Engagement & Activities Volunteer

Closing date: N/A

Job Title:

Engagement & Activities Volunteer

Responsible to:

Service Manager

Responsible for:

N/A

Hours of Work:

To be agreed

Location:

YMCA Together

Salary and benefits:

  • Travel to and from the service
  • Lunch – daily
  • Training courses tailored to your role such as, safeguarding, health and safety and professional boundaries
  • Volunteer support group
  • Support from a volunteer buddy

YMCA Together has been voted No1 Charity to work for by our employees in 2022. YMCA is a registered charity and company Limited by Guarantee. We were founded in 1846 and so we build on a long history of providing a place for people experiencing challenging times in their lives.

YMCA Together is a truly value driven organisation.

Our vision is that everyone should feel safe, understood, empowered and positive for their future. We meet our vision by working within our values of Strength, Humility, Respect, Empathy and Kindness. These SHREK values run through all that we do from recruitment to how we work alongside people in our services to our partnership approach with other providers.

Our clear vision and values come together to help us in our mission to inspire and support people to change their lives by instilling hope, valuing the person and maximising potential.

Engagement & Activities Volunteer Role Purpose

To work as part of the team to enhances the lives of our residents to encourage engagement and enable our support staff to maintain quality services. The volunteer will develop positive relationships with residents across YMCA Together services by supporting  social interaction and mental stimulation for residents within service experiencing challenging times.  The volunteer will help facilitate and co-ordinate activities and events with the focus on supporting the residents to engage in these activities and socialise with the team and other residents.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Responsible for supporting the engagement and involvement of residents across YMCA Together services
  2. Facilitate residents to build their skills and confidence, so that their participation and contributions are maximised and that they are able to express their views
  3. Plan, co-ordinate or deliver activities individual and group activities, to keep residents engaged, involved and included within the service
  4. Seek involvement and ideas from residents to develop new activities within the service. These can include art, music, exercise, cooking, dance, board games, quizzes and more. All activities to be agreed prior to them being undertaken by the Service Manager
  5. Encourage the residents to participate fully in the activity and show enthusiasm for the topic / theme of the session – this could consist of the volunteer joining in with the activity and preparing the relevant resources and ideas for the residents, alongside other members of the team
  6. The Engagement & Activities volunteer will promote and encourage residents to maximise their skills and choices
  7. Manage the scheduling of activities across the service
  8. Develop / access activities that can be undertaken by all residents within service
  9. The volunteer may be required to attend, from time to time, training as required by their own training needs and the needs of YMCA Together
  10. To establish supportive and effective working relationships with other staff and residents in the service
  11. The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties commensurate with the level of this role.

Resident and Visitor Involvement and Engagement

  • Encourage involvement, participation and co-production from residents
  • Provide a safe, welcoming environment for all with excellent standards and an ethos of service delivery that encourages residents to engage. With an understanding and belief in the inclusion of all irrespective of race, gender, sexuality, age, religion, ability, identity, and experience
  • Ensure that all activity and engagement with residents complies with safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures.

Health and Safety

  • Ensure at all times the safety of yourself and others on the premises in which you volunteer
  • Report, log and communicate all incidents to the appropriate people
  • Ensure adherence to YMCA Together policies and procedures when conducting activities, carrying out risk assessments prior to activities taking place.

Internal Relationships

  • Excellent communication with all YMCA Together staff and residents
  • Flexible and positive approach
  • To be committed to learning and personal development both as an individual and as part of a team
  • Sharing information and expertise with the team

External Relationships

  • Develop excellent and robust relationships with all visitors to the service.

General

  • Uphold and develop YMCA Equal Opportunities policy of anti discrimination across all services
  • Ensure compliance with code of conduct, including professional boundaries and confidentiality at all times
  • Report all safeguarding incidents
  • Familiarise yourself with and ensure compliance with all YMCA policies and procedures.

The volunteer will be expected to carry out other duties consistent with the responsibilities of the volunteer post and to demonstrate flexibility in all areas of their work including the willingness to attend training if required.

It is recognised that the association operates in a dynamic environment and as such this role description may be varied in consultation with the volunteer to reflect the evolving needs of the business and changing nature of the role.

Person Specification – Engagement & Activities Volunteer

Qualifications

Desirable

  • First Aid Training

Experience

Essential

  • Experience in planning and coordination of activities and events for individuals and group participation

Desirable

  • Previous experience of working in the voluntary or statutory sector
  • Experience and good understanding of involvement and participation

Knowledge

Essential

  • An understanding of relevant health and safety issues in respect of activities and event organising

Desirable

  • Able to interpret and apply guidelines and documentation relevant to the role
  • Conducting risk assessments

Skills

Essential

  • Ability to communicate.
  • Patience, tolerance, and flexibility

Desirable

  • A pro-active approach, self-motivated and enthusiastic with a good level of initiative, innovative and imaginative thinking

Behaviour/Attributes

Essential

  • Creative and enjoys social interactions
  • A calm demeanor with a relatable and open behaviour
  • Friendly, empathetic and approachable with a welcoming inclusive approach
  • patient
  • An awareness of the importance of professional boundaries and confidentiality
  • Ability to interact and inspire
  • Enjoys social interaction and the company of others, joins in local activities to encourage resident Involvement
  • Flexibility

Desirable

  • Experience of or an interest in working with people with complex needs or challenging behaviours

If you would like to apply for this role please click here APPLY NOW

To download a copy of our application form, please click HERE

If you would like to apply not directly through the website, please email your completed application form to recruitment@ymcatogether.org.uk

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