Volunteer With Us
Volunteering with A Listening Ear is a rewarding opportunity that brings a range of benefits to you, the people you help support and helps you gain great experience which could help with your future career. Select the role you are interested in below for more information about that volunteering opportunity with us.
Telephone Befriender
A Listening Ear provides a befriending service to people who are isolated and vulnerable, offering friendship, signposting, information and referral to other appropriate agencies. A Listening Ear is an open access service serving the communities of Dumfries and Galloway.
Description of the role:
- Befriending is delivered by volunteers primarily over the phone. Virtual befriending via Zoom, Skype or Whatsapp is planned in the near future as is providing face-to-face support in 2023.
- Volunteers will call people in their own homes at a time that is mutually agreed between you and your phone friend (a handset is provided).
- Boundaries must be maintained at all times by volunteers, i.e., confidentiality and GDPR training will be provided.
- Volunteers will be required to listen, chat and, if required, identify any appropriate support the person would benefit from, signposting as necessary.
- Volunteers must inform the Volunteer Coordinator of any concerns in relation to their phone friends in the first instance or request information on appropriate signposting services.
- Volunteers are required to take part in induction and ongoing training and identify personal development and learning opportunities.
- Volunteers should be available for agreed support and supervision sessions with the Volunteer Coordinator which may take place in person, over Zoom or over the phone at a mutually agreed time and frequency of no less then every 8 weeks.
Personal Qualities
• A good knowledge of your local community, organisations operating within it and community spaces.
• Non-judgemental.
• Respectful and caring nature.
• A good listener.
• Reliable.
• Good communication skills.
• Able to maintain confidentiality.
• Make and stick to agreed time commitment.
Interested?
Then please get in touch about getting involved in our work by completing the form below. Fields marked with an asterisk * are required.
Contact Us
What happens next?
Once we have received your application to become a volunteer, our Volunteer Coordinator will call you to arrange a time for an informal interview. We will apply for references and a Disclosure Scotland check. We will invite you to attend the next available induction training day.
As a volunteer befriender, you would contact a client once a week at the same time by phone. If it’s a home visit (this service is planned to be introduced in 2023), these might last for up to 3 hours. Some clients are completely housebound, so visits will take place in their home and you can chat with them, listen to any concerns that they may have or maybe enjoy an activity like a crossword or playing a board game.
Many clients are able to go out; they just do not have anyone to go with. We want to encourage clients to go out whenever possible, as a change of scenery can make a big difference. Clients may enjoy going out to a coffee shop, local park, or even to a shop to pick up a few items.
The visits are purely social and our volunteers don’t do shopping, offer or carry out any form of personal care, DIY, gardening or cleaning for their clients. If they need these services, they should be arranged via Social Services.
Community Ambassador
Description of the role:
- Volunteer Ambassadors will identify and develop relationships with key Community spaces/ assets in order to display and promote the services of A Listening Ear, replenishing literature as required.
- Volunteer Ambassadors will develop an understanding of community or wellbeing events, attending in order to promote the work of A Listening Ear, or provide details to the Volunteer Coordinator for attendance.
- Volunteer Ambassadors will support the Volunteer Coordinator in planning and hosting localised events such as group befriending sessions, festive get togethers, volunteer drop ins.
- Volunteers are required to take part in induction and ongoing training and identify personal development and learning opportunities
- Volunteers should be available for agreed support and supervision sessions with the Volunteer Coordinator which may take place in person, over zoom or telephone at mutually agreed time and frequency of no less then every 8 weeks.
Personal Qualities
- A good knowledge of their local community, organisations operating within it and community spaces.
- Non Judgemental.
- Respectful and Caring Nature.
- A good listener.
- Reliable.
- Good communication skills.
- Able to maintain confidentiality.
- Make and stick to agreed time commitment.
Interested?
Then please get in touch with us about getting involved in our work by completing the online form below. Fields marked with an asterisk * are required.
Contact Us
Volunteer Administrator (Communications)
As a Volunteer Communications Administrator you will promote our befriending project and volunteers, keep key stakeholders updated, engage with local media and produce a monthly newsletter.
Description of the role:
The Volunteer Administrator will undertake the following tasks or activities:
- Act as a point of contact for new referrals into the organisation, sending out referral forms to organisations requesting and ensuring completeness on return.
- Maintain project and organisational databases to ensure both volunteer and beneficiary information is up to date.
- Schedule introduction calls for new referrals liaising with the Volunteer Coordinator
- Attend volunteer meetings (currently every other Tuesday evening), taking and disseminating minutes to all volunteers, via email and post.
- Co- arrange volunteer celebration events, coordinating with venues, the Volunteer Coordinator and Volunteers.
- Develop and maintain a mailing list of providers across Dumfries and Galloway in order to develop new referral pathways, providing them with promotional materials and scheduling referral pathway meetings with the Volunteer Coordinator.
- Generating monthly progress reports.
- Boundaries must be maintained at all times by volunteers, i.e., confidentiality, GDPR)
- Volunteers are required to take part in induction and ongoing training and identify personal development and learning opportunities
- Volunteers should be available for agreed support and supervision sessions with the Volunteer Coordinator which may take place in person, over zoom or telephone at mutually agreed time and frequency of no less then every 8 weeks.
Essential Criteria
- Competent user of Microsoft applications.
- Good Knowledge of General Data Protection Regulations
- Reliable.
- Good communication skills and the ability to build relationships with stakeholders
- Have experience of remote team working
A laptop, printer and pay as you go mobile phone will be provided in order to carry out the role.
Interested?
Then please get in touch with us about getting involved in our work by completing the online form below. Fields marked with an asterisk * are required.
Contact Us
Trustee
As a Charity Trustee, you have an important and valuable role to play in governing our work, in accordance with the Constitution and Strategic Plan, and in consultation with our members and wider community.
Trustees are not remunerated but are entitled to claim their vouched expenses.
Commitment: Usually around 2 hours every month, but with occasional additional ‘away days’ or supplementary meetings. Further contributions of time for working groups or other voluntary projects are welcome.
Description of the role:
You be responsible for overseeing the governance, effective management, strategic development and fulfilment of A Listening Ear’s vision and mission; ensuring compliance with the Constitution, contracts, charity policies and all relevant legislation; acting in the interests of A Listening Ear and promoting its success at all times.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Ensuring that A Listening Ear complies with its governing document (Constitution), charity law and any other relevant legislation or regulations
- Ensuring that A Listening Ear pursues its objectives as defined in its governing document
- Ensuring that A Listening Ear applies its resources exclusively in pursuance of its objectives
- Ensuring the financial viability and sustainability of A Listening Ear
- Contributing actively to the Board of Trustees in setting policy, providing strategic direction and evaluating performance
- Safeguarding the good name and values of A Listening Ear
- Acting as an ambassador for A Listening Ear
Interested?
Then please get in touch with us about getting involved in our work by completing the online form below. Fields marked with an asterisk * are required.