Trust Befriending Handbook Volunteers User Manual

Trust Befriending Handbook Volunteers

Specifications

• Product Name: Befriending Handbook for Volunteers
• Target Users: Volunteers providing companionship to socially isolated adults and refugees
• Duration: 6 months per placement for socially isolated adults, minimum of 6 months for refugees
• Support: Social support provided on a flexible basis
• Activities: Varied, including meetings, shared hobbies, and community exploration
• Requirements: Enthusiasm, common sense, willingness to meet new people

Product Usage Instructions

Overview of Befriending:

The Befriending Handbook for Volunteers provides guidance and support for volunteers engaging in social support activities with socially isolated adults and refugees in Inverclyde.

Volunteer Roles:

The handbook outlines two main projects – Trust Befriending for socially isolated adults and Supportive Communities for refugees. Volunteers are trained to provide companionship and support for the specified durations.

Benefits and Responsibilities:

• Meet with your Befriendee once a week for 2 hours for 6 months.
• Provide companionship and support in a 1-1 or family unit setting.
• Engage in various activities based on mutual interests.
• Join a team of volunteers, and receive expenses, support, and training.
• No formal qualifications are required, just enthusiasm and willingness to meet new people.

Expectations and Support:

• No discrimination based on various factors.
• Health & Safety policy in place.
• Ongoing support throughout the placement.
• Regular reviews for feedback and reflection.
• Volunteers are insured by The Trust.

Volunteer Expectations:

• Commitment, reliability, and equal opportunity.
• Compliance with Health & Safety policies.
• Maintain respect and avoid discrimination, abuse, or harassment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What kind of activities can volunteers engage in with their Befriendees?

A: Activities can range from simple outings like coffee meetings to shared hobbies such as sports, photography, or cooking.

Q: Is any specific training required to become a volunteer?

A: No formal qualifications are needed. Volunteers receive training opportunities and ongoing support.

Q: How long is the commitment expected from volunteers?

A: Volunteers are expected to commit to meeting their Befriendee once a week for 2 hours for a specified duration depending on the project.

Detailed Examples of Volunteer Roles

• Trust Befriending is a project to provide companionship to socially isolated adults in Inverclyde who are in receipt of an element of Community Care. Volunteer befrienders are trained to deliver social support for 2 hours a week over 6 months per placement.
• Supportive Communities is a project to help refugees to settle in Inverclyde. Volunteer befrienders are trained to deliver social support on a flexible basis for a minimum of 6 months. However, this can continue past the 6 months if mutually decided between befriendee and befriender. This befriending can be 1-1 or with a family unit.
• Befriending has positive outcomes for clients (Befriendees), and also volunteers (Befrienders) (e.g. increased employability, increased awareness of how loneliness & isolation impacts health and wellbeing, better knowledge of the refugee process and issues faced by New Scots). As a volunteer with us you will:
  • Meet with your Befriendee once a week for 2 hours for 6 months.
  • Help to provide companionship and support in an informal capacity within a1-1/ 1-family unit setting.
  • Provide activities that can be as simple as going for a coffee once a week and sharing your own local knowledge, although some people explore the community through shared hobbies together such as sport, photography, cooking etc.
  • Join a well-established team of volunteers.
  • Receive out of pocket expenses.
  • Have access to on-going support.
  • Gain experience and training opportunities.
  • Meet new people & have fun!
• We try to be as flexible as possible to accommodate a wide variety of volunteers. No formal qualifications required. Enthusiasm, common sense and a willingness and confidence to meet new people is all that’s needed.

How will Befriending benefit you?

• Improve your job prospects by gaining experience
• Learn new skills, gain experience and sometimes even qualifications.
• Gain confidence by trying something new and build a real sense of achievement.
• Make a difference to people, communities and society in general.
• Be part of a community outside your friends and family.
• Meet new people and make friends
• Take on a challenge, achieve personal goals, and discover hidden talents.
• Training and equipment will be provided
• Travel costs from within the Inverclyde area will be covered
• Have fun! Most volunteers have a great time, regardless of why they do it.

What will the training involve?

• 2 (Supportive Communities) or 4 (Trust Befriending) sessions delivered over a flexible time frame to suit the needs of the group.
• The opportunity to develop new skills and qualities, and gain experience in an area you may have never worked before
• Meeting new people

What will it cost?

• Training is free
• Travel expenses are covered by The Trust

What commitment is required?

2-3 hours a week for a minimum commitment of 6 months

What can you expect from US?

• Equality of Treatment
  We work to ensure that there should be no discrimination on grounds of age, disability, race, gender, sexuality, history of illness, marital, employment, financial or social status.

• Health and Safety
  The Trust has a Health & Safety Policy that is displayed in every building.

• Support
  We will support you all throughout your placement with us.

• Reviews
  You will have reviews at 3 and 6 months with the project Support Worker. This is an opportunity for you to raise any concerns, feedback and reflect on your placement.

• Insurance
  Volunteers are insured by The Trust.

What is expected of You as a Volunteer?

• Commitment and Reliability
  Be realistic and clear about the times you can offer – don’t over commit yourself as continuity is really the key. You should give as much notice as possible if you are unable to carry out your Befriending at any time or plan to be away for any reason.

• Equal Opportunity
  We aim to treat other people with respect and ensure that there is no discrimination, abuse, harassment or bullying of colleagues (fellow volunteers or paid staff), clients or members of the public. See our Volunteer Feedback booklet for our complaints procedures.

• Health and Safety
  It is important that you comply with The Trust’s Health and Safety Policy, observing any specific requirements of your volunteering and that you do not take any action that might put you or any other person at risk of injury or harm. You should always advise the organisation’s Health and Safety officer of any potential hazard or of any situation that you feel puts you or any other person at risk.

Your rights as a Volunteer

The Trust believe that everybody has the right to volunteer and we work to ensure that everybody wanting to volunteer has access to volunteering opportunities. Clearly, not everybody is suited to every type of voluntary activity, so there needs to be some sort of selection procedure. However, the organisation should only take relevant criteria into account when deciding about suitability for a particular role. For example, a past criminal conviction should only be considered if it is relevant to the intended voluntary role.

Volunteer rights and responsibilities with regard to the law
In the UK, volunteers don’t have a legal status in the same way that paid workers do. Volunteers are not covered by employment law and so do not have formal rights to redress in an Employment Tribunal. That means that volunteers don’t have the right to have an organisation follow proper investigative procedures when things go wrong, or the right to appeal a decision made by the organisation. You have the right to complain or walk away, but we’d encourage you to complain first to give the organisation the chance to investigate and do their best for their volunteers.

Volunteers in receipt of Benefits
Guidance from the Employment Service states that certain benefits may not usually be affected as long as you do not receive any payment and that you are available for a job interview if called. It is important that you contact your Personal Adviser/Job Coach when starting your volunteer role.

Some Dos and Don’ts for Volunteers

• Do think about why you want to volunteer.
• Don’t start volunteering until you know exactly what is expected of you.
• Don’t over commit yourself.
• Do make sure you know who you are responsible to and who you can go to for help and advice.
• Don’t leave without telling anyone first. If you don’t feel that your volunteering is providing the experience that you want, speak to the key person; they may be able to find a solution.
• Do accept reimbursement for any out of pocket expenses you have incurred while volunteering.
• Don’t accept money as payment from someone you have helped while volunteering.
• Do keep to any arrangement you have made. If you cannot keep an appointment, or you are going to be late, tell the organisation or the person you are visiting in plenty of time.
• Don’t betray any confidences entrusted to you as a volunteer.
• Do tell the organisation about any health problems that may affect your volunteering.

The Trust is registered with Investing in Volunteers (IiV)

We are committed to the UK Quality Standard for organisations that work with volunteers, outlined in the IiV framework:

1. There is an expressed commitment to the involvement of volunteers, and recognition throughout the organisation that volunteering is a two-way process which benefits volunteers and the organisation.
2. The organisation commits appropriate resources to working with all volunteers, such as money, management, staff time and materials.
3. The organisation is open to involving volunteers who reflect the diversity of the local community and actively seeks to do this in accordance with its stated aims.
4. The organisation develops appropriate roles for volunteers in line with its aims and objectives, which are of value to the volunteers.
5. The organisation is committed to ensuring that, as far as possible, volunteers are protected from physical, financial and emotional harm arising from volunteering.
6. The organisation is committed to using fair, efficient and consistent recruitment procedures for all potential volunteers.
7. Clear procedures are put into action for introducing new volunteers to their role, the organisation, its work, policies, practices and relevant personnel.
8. The organisation takes account of the varying support and supervision needs of volunteers.
9. The whole organisation is aware of the need to give volunteers recognition.

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