Volunteer Opportunity of the Month

VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Learning Disabilities Supported Housing Volunteer

Service: EPIC Trust Learning Disabilities Division

Summary:

• This role involves providing practical and emotional support to service users with learning disabilities who are living in supported housing schemes and empowering them to develop independent living skills.

Location:

• This opportunity is based at supported housing schemes in Camden, London and also in Cambridge.

Some of the tasks this volunteer will have the opportunity to do:

• Supporting service users to attend evening swimming classes and other social and leisure pursuits in the community (e.g. ballets, visiting restaurants, bowling, cinema, theatre, musicals).

• Providing emotional/ befriending support to service users when required. This could involve supporting service users with weekly shopping, accompanying them to healthcare appointments, banks, benefits agencies, supporting them to access day centres, educational and employment opportunities.

• Supporting the staff team with co-ordinating social activities at the scheme (e.g. coffee mornings, film evenings) and helping the staff to organise outings, day trips, holidays with the aim of motivating service users and improving their quality of life.

• Providing practical support to service users when required and supporting them to access relevant services (e.g. supporting service users to develop cooking skills, cleaning, laundry, booking appointments, reporting needed repairs, completing forms, applying for benefits, dealing with correspondence, budgeting) and supporting them to maintain their flats in good condition.

• Attending service user meetings and team meetings within the service.

We are looking for someone who:

• Understands the needs of people with learning disabilities living in the community.

• Has a person-centred, empathic, non-judgemental approach to supporting people with learning disabilities.

• Can work as part of a team and independently on own initiative.

• Follows good practice in working in an anti-discriminatory manner.

• Communicates clearly and effectively.

• Flexible and adaptable approach to supporting service users.

• Can work within EPIC Trust's key policies, including Health & Safety, Confidentiality, Adult Protection, Financial Regulations, Diversity & Equal Opportunities and Code of Conduct.

Hours & Expenses:

• Typically, a volunteer might work 2-3 days a week (4-6hours per day) with a minimum commitment of 4 months. The days and hours for this volunteering opportunity are flexible (Monday-Sunday) but ideally we are looking for someone who would be available on Tuesday evenings (4pm-10pm).

• We will pay for travel expenses to and from the workplace, and a contribution towards lunch expenses, as long as tickets and receipts are provided. Supervision and high quality training are also provided.

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