Community Support (Befriending) Volunteer

This opportunity covers:

Lancaster, Silverdale, Carnforth and Bolton Le Sands

Morecambe, Heysham and Overton

Supported by good training and supervision, the rewarding role of Community Support offers an excellent opportunity for personal development by obtaining new skills and experiences as well as a chance to put something back into the community.

Using their local knowledge of community services and groups, our Community Support Volunteers work with people who are not family or close friends and help tackle social isolation by using their excellent interpersonal skills to establish a mutually beneficial mentoring relationship with the service user. The benefit of having a regular meeting with a Community Support Volunteer helps to increase the confidence, resilience and independence of the service user as our Community Support Volunteers actively support, encourage and empower them to achieve specified and agreed goals and objectives.

You must be willing to go through an induction process and relevant background checks; this role is subject to an enhanced DBS check.

Tasks

• To regularly visit the individual on a 1 : 1 basis either in their own home or a community setting
• To regularly support the individual to achieve agreed positive goals to promote their independence - the role is unique to every individual's needs and circumstances
• To provide regular feedback on the progress of the individual via an on-line computer system
• To log volunteering hours monthly and submit expenses where applicable via an on-line computer system
• To complete minimum level training e.g. Safeguarding, and commit to further training relevant to the role

Criteria

• Must be over 18 years of age
• Commitment of 1-2 hours minimum per week / flexible
• Minimum commitment of 6 months is required
• Understanding of vulnerability
• It would be an advantage to have an awareness of key issues – alcohol, drug abuse, mental health etc.

  Personal Qualities

• Ability to use basic ICT systems
• Be able to deal with difficult situations in a professional manner
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to use own initiative
• Respect for equality and diversity

  Training

  Training will be provided where necessary and may be in the form of peer support, distance learning or trainer led. Volunteers must have completed the required training before any activity can be undertaken and may be asked to regularly refresh training where required.

**Please note that when you apply for this role you will recieve an email from Lancashire Partnership Trust and will be required to complete an application form.