaries between governance, management and operations.
Plan and chair the bi-monthly board meetings and the AGM, with colleagues as appropriate and liaise with the CEO, Company Secretary and Governance Trustee with regard to setting up meetings, agenda items and annual report content.
Facilitate meetings ensuring all have equal involvement in discussions, clarifying any uncertainties, confirming decisions made and actions to be taken and ensuring effective time management of meetings whilst providing appropriate periods of discussion and reflection.
Act as a spokesperson and figurehead for Glass Door when required.
Support Glass Door functions and events eg attendance at supporter events.
Support the Head of Fundraising & Major Donors with the cultivation of high-level donors, occassionally attending meetings where value can be added.
Represent the Board at staff Town Hall meetings.
Support the team liaising with partner churches and statutory authorities as required and be the public face of Glass Door in the local community.
Liaise with the CEO and he Board to keep an overview of the charity's affairs.
Provide supervision and support to the CEO as necessary in addition to planned monthly/bi-monthly 'catch up' meetings and, with the People Trustee, lead the CEO's annual performance review.
To act as final stage adjudicator for disciplinary and grievance procedures if required.
What we are looking for
Experience of being a Trustee, ideally in the third sector, and an understanding of the legal responsibilities and liabilities of a Trustee/Director.
A keen sense of strategic purpose.
Strong leadership skills, able to foster and promote a collaborative team environment and an inclusive and collaborative leadership style; able to inspire and support everyone to participate on an equal footing.
An ability to facilitate, mediate, influence and respect the confidences of colleagues. The ability to listen and engage effectively. You are comfortable with challenge and debate and are able to encourage that in others whilst fostering a collaborative board environment.
Excellent presentation and communication skills.
Advocate and ambassador - possess gravitas to lead the organisation and be able and willing to champion Glass Door.
Demonstrate a strong and visible passion and commitment to Glass Door's guests and ensure that the interests of our guests drive the decisions of the Board.
A strong personal commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
A willingness to devote necessary time and effort to your duties as Chair and be available and responsive (e.g. when things sometimes 'come up' that require the Chair to advise, support or give consent to).
What's in it for the new Chair?
Our vision is a world where no one has to sleep on the streets of London and we're working every day to achieve this. Your role as Chair will offer you an incredibly reqarding experience to use your skills and collaborate with the rest of the Board and staff members for the benefit of people experiencing, or at risk of homelessness.
For more information please see the full role description and Glass Door information pack attached,
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that Upbeat Communities achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity, and they also ensure we have a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the leadership team to enable Upbeat Communities to grow and thrive, and through this, empower refugees to thrive.
Through regular meetings, strategy days and written reports provided to the board, trustees are able to set the direction of the organisation, develop its strategic objectives and support and keep the staff team accountable in delivering on these
strategic goals.
Trustee meetings are currently held every 2 months either in person in Derby or online (hybrid). We have an annual strategy away day and trustees are also invited to be part of our sub-committees. Trustees are requested to be available to attend occasional ‘unscheduled’ meetings or engage in email communications which address urgent business as it arises, join working groups when needed and spend time preparing for meetings by reading and considering the papers circulated before meetings.
Benefits of Being a Trustee
We believe being a trustee of Upbeat Communities offers a number of fantastic
benefits:
- Strategic decision-making that positively impacts the lives of over a thousand
- asylum seekers and refugees every year
- Supporting an innovative, talented and passionate staff team as they develop
- our work and explore new services and ways of working
- Being part of a committed and focused trustee team working to see the charity
- grow
- Using your skills, experience and passion to contribute to an effective and wellfunctioning
- board
- Opportunities to learn new skills and experiences to contribute to your own
- personal development
Duties
Any individual acting as a trustee for Upbeat Communities would be required to
carry out the following:
- Promote the vision, mission and values of the charity
- Ensure Upbeat Communities and its representatives function within all legal and
- regulatory requirements applicable, and in line with its constitution, continually
- striving for best practice in governance
- Determine the overall direction and development of Upbeat Communities
- through good governance and clear strategic planning
- Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their
- implementation
- Oversee Upbeat Communities’ financial plans and budgets and monitor and
- evaluate progress
- Review and approve the charity’s financial statements
- Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively
- Provide support and challenge to Upbeat Communities’ Chief Executive in the
- exercise of their delegated authority and affairs
- Contribute to regular reviews of Upbeat Communities’ own governance.
- Attend Board meetings, and be adequately prepared to contribute to
- discussions.
- Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and
- protect the charity’s interests, avoiding any personal conflict of interests
- Take appropriate professional advice in all matters where there may be a
- material risk to the charity
- Maintain confidentiality about all aspects of the trustee’s business
Finance Specific Duties
- Lead on the strategic financial management of the charity at board level
- Liaise with our outsourced finance team (including our Finance Director)
- Chair the finance sub-committee (which meets 6 times per year ahead of every
- board meeting)
- Maintain a clear grasp of the charity’s financial position and ensure full and
- timely financial transparency and information disclosure to the board
- Support the board of trustees in financial decision making processes
- Review and approve annual budgets
- Advise on banking and investments
- Take an active role in the financial audit process
- Contribute to the financial management of our trading subsidiary (Upbeat
- Enterprises Limited)
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.