Volunteer Visitor - Liverpool, United Kingdom - SSAFA
Description
This role covers Liverpool and surrounding areas.
Would you like to support people who have served in the Armed Forces? You don't need a military background, just patience, and an ability to get on with people from different backgrounds and age groups.
What is a Visitor?
SSAFA Visitors provide support to isolated people living at home or in residential care.
Whilst a friendly chat about the old days over a cup of tea is an important aspect of the role you will also be able to recognise any other support needs and explore how to link your client into their local community.
Why do we need you?
We've been supporting the Armed Forces community since 1885.
Our clients come from all backgrounds and age groups and may have served in WW2 or in a more recent conflict like the Falklands or Afghanistan.
There are SSAFA branches throughout the UK and overseas who support local volunteers to deliver services to veterans, serving personnel and their families.
With the gift of time and a listening ear you can improve someone's quality of life for far longer than the hour or so you might spend with them.
When would you be needed and where would you be based?
The essential part of the role is visiting clients, so you will need a driving licence and access to a vehicle or another way to travel to meet clients at home or elsewhere.
Whilst you will visit a client on a regular basis for a period, you will not be developing the kind of relationship where you would provide personal care, handle money or support someone in an emergency.
SSAFA can help clients to arrange other types of support if needed.What would you be doing?
- Contacting clients and arranging to meet them regularly at their home or care home for uninterrupted conversation.
- Letting the divisional secretary know of any concerns for your or the client's safety.
- Arranging for a SSAFA caseworker to assess the client for other support as required.
- Chatting, making a cup of tea, playing cards, looking at photo albums, military mementos etc
- Helping your client to think about ways to reduce their isolation and support them to put these into practice.
- Keeping in touch with your branch so they know your availability.
- Keeping up to date with training and SSAFA news so that you are best able to support clients.
- Volunteering within the standards and values of SSAFA including observing our policies such as the Volunteering policy and Data Protection policy (these will be covered in your training and local induction.)
The remit of this role may change over the next 12-18 months depending on the outcome of a trial currently being undertaken.
What could you gain from this volunteering role?
- Support people in your community with a military background using your patience, time, and empathy.
- Support from your local SSAFA branch and the wider SSAFA community
- Experience, training, and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews.
- Better physical and mental health studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression.
What training and support would you receive?
- Role specific training to prepare you for your voluntary role confidentiality and boundaries, friendship, and befriending. This training would take approx. 4 hours.
- Mandatory online training modules to complete at home, so you are up to date on how to keep clients, their families safe and personal information safe.
- Local Induction
- Access to the Volunteer Support Team based at our central office.
- Reimbursement of outofpocket expenses
- Volunteers will be covered by SSAFAs Public Liability Insurance whilst carrying out the role.
What are we looking for?:
- Friendly and approachable people with good listening skills, patience, and a cheerful attitude
- Good spoken English
- Ability to be respectful and nonjudgemental with clients, their family, other agencies and SSAFA colleagues.
- Ability to keep within the boundaries of the role with regards to friendship, finances etc.
- Reliable attitude, contact clients promptly, keep regular appointments, update the branch regarding your availability.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and keep information safely (within SSAFA policies)
- Willingness to travel by public transport or car to appointments with clients.
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