Volunteering Opportunity: Keep In Touch Out of Hours Volunteer with Carers in Herts

Our Keep in Touch service was launched at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of November 2020 our volunteers had contacted over 6,000. We need to recruit additional Keep in Touch Volunteers to help us with this on-going support project. We aim to contact another 6,000 carers over the next six months. Carers in Hertfordshire is a charity supporting family carers caring for someone who is elderly, disabled, has a physical or mental illness or misuses drugs or alcohol. Carers often care for a relative, child or friend. The person they care for could not cope without their support and the care they provide is unpaid

Opportunity Type: Long-term Commitment

District: Broxbourne, Dacorum, East Herts, Hertsmere, North Herts, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford, Welwyn/Hatfield

Start Date: 05/09/2022
End Date: 31/03/2024

Location: From home

Time of day: Weekday Evenings, Casual or Intermittent

Practical Considerations: Training will be provided to help you get to know the role and training will be provided to develop your skills on a continuous basis. All out of pocket expenses can be paid.

Requirements: Will require a criminal record check (DBS)

Requirements (additional): Own a computer or secure access to oneRequire References

Suitable for: 18 – 25 year olds, Aged 26 and over, University students, Older People, People with a visual impairment, People with restricted mobility

Suitable for volunteers interested in: Carers Support, Health and Wellbeing, Learning Disabilities , Mental Health, Older People

Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access?: No

Full Description:
You will carry out this role from your own home. Carers in Hertfordshire will provide you with a mobile phone to make calls to carers. You need to have access to a private space to carry out this role. You will need to have access to a device to edit word and excel documents.
Calls will take place between 17:30-19:30 weekly on a Thursday. Approximately 6-8 calls are to be made during these hours. Some calls will be very short, but some may last 30 minutes. You will also need to write up brief notes from the calls and email these to Carers in Hertfordshire.
• Receive a list of calls by email with the contact details
• Ring the carers on the list and ask “how are you” – the carers will not be expecting calls. The purpose of the call is to check on the wellbeing of the carer, you are not expected to give information or advice.
• Contact Carers in Hertfordshire for any carers that need urgent support
• Record notes including any carers’ needs on a form and return to Carers in Hertfordshire; An understanding/interest in the experience of caring or have been an unpaid family/friend carer
Good communication skills and ability to motivate yourself
Able to get on well with other people and friendly telephone manner
Ability to be non-judgemental about what you are told by carers.
Ability to capture and record information accurately.
Emotional resilience
Desirable
Basic computer skills to open a form and send an email back.

Skills Required: Talking to other, Listening, IT