If you are looking for a varied and interesting role and are interested in working with young people, homelessness, housing, welfare benefits or social care, this could be the role for you! We are looking for volunteers who are naturally friendly and chatty, who have good initiative and problem solving skills.

Working alongside the Receptionist and Caseworkers, you will be on hand to offer two main types of support within our town centre office:

Your main role will be to support our service users. This could be in various ways, such as:

• Making a young homeless person a cup of tea and having a chat while they are waiting to see a case worker.
• Having a chat with a young mum-to-be while they’re waiting for their antenatal appointment.
• Helping a young person complete an online form for benefits or housing.
• Helping a young person open a bank account.
• Accompanying a young person to the council.
• Helping someone to find a college course.

There are a whole host of issues that young people come to us for help with, and your role will be to welcome them, chat to them, and take some basic details while generally making them feel at ease. You would then either refer them to one of our experienced caseworkers or support them with basic issues or to access other services. You will also be taking referrals back from our caseworkers for any ad-hoc tasks, form filling or basic casework.

We would like you to support our reception area and role. The Support Assistant will be based in our main reception area with a break-out space in our large kitchen to take service users. Therefore, during busy periods or when the receptionist is busy helping with other projects, you would be expected to help by signing people in, answering the phone, making appointments and other light administration tasks.

It is almost impossible to predict how many young people we will see on any given day, although we know certain days and times of the year are busier than others. Therefore there may be times when you see one service user after another, but there is also likely to be times when you could get on with something of your own, college work, read a book, surf the internet etc.

Necessary Skills or Experience:

• Good English
• Good computer literacy and familiar with the internet
• Excellent communication skills
• Non-judgemental, positive, and friendly personality
• Good problem solving skills and initiative

Desirable, but not essential experience:

• Working with young or vulnerable people
• Social Housing
• Homelessness
• Welfare Benefits

Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed. Training and ongoing support and development is provided. A DBS check will be required at no cost to the volunteer. *A criminal record does not necessarily exclude individuals from volunteering at Y.E.S. but the nature, volume and time since the crime(s) will be taken into account and discussed at interview.

Please contact us today on 01206 710771 or email [email protected]