Making Space Volunteers

We Care Ltd; Bristol; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A community support organization in Bristol is seeking enthusiastic volunteers to assist individuals with hoarding tendencies. This rewarding role requires building therapeutic relationships and offering 1-2-1 support to clients. Volunteers will receive comprehensive training and need a compassionate approach to aid individuals in managing their clutter. Travel expenses will be reimbursed, and it's essential to have access to transport.

Benefits

Comprehensive training

Travel expenses covered

Qualifications

• A passion for supporting vulnerable people with complex needs.
• Warm, empathetic, and non-judgemental manner.
• Ability to accurately record visits and access email.

Responsibilities

• Empower clients to understand their possession gathering.
• Build a therapeutic relationship and form a clearing plan.
• Coordinate clearance of client's items with consent.

Skills

Empathy

Active listening

Basic computer skills

Reliability

Job description

This is a rewarding opportunity to become involved in our innovative Making Space service - helping people with hoarding tendencies make space in their homes. We are looking for committed, enthusiastic and passionate volunteers who, after training, will help empower clients to manage their clutter. We adopt a therapeutic and patient approach with everyone we work supporting them to make their homes safe and comfortable. Compulsive hoarding is a hidden issue and can severely impact on people's quality of life preventing them from living safely and comfortably in their homes. Hoarding is also associated with shame and people can be reluctant to work with support services. We offer comprehensive training to our volunteers to help them build the trust of the clients they work with and develop a more complex understanding of an individual's life experiences (often traumas) that lead to accumulating possessions.

Responsibilities

• Empower clients to understand why they gather possessions and why they find it challenging to let go of them.
• Build a therapeutic relationship with the client and together form a plan for clearing areas of the house and organising their possessions.
• Coordinate the clearance of the client's items; ensuring they have consented to which items are being cleared and agreed to how they are being distributed (i.e. charity shop, recycled etc.).
• The role involves working on a 1-2-1 basis with your client in their home and often alongside a Making Space Caseworker. We will apply for an enhanced-DBS check, and you need to provide us with details of two referees who will be asked to complete a detailed reference for you.
• The length of a visit is flexible, usually 2hrs every 7-14 days with a client.
• We will review how things are going with you client every 6-9 visits.
• Volunteers will work in liaison with Caseworkers and our Volunteer Coordinator, with mutual support from other Making Space volunteers.

Qualifications

• A passion for supporting vulnerable people with complex needs.
• Have a warm, empathetic and non-judgemental manner.
• The ability to accurately record your visits, have access to email and demonstrate basic computer skills.
• Good listener and patient and reliable.
• Have confidence to support people with complex needs on a 1-2-1 basis in what can be a challenging environment.
• Have access to a car, bike or be able to travel on public transport (all travel expenses will be covered).

Making Space was developed in partnership with the Psychology Department of Bath University and is funded by Bristol City Council.