Jobs in Crawley, United States

Carers in Touch Volunteer

Are you a good listener and confident using basic IT? Can you spare a couple of hours a week? If so, you could volunteer for our Carers in Touch service, providing regular phone calls to isolated unpaid carers in East Sussex. You will be offering a friendly, listening ear and a chance for carers to chat.

Purpose of role

To join a team of volunteers providing our ‘Carers in Touch’ service, a telephone listening service for unpaid carers who have been identified as at risk of being socially isolated.

The service provides an informal, friendly chat with carers to help them keep connected, remind them they are not alone, support their wellbeing and check they have suitable support systems in place.

What will you be doing?

Making telephone calls to unpaid carers of up to 30 minutes in length Providing a ‘listening ear’ and friendly voice Signposting carers to the Care for the Carers Hub if extra support is needed Inputting the call information onto Care for the Carers database Deliver at least one 2hour shift per week Monday to Thursday 9am to 3pm

What skills, experience, qualities do you need?

Empathetic, non-judgmental, non-discriminatory approach Good communication skills; able to chat with people on the phone Reliability and commitment Basic IT skills (training will be provided) A commitment to the vision and mission of Care for the Carers A desire to support unpaid carers

What support will you get?

Comprehensive training and induction programme Opportunities for further learning and development as appropriate The opportunity to shadow other volunteers carrying out Carer in Touch calls Debrief sessions after each volunteering ‘shift’ Regular support and guidance from the Volunteer Coordinator Informal peer support Expenses paid (in line with Care for the Carers policies)

What could you get out of it?

The chance to learn new skills Meet new, diverse people; be part of a volunteering community Make a real difference to people; help reduce loneliness and isolation Enjoyment and a sense of achievement – volunteering is good for your well-being Gain experience for related roles and courses such as counselling, social work, social care and support work Use your skills and life experiences to support others Opportunities for further training and expanding knowledge Opportunities to get involved with other Care for the Carer services and events A reference for future roles and employment

Other Information

• All volunteers are expected to abide by Care for the Carer policies and procedures
• All volunteers will be asked to attend an informal interview and provide references
• All volunteers must undertake a DBS check (paid for by Care for the Carers)
• Day to day management for the role is undertaken by a Team Leader with support from Volunteer Coordinator
• At present the post will be home-based, due to Covid-19 restrictions, with support available remotely.
• In future the post could be based in our offices based in central Eastbourne, depending on circumstances
• A mobile phone and laptop will be provided (subject to availability) to record brief case notes on our web-based database.