Social Worker Volunteer Roles
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for dedicated Outreach Volunteers in the London Boroughs of Kingston, Richmond and Wandsworth. We would particularly like to hear from you if you live in or near the above boroughs.
The Outreach teams encounter people on their first steps from homelessness to independence – providing pathways and support to assist people off the streets.
We work with people who are rough sleeping and we do shifts late at night, and early in the morning, to find these individuals. SPEAR then works with people on a housing pathway and assists them to link into various support services, tailored to the challenges an individual might face.
SPEAR is looking for self-motivated, outgoing, and empathic people who could volunteer to provide support to vulnerably housed, rough sleepers, or anyone using homelessness services in the London boroughs of Richmond, Wandsworth and Kingston.
The volunteer will enjoy developing positive relationships with new people and will be willing to work outside of their own comfort zone providing support and assistance to the Outreach Teams clients. The volunteer must have an enhanced DBS background check (SPEAR will apply for this on your behalf.)
It would be desirable if you had a driving license.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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.
Ref VPW-243
We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join us as a Volunteer Pantry Worker to support the daily running of our Pantry in Colwyn Bay.
The postholder will play a key role in the day to day running of the Pantry, learning key aspects of the Pantry which includes welcoming customers, stock rotation, placing deliveries away effectively in colour co-ordinated sections.
Welcoming clients in a polite and friendly manner will be an essential part of the role, as well as understanding the challenges they face in attending a social supermarket.
You will be expected to work closely with the Pantry team to ensure a full person-centred approach is available to all customers.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- Set up/Set down, includes recording temperatures of fridge and freezer, completing paperwork to coincide with Health and safety records. Including Van temperatures when delivery arrives.
- Applicants will be required to accept deliveries into the Pantry and ensuring all relevant paperwork is collected from the delivery company and filed correctly.
- Once delivery has been accepted applicants will be required to participate in putting the delivery away, this will include stock rotation and cleaning duties following policies and procedures.
- Ensure delivery is put away, corresponding with the colour coded system always following all food hygiene processes.
- Cleaning duties as required in line with health and safety and food hygiene regulations.
- This is a customer facing post, and you will be required to operate our till system, using your own login details, and record information accurately in relation to client attendance and payment within the Pantry. Talk with customers, help them with nutritional advice, and offer ideas on recipes. You must know or seek knowledge of all food products, as we sometimes have exotic fruits/veg delivered.
- Training will be accessible via our skills centre. This will include mandatory training within our organisation. Food hygiene, Manual Handling and Health and Safety will be mandatory within this setting and will be provided. You will be offered training for our intranet system, where you can access the skills centre, and other great features.
You will have:
- Understanding or Experience of working positively with people affected by poverty and the local issues people face.
- Knowledge of the challenges and issues facing the client group using the Pantry (A).
- Understanding and demonstration of professional standards and accountability.
- Empathetic and understanding attitude toward customers' needs (A).
- Strong communication, interpersonal, and active listening skills (A).
- Commitment to promoting inclusivity and equity.
- Outstanding organisational skills (A).
- Total commitment to excellent safeguarding practice and understanding of professional boundaries (A).
- Understanding of health and food safety legislation (A).
- Emotionally resilient.
- Commitment to upholding St Giles core values.
In your application, please demonstrate how you meet the person specification criteria marked with (A).
To apply visit our website via the apply button.
St Giles is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all. We prohibit discrimination throughout all stages of the recruitment and compliance with this policy should be aligned with our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy.
Please note this role requires that successful candidates must undergo a Basic DBS check, on the basis that the post involves contact with vulnerable participants and colleagues.
Closing date: 05/05/2024, 11:00pm
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
We are looking for a new Trustee who is willing to bring energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the role, and who will broaden the diversity of thinking on our board. The Care Workers' Charity supports social care workers across the UK by providing mental health and wellbeing support, financial support in the form of crisis grants, and signposting applicants to other organisations and resources.
We are particularly looking for trustees who:
- have expertise or experience in industries apart from the care sector, or
- have experience of fundraising, or
- have charity experience, or
- have marketing experience, or
- have finance experience
Our trustees play a vital role in making sure that The Care Workers’ Charity achieves its core purpose. They oversee the overall management and administration of the charity and ensure that The Care Workers’ Charity has a clear strategy and that our work and goals are in line with our vision. Where they have specific expertise such as fundraising, they work with the CWC team, providing coaching or connections in order for us to raise funds to enable us to support as many care workers as we can. Just as importantly, they support and challenge the executive team to enable us to grow and thrive.
As a small charity, there will be times when the trustees will need to be actively involved beyond Board meetings. This may involve leading discussions, focusing on key issues, providing advice and guidance on new initiatives, presenting externally, representing the Charity, or other issues in which the trustee has special expertise. Our trustees have a key role in risk management, working with the staff team to identify and manage risks.
Our Board meetings are mostly remote with one held face-to-face each year in London and occasionally we ask trustees to represent the Charity at events or award ceremonies, or at stakeholder events which are held close to the trustee's location.
Duties:
- Support and provide advice on The Care Workers’ Charity’s purpose, vision, goals and activities.
- Approve operational strategies and policies, and monitor and evaluate their implementation.
- Oversee The Care Workers’ Charity’s financial plans and budgets and monitor and evaluate progress.
- Ensure the effective and efficient administration of the organisation.
- Ensure that key risks are being identified, monitored and controlled effectively.
- Review and approve The Care Workers’ Charity’s financial statements.
- Provide support and challenge to our CEO in the exercise of their delegated authority and affairs.
- Keep abreast of changes in our operating environment.
- Contribute to regular reviews of The Care Workers’ Charity’s own governance.
- Attend Board meetings (mostly remote and possibly one being face-to-face), adequately prepared to contribute to discussions and respond promptly to requests for required action.
- Use independent judgment, acting legally and in good faith to promote and protect The Care Workers’ Charity’s interests, to the exclusion of their own personal and/or any third party interests.
- Contribute to the broader promotion of The Care Workers’ Charity’s objects, aims and reputation by applying their skills, expertise, knowledge and contacts.
Please read the attached document which gives additional details, and includes a link to what being a charity trustee involves, eligibility requirements and the main duties and requirements of trustees.
PLEASE NOTE: Previous applicants need not apply
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
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!
We’re looking to recruit volunteers to join our existing multidisciplinary management committee. Do you have experience in any of the following areas and want to help make a difference:
- Lived experience
- Academics
- Corporate
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
- Counselling
- Social work
- Mental health nursing
- Occupational therapy
Yes? We’d like to hear from you.
Overview of committee:
knus Multidisciplinary Management Committee (MDMC)
The committee will be responsible for directing the activities of knus, ensuring growth and efficiency and achieving the objectives for which it was set up.
The committee will:
- Set the strategic direction to guide and direct the activities of knus - ensuring growth and positive impact;
- Ensure the effective management of knus and it’s activities; and
- Monitor the activities of knus to ensure they are in keeping with the founding principles, objectives and values
The team will be multidisciplinary incorporating volunteer committee members from all backgrounds. For example, those with lived experience, academics, corporate, psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, social workers, mental health nurses, occupational therapists, etc.
The committee members can bring in their own ideas and wealth of experience to shape the way knus moves forward.
Please note - all successful volunteers are required to pay the cost price of £20.60 for an Enhanced DBS check. If you've got a current Enhanced DBS on the update service, this cost will not apply.
You must be a UK resident to apply for this role.
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!
Family Lives was formed over forty years ago by volunteers with the aim of ensuring that all parents had somewhere to turn before they reach crisis point.
Remote Family Support Volunteer – Live Chat
We know that the right support at the right time makes all the difference. Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling.
Organisational values:
Mission: We build better family lives together.
Vision: Families should have access to active support and understanding.
Values: Trustworthy, Compassionate and Collaborative
Purpose of the role: To be part of a flexible team providing empathic, caring and informed support to families, carers and others who use our services.
Live chat: is a free confidential service that is accessed via our website. Service users are offered emotional support, information and advice and guidance on a broad range of family issues.
Supervised by: The Shift Supervisor
Activities: The volunteer will be fully supervised, supported and trained to provide the following activities:
·Provide emotional support to family members via our live chat service
·Use the Family Lives support model and tools to provide an empathic responses
·Ensure that all service users receive a high quality experience
·Sign post users to other agencies for information and additional support
·Complete conversation data records
·Alert the shift supervisor to any difficult situations
General: Volunteers should be willing to:
·Attend the relevant volunteer training
·Maintain confidentiality and adhere to the other policies and procedures of the organisation
·Participate in regular support, supervision meetings and learning sessions as agreed
For home based volunteers only:
·Volunteers will need a Laptop/PC, plug in headset with microphone, fast broadband and a private place to work from home
·Volunteers need to be IT/PC literate and confident troubleshooting should they have technical difficulties
Time: We would be looking for volunteers to commit to one four-hour shift per week, plus attending training and supervision.
Location: working remotely from home
You need to be a UK resident
Supervision and Support:
·Supervision during shifts
·Debrief after every shift
·1 to 1 supervision every 6 months
·Staff available outside of shift within office hours
·Annual review
The Benefits of Volunteering:
·Satisfaction in making a real and lasting difference to families who are struggling
·An opportunity to develop experience for CV and references. Family Lives is committed to helping volunteers develop their own learning and development, gaining new skills, knowledge or work experience
·Being part of a team of Family Lives volunteers and staff
·Personal development
·Opportunities to meet and interact with a wide range of people
·Out of pocket expenses reimbursed to a maximum of £10 per session if working from a centre
·Flexible hours
Volunteer Person Specification. We are looking for individuals who:
·Have experience of parenting/being in a parenting role or demonstrable experience of working with parents or children e.g. in their work, previous volunteering or a previous role
·Have an ability to respond empathically to emotional content
·Good written and verbal communication
·Have good keyboard skills and IT skills, with a minimum of 50 wpm
·Can demonstrate a willingness to question their own attitudes e.g. toward different forms of parenting
·Have a fluent, descriptive and expressive use of English
·Can remain open minded and non-judgemental
·Willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies, in particular our Confidentiality Policy and Risk of Harm Procedures
·Willing to commit to attending regular supervision and support sessions
·Willing to work as part of a team
·Willing to commit to a mutually agreed period or ideally a 12 months commitment to the organisation.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
We have remote voluntary call taker training groups the dates are below are you would need to be able to attend all 5 Modules from the training group.
Our next training groups are:
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
OR
June training dates:
Module 1 – Monday 10th June
Module 2 – Wednesday 12th June
Module 3 – Monday 17th June
Module 4 – Wednesday 19th June
Module 5 – Monday 24th June
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.
Typing Task Prior to Application for Live Chat
Prior to you submitting your application for a Live Chat Volunteer, we will require you to do a speed test, we ask for a minimum speed of 50 words per minute.
Please take a screen shot and send it across with your application
You can have up to 3 attempts and decide which result you would like to forward as part of your application
Typing task
Go to the website typingtest
You are required to take the one minute typing test recording all of the results (speed, number of errors and adjusted speed).
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!
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
OR
June training dates:
Module 1 – Monday 10th June
Module 2 – Wednesday 12th June
Module 3 – Monday 17th June
Module 4 – Wednesday 19th June
Module 5 – Monday 24th June
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.
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!
We are looking for active individuals that will engage with parents/carers at our Little Love baby bank in Southend, Your role will support this wonderiful iniaitive available to all families that have a child aged under 4 or who are expecting a baby and reaches the most vulnerable. Duties may require setting up and packing away and sorting of donations, depending on how many hours you can offer on a Thursday, supporting the YourFamily programme which is funded by A Better Start Southend.
City Family CIC will seek an Enhanced DBS check at no cost to the volunteer and will reimburse all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses such as public transport fares and car mileage. We ask that you reside no further than 10 miles from Southend. Full induction and training will be provided as well as ongoing support and development.
Your Family is a community-based programme combining peer volunteers and paid staff who provide support, connection and advice to early years families - connecting and enabling them to access local activities, support and clinical services.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Volunteer Role Description
Connection Support provides a breadth of specialist support services to a range of people facing complex life challenges. The support covers housing support, homelessness, isolation, money management, mental health and drug and alcohol abuse. Often service users have multiple issues which means our work with them is all encompassing.
Volunteer Befriender/supporter
Role Summary: To provide continuation of support for a defined period following closure of clients from our mental health services in Oxfordshire. This is where the client has expressed a need for ongoing support but the planned tasks with the support worker have been completed. Volunteers will provide a range of support including an agreed programme of telephone contact, support and attending appointments with clients, and other tasks relevant to that individual’s needs. This may include helping to develop and maintain social networks which for many were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Outline of Duties:
- To assist clients to meet their support needs, including:
- Supporting clients for a period of time and regularity based on mutual agreement, at times and locations that meet clients’ needs
- Providing information and assistance to clients to enable them to develop their social network and participate in the community
- To provide company and friendship, assist with shopping, go for a walk, and share activities of common interest – anything which makes life more enjoyable.
- Support to manage appointments including attendance with clients where appropriate.
- Other tasks relevant to the client’s needs as agreed with Connection Support.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Volunteer Role Description
Connection Support provides a breadth of specialist support services to a range of people facing complex life challenges. The support covers housing support, homelessness, isolation, money management, mental health and drug and alcohol abuse. Often service users have multiple issues which means our work with them is all encompassing.
Volunteer Befriender/supporter
Role Summary: To provide continuation of support for a defined period following closure of clients from our mental health services in Oxfordshire. This is where the client has expressed a need for ongoing support but the planned tasks with the support worker have been completed. Volunteers will provide a range of support including an agreed programme of telephone contact, support and attending appointments with clients, and other tasks relevant to that individual’s needs. This may include helping to develop and maintain social networks which for many were negatively impacted by the pandemic.
Outline of Duties:
- To assist clients to meet their support needs, including:
- Supporting clients for a period of time and regularity based on mutual agreement, at times and locations that meet clients’ needs
- Providing information and assistance to clients to enable them to develop their social network and participate in the community
- To provide company and friendship, assist with shopping, go for a walk, and share activities of common interest – anything which makes life more enjoyable.
- Support to manage appointments including attendance with clients where appropriate.
- Other tasks relevant to the client’s needs as agreed with Connection Support.
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 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.
We are a leading children’s rights organisation. We champion the rights of children and get young voices heard in decisions that matter to them.
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!
Do you have experience in working with children? We are recruiting for a Childrens Support Volunteer to provide supervision for approximately 1-4 children of varying ages during our monthly co-production meetings at Head Office. Parents and staff will be just next door for support if this is needed at any time. As we will have more than 2 volunteers supporting and only 2 are needed to help during these sessions, you will be taking turns with the other volunteers to support each month.
Your support will have a massive impact and enable clients to feed into the service we provide and make sure their voice is heard!
What you will be doing
- Providing supervision for children during 2-hour meetings once a month at head office
- Keeping the children entertained with provided toys and small activities such as colouring and reading etc..
- Ensuring the safety of the children
- Maintaining strict confidentiality
The skills you need
- Calm and patient approach
- Experience in childcare is preferred
- Working knowledge of child safeguarding preferred
- Ability to provide a supportive, and inclusive atmosphere that encourages learning and participation
- Good communication 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.
We deliver services across London as well as campaign and advocate nationally on the issues that affect the people we work with.
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!
We are looking for individuals who are warm and energetic to support our young carer youth club sessions. Carers Trust Hillingdon supports young people aged 5 – 25 who have a caring responsibility. As part of our service we provide weekly youth clubs to enable our young carers to have a break from their often stressful home situations, meet other young people in similar circumstances and to have fun!
Main purpose of role
To encourage young carers to have fun and relax in a safe and welcoming environment.
Availability
The commitment is a minimum of two sessions per month (6 hours in total) for a minimum period of six months to ensure consistency for young carers.
Location
Sessions are located at either Harlington Young People’s Centre, Hayes or South Ruislip Young People’s Centre, Ruislip.
Key responsibilities
1. To provide a warm welcome and friendly service.
2. To be patient, friendly and empathetic to young carers
3. To be an active team member and support the running of sporting, computer/gaming, arts and crafts and other creative activities
4. To treat all young carers, and their families, with respect, dignity and courtesy.
5. To engage in pre and post-session staff meetings
6. Adhere to policies and procedures, in particular confidentiality and safeguarding
Specialist skills/training/ knowledge
1. Good communication and interpersonal skills
2. The ability to engage with young people in a positive and friendly way
3. Kind and calm approach
4. Show high standards of professional behaviour and appearance
5. Be able to reach the agreed venue via public transport or own transport
Tasks
1. Assisting in the set up and set down of the clubs according to procedure as required (including preparation of food, setting up and tidying up of arts and crafts/sports activities).
2. To interact with the young people and encourage them to participate in the activities on offer if they so wish.
3. Maintenance of a tidy and safe environment at all times.
4. To conduct all dealings with young carers in a public area in full view of others.
Sessions
We have a variety of young carers clubs where volunteers are required during the below periods:
What
Frequency
Location and Time
- Young Carers Saturday Club - Alternate weeks for 10-15yrs olds and 5-9yrs olds at Harlington Young Peoples Centre, Pinkwell Lane, Hayes UB3 1PL , from 10.00am – 1.15pm.
- Young Carers Tuesday Club (term time) -Alternate weeks for 10-15yr olds and 5-9yrs olds at South Ruislip Young People’s Centre, 543 Victoria Road, Ruislip HA4 0JE, from 3.15pm – 6.15pm
- Young Adult Carers club (16yrs – 24yrs) Tuesdays, Fortnightly, at Harlington Young Peoples Centre, Pinkwell Lane, Hayes UB3 1PL 6.15pm – 8.45pm
Please note:
All successful applicants will be required to complete an enhanced DBS criminal record check.
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as the applications come in. Don’t miss your opportunity, apply now!
About CARAS:
Community Action for Refugees and Asylum Seekers (CARAS) is a charity that supports refugees and people seeking asylum who live in south London. We offer a range of individual and group support to improve the holistic well-being of people who have a background of forced migration, providing them with tools to build lives filled with value, meaning and purpose in the UK. Our activities for young people currently include ESOL classes (English for Speakers of Other Languages), study groups, youth clubs, sports trips and football.
Volunteering With CARAS – Our Community of Welcome
CARAS has a proud history of volunteers helping us deliver our charitable aims. Volunteers are an essential part of the CARAS community, bringing skills, insights, experience, different languages, and enthusiasm to the roles.
Community members tell us that welcome by volunteers is so important in an often hostile world. It helps them feel safe and wanted. Community is at the heart of all we do, and we could not deliver the projects we do without the enormous contribution volunteers bring. Thank you for taking the time to consider volunteering with us.
About Sports Programme:
We work in partnership with Fulham Kicks to run a football session every Monday evening. We provide 1:1 sports advice to help build confidence and remove barriers by supporting young people to plan their journeys and accompanying them to join their first sessions. We find new activities and memberships for young people at youth clubs, gyms and other sports providers. We arrange frequent trips to offer sports to our young people including boxing, yoga, trampolining and hopefully go-karting.
To advance and continue this work we have an exciting new element to the project. The research project will detail: (1) the accessibility barriers faced by young people, (2) methods of best practice for including young refugees and asylum seekers, (3) funding and support options available from local authorities, and (4) what participatory 1:1 support looks like for young people.
About the role:
As a Sports research volunteer, you will work with four young people hired as peer researchers to co-design and deliver a research project to sports providers, local authorities, support networks and other young people. The aim here is to help to remove barriers that young refugees and asylum seekers face in accessing the sports they enjoy. You can do this remotely, researching sports providers and finding sessions for our young people to attend. You will also take part in in-person workshops looking at young refugees and asylum seekers’ experiences in accessing sports in London. You will work with the young people to design questionnaires and deliver the results to local authorities and sports providers. You may need to help young people to travel safely around London and to feel welcome in the city. We would love you to join in with activities where possible and if you would like to.
We ask for a commitment of at least 2-3 hours per month in your own time, and to attend workshops over the Summer for the research project.
Tasks and responsibilities:
· To attend research workshops and assist staff in facilitating them.
· To support young people in their co-design of the project
· To act as a positive role model and set standards of behaviour when volunteering with young people.
· To participate in research in an independent, open-minded and fair way.
· To encourage and inspire young people to reach their full potential.
· To assist young people to both recognise and celebrate their achievements.
· To challenge young people’s negative attitudes and behaviour in an appropriate manner.
· To adhere to CARAS Child Protection procedures, Confidentiality Policy, Health & Safety policy, Equal Opportunities policy and all other policies as relevant.
Requirements:
To be 18 years or older;
· To have access to your own IT device and to be comfortable using Google Search and Microsoft Office.
· To be able to work both from home and at CARAS
· To be non-judgemental and able to engage with people from diverse cultural backgrounds;
· To be reliable and punctual;
· Excellent communication skills, especially with people with varying levels of English;
· Current resident of the UK;
· Able to provide five years’ worth of addresses, and willing to undergo a DBS check;
· Able to attend compulsory volunteer induction training (online) general and safeguarding prior to the start of the role:
Volunteer induction training currently takes place online once a month on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings from 6 pm – 8 pm. we offer the same training on Tuesday and Wednesday daytimes online between 12 noon – 2 pm once every 3 months.
Your availability to attend 1 general and 1 safeguarding online training session at these times within 3 months of your application would be a prerequisite for being accepted as a volunteer at CARAS.
Desirable:
· Knowledge of community languages, such as (including Arabic, Tigrinya, Amharic, Pashto, Dari, Farsi, Kurdish, Somali and Spanish).
· Some experience in designing/ using questionnaires and surveys to inform services or activities
· To be confident in advocating for young people and explaining their life experiences to local authorities and sports providers.
Through volunteering with us you will:
· Meet new members of your local community;
· Learn about different cultures;
· Learn about issues relating to refugees and people seeking asylum;
· Work as part of a friendly, welcoming team;
· Develop your skills and competencies;
· Be able to access relevant training;
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.