Volunteer Support Officer

West Essex Mind; Uttlesford; Hybrid; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Part time

Job summary

A local mental health charity in the UK is looking for a Volunteer Support Officer to oversee their befriending program. You will be responsible for recruiting and training volunteers, matching them with service users, and providing ongoing support to ensure positive relationships. This role is vital for fostering community engagement and requires strong relationship management skills. Occasional travel across the district is necessary as part of the role.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in recruiting and onboarding volunteers.
• Ability to assess needs and match volunteers to service users.
• Skilled in providing ongoing support and monitoring relationships.

Responsibilities

• Implement strategies to recruit diverse befriending volunteers.
• Match service users with suitable volunteers based on various factors.
• Monitor ongoing relationships to ensure they are supportive.

Skills

Recruitment strategies

Volunteer training

Relationship management

Community engagement

Job description

Job Title: Volunteer Support Officer

Reporting to: Volunteer Coordinator

Location: Based in Uttlesford with occasional travel across the district and to Harlow

Hours: 12 Hours per week

Pay: £12.21 per hour

The organisation: Mind in West Essex is a local, independent mental health charity. We affiliate to Mind (the National Association for Mental Health) a charity with which we share common values and principles. Our vision is for West Essex to be a place where people talk openly and positively about mental health, and where everyone gets the support and respect needed to live well. Mind in West Essex welcomes applications from people with their own personal experience of mental ill health.

About the Role

Volunteers play a vital role in our organisation, bringing additional resource and more importantly they bring an added dimension to the organisation in that they choose to be involved for reasons other than financial gain. Because of this volunteers, are an extremely valuable asset and it is important to us that they are well looked after and supported so that their experience of volunteering is a positive one. As the Volunteer Support Officer, you will take a leading role in growing our befriending program. This position will be responsible for recruiting new volunteers, providing them with training, and matching them with individuals in need of support. You will be the key point of contact for both volunteers and service users, ensuring that every match is carefully considered and nurtured to create lasting and positive relationships. You will also be responsible for providing ongoing support to volunteers and monitoring the impact of these relationships on service users.

Roles and Responsibilities

Recruitment & On-boarding

• Develop and implement strategies to recruit a diverse group of befriending volunteers.
• Review volunteer applications and contact volunteers to ensure suitability.
• Provide comprehensive onboarding, including volunteer training, confidentiality, safeguarding, and the program’s goals.
• Oversee ongoing data entry of volunteer information onto Lamplight and uploading relevant documents as required.

Matching Volunteers to Service Users

• Ensure initial contact is made once a request for befriender is received
• Assess the needs of service users and match them with appropriate volunteers based on compatibility, shared interests, location and availability.
• Ensure that matches are meaningful and have the potential to create positive, long-term relationships.
• Signpost onwards or make appropriate referrals where it is identified that a service user needs additional or alternative support.

Ongoing Volunteer Support

• Act as a point of contact for volunteers, providing guidance and support throughout their involvement in the program.
• Regularly check in and monitor ongoing befriending relationships to ensure it is positive and supportive, within appropriate and clear boundaries and any issues are dealt with appropriately.
• Organize and facilitate regular training sessions and feedback loops for volunteers.

Program Monitoring & Reporting

• Track volunteer hours and match progress, ensuring that relationships are nurtured and maintained.
• Collect feedback from both volunteers and service users to assess the success and impact of the program.
• Provide reports and updates to the Volunteer Coordinator on the program’s progress.

Community Engagement

• Promote the befriending program through social media, community events, and local partnerships to encourage more people to get involved.
• Foster a supportive and engaging volunteer community by organizing social events and recognition activities.

Maintain appropriate confidentiality for all persons using any Mind in West Essex Service at all times.

This role will be based in Uttlesford but occasional travel across West Essex will be required.