Volunteer Wellbeing Peer Support

Closing date: N/A

Job Title:

Volunteer Wellbeing Peer Support

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.

Volunteer Wellbeing Peer Support Role Purpose

The Wellbeing Peer Support Volunteer will work closely alongside the Support Practitioners, other volunteers and/or staff across all services.  As a Wellbeing Peer Support Volunteer, you will be using your own lived experience to support, encourage and inspire other people facing similar difficulties.  The role will involve talking with and meeting residents who are ready for recovery.  The role may also involve supporting group sessions and reaching out more into the community. The peer support volunteer will act as a listening ear to help residents in their journey.

Duties and Responsibilities

  1. Create a mutually helpful and supportive relationship between the Wellbeing Peer Volunteer and resident that will be of benefit to both
  2. Build the confidence of residents by encouraging and motivating them to overcome any barriers and set and achieve some realistic goals
  3. Encourage residents to consider their health and wellbeing more broadly
  4. Set up and deliver a small groups or activities to residents. The aim of the group will be to reduce social isolation and also improve mood and wellbeing
  5. Work within agreed boundaries.
  6. Be a positive role model
  7. 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
  8. To establish supportive and effective working relationships with other staff and residents in the service
  9. The post holder may be required to undertake additional duties commensurate with the level of this role.

Resident and Visitor Involvement and Engagement

  • 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

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
  • To liaise with all emergency services when necessary
  • Ensure adherence to YMCA Together visitor’s policy and procedure.

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
  • 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 – Volunteer Wellbeing Peer Support

Experience

Desirable

  • Previous experience of working in the voluntary or statutory sector
  • Experience of working in hostels and or support services

Skills

Essential

  • Able to open up conversations with people they don’t know and be able to listen
  • Be open about their own recovery story
  • Good interpersonal and communication skills
  • Flexible
  • Ability to work unsupervised
  • Confidence and ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds
  • Ability to maintain professional boundaries and confidentiality

Behaviour/Attributes

Essential

  • A calm demeanour with a relatable and open behaviour
  • Friendly, empathetic and approachable with a welcoming inclusive approach
  • Patience
  • Open and non-judgemental attitude
  • An awareness of the importance of professional boundaries and confidentiality
  • Ability to interact with people
  • Flexibility
  • Positive approach to supporting fellow volunteers.

Desirable

  • Experience of or the ability to interact 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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