Volunteering for Communities Together East Anglia

VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

Volunteer Driver

Overview

Communities Together East Anglia has been providing community transport for around 35 years around Ipswich and Mid Suffolk. We can provide door to door transport for anyone who cannot access mainstream transport. (for a variety of reasons). Bookings to and from work, medical appointments, social activities, Shopping, and to school/college.

Description of Role:

To drive own vehicle to support individuals with transport to and from hospital appointments, where there may be a waiting period before return journey and/or

To drive a Communities Together East Anglia vehicle as part of the community transport service

All volunteers will attend a short Induction with the volunteer coordinator before the role begins. Role specific training will also be provided

We cover Mid Suffolk and Ipswich, so journeys could be anywhere within this geographical area as well as sometimes supporting people with hospital appointments further afield.

To represent Communities Together East Anglia and promote our services where required.

Being friendly and helpful to all clients and mindful of different needs.

Regular work pattern

To update the client with any new services that Communities Together East Anglia are offering that may be of use to your client/ask if they would like to receive relevant information from Communities Together East Anglia about other services and support that may be beneficial.

If you have any concerns about your client or haven't managed to speak with them over a prolonged period of time, please let your volunteer coordinator aware.

As a volunteer you must respect any information concerning your client, staff, other volunteers and partner organisations and keep it confidential. Please also keep your personal lives protected.

We will provide a key fob and door codes also uniform. You will also be provided with a Communities Together East Anglia email address.

We encourage feedback from and to our volunteers, to ensure the role is suitable and going well. Your Volunteer coordinator will contact you to check that you are enjoying the role.​

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What sort of person are you?

We need people who are outgoing and happy to chat whilst also listening well.

If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to offer some of your time each week to help people to get out and about, then we would love to hear from you.

All volunteer drivers will be DBS checked and will receive relevant safeguarding training.

We will also be offering the chance to becoming a Dementia Friend. As an organisation we are Dementia Friendly and encourage all our staff and volunteers to take part in a Dementia Friends Awareness session and First Aid awareness.

Catch Up & Chat Volunteers

Overview:

We launched our Later Life Community Connect service on 8th February 2021. This is a single point of access telephone support service for people requiring information or support on issues around later life. As part of this service, we are also offering a regular welfare call to people who may benefit from a regular “check-in”. This service is available for people over 65+ and will be an informal telephone call on an ad-hoc basis for a quick chat and to make sure that there are no immediate concerns or needs.

Description of Role:

To represent Communities Together East Anglia and promote our services where required.

All volunteers will attend a short Induction with the volunteer coordinator before the role begins.

Volunteer's will be sent the details of their people to call on a weekly basis. Where possible, the same volunteer will call the same older person, but this is not guaranteed. It should be noted that this is not a “matched” befriending service.

The purpose of these calls is to be that listening ear to a person who may wish to offload their day to day worries and concerns and who may also be isolated and lonely, but also to have general conversations.

The calls should last between 5 – 15 minutes (max of 30 minutes) which you may wish to mention at the start of the call. Please dial 141 before making your call.

To update the client with any new services that Communities Together East Anglia are offering that may be of use to your client/ask if they would like to receive relevant information from Communities Together East Anglia about other services and support that may be beneficial.

If your client requires advice, please refer them to Later Life Community Connect for further assistance, please do not try to offer advice yourself. Alternatively, you can ask them if they would like one of our Connect team to make contact.

If you have any concerns about your client or haven't managed to speak with them over a prolonged period of time, please let your volunteer coordinator aware.

As a volunteer you must respect any information concerning your client, staff, other volunteers and partner organisations and keep it confidential. Please also keep your personal lives protected.

We will also provide a welfare phone call record sheet. This will need to be completed after each call you make, and sent by email to the volunteer co-ordinator on a weekly basis (or immediately if you have any concerns about the older person).

We encourage feedback from and to our volunteers, to ensure the role is suitable and going well.

Your Volunteer coordinator will contact you to check that you are enjoying the role and that the client match is suitable.

What sort of person are you?

We need people who are outgoing and happy to chat whilst also listening well.

If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to offer at least 1 hour of your time per month to help isolated and less able people, we would love to hear from you.

Catch Up & Chat volunteers must be over 18 years of age

All Catch Up & Chat volunteers will be DBS checked and will receive relevant safeguarding training.

We will also be offering the chance to becoming a Dementia Friend. As an organisation we are Dementia Friendly and encourage all our staff and volunteers to take part in a Dementia Friends Awareness session.

Volunteer Rickshaw Rider

Overview:

The Stowmarket Rickshaw Project is aimed at supporting people living in Stowmarket to get out and about in a fun, safe and environmentally friendly way. Initially the project will be supporting individuals and people from the same household to access their COVID19 vaccination appointments at The Mix, Stowmarket, and once circumstances allow, will also support social and leisure “trips” around Stowmarket, with a particular focus on supporting older people and family carers, including visits to local sheltered housing schemes and care homes.

Co-ordinated by Communities Together East Anglia, and in partnership with Mid Suffolk District Council and Stowmarket Dementia Action Alliance, all volunteers will become Communities Together East Anglia volunteers.

Description of Role:

Volunteer riders take clients out for short rides around the town using the rickshaw. Our Rickshaw is battery assisted, but a basic level of fitness would be an advantage.

Rides are pre-booked and you will given the details of the passengers, the pick-up address and any relevant additional information.

Riders must wear their Communities Together East Anglia branded clothing and tabards (provided) whilst using the rickshaw.

You will collect the rickshaw from Communities Together East Anglia, Red Gables Stowmarket, then ride it to the passengers’ home (or day centre), pick up the passenger and their carer, or two passengers together, take them for a ride to the agreed destination, then return them home.

The purpose of the rickshaw ride is to get people out of their four walls and into the world, to cheer them up and decrease their isolation. Volunteer riders are strongly encouraged to chat to the passengers and listen to their stories.

You will be responsible for the rickshaw whilst you are using it, reporting any mechanical or other problems immediately on 01449 614271, and making sure it is secure at all times and not left unattended.

Riders and the rickshaw are fully insured provided you act with due care and attention. Passengers must either be accompanied by a carer, or be able to self-care. Under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

You are not required to do any physical lifting of passengers, or to have any relationship with the passengers beyond the rides. It is important to remember that we are simply offering friendly bike rides; we are not carers or a befriending service. Having said that, we anticipate developing links with other services that our passengers might find helpful.

If the route has not been pre-determined, you can decide where to take the passengers, taking into consideration any special requests, the frailty of the passengers, the weather, and any time constraints. We will also have planned leisure routes that you can use.

You will have a two-hour window for your shift, in which to collect the rickshaw, do the ride, and return it to Red Gables.

Once you have confirmed your availability, and been allocated a shift, you must turn up for the ride or give us at least 48 hours notice, so that we can identify another rider.

All Communities Together East Anglia volunteers will be DBS checked, receive safeguarding and rickshaw driving training, and will receive the opportunity (which is encouraged) to become a Dementia Friend.

At the end of your allocated session, you must wipe down the Rickshaw with the equipment provided, including all touchpoints of the vehicle, adhering to Communities Together East Anglia’s COVID19 policy.

What sort of person are you?

We need people who are outgoing and happy to chat while cycling passengers around the town.

If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to offer at least 2 two/three hour shifts per month to help isolated and less able people, we would love to hear from you.

You should have experience of cycling on roads and cycle paths. Knowledge of safe routes in Stowmarket would be an advantage.

Riders must be over 16 years of age.

All volunteer riders will be DBS checked.

VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

Community Engagement Links

Overview:

We are looking for active individuals within their community to work alongside and represent Communities Together East Anglia.

Description of Role:

To promote all Communities Together East Anglia’s services when appropriate to do so.

Supporting people in their own community and helping to identify what may be missing and to find out issues facing older people - this could include befriending and/or companionship to a vulnerable older person, shopping, prescription collections, supporting the Communities Together East Anglia community engagement team at events.

Deliver information to older people in your community.

Share information on services available and signpost beneficiaries/any concerns to the Later Life Community team for onward engagement.

All volunteers will attend a short Induction with the volunteer coordinator before the role begins.

As a volunteer you must respect any information concerning your client, staff, other volunteers and partner organisations and keep it confidential. Please also keep your personal lives protected.

What sort of person are you?

This role would suit you if you are passionate about your community, outgoing, friendly and confident talking to people, either one to one or in a group. A good listener and have a few hours to spare ideally on a regular basis.

If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to help isolated and less able people, we would love to hear from you.

All volunteers will be DBS checked. A role specific induction will also take place between yourself and the Community Engagement Co-ordinator.

Volunteer Role Description

Meet & Greet/Event Volunteers

Overview:

We are looking for social individuals to attend fundraising events and fairs to assist staff members in representing Communities Together East Anglia. We will be hosting a number of events across Suffolk to raise important funds and to promote all of our current services and raise our charity profile.

This role could also include supporting community social activities to support family carers and/or people in later life.

Description of role:

This role could include -

To welcome guests to each event/fair as they arrive.
To be friendly and helpful.
To direct guests to the right location.
To assist with running fundraising activities I.e. tombola
To help serve refreshments
To help set up and clear away
To represent Communities Together East Anglia and promote our current services

What sort of person are you?

We need people who are outgoing and happy to chat to people at events/fairs.

If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to offer some time per month/event.

You must be over the age of 18 years

All volunteers will be DBS checked, receive safeguarding and an Induction will also be given.

All our volunteers are offered First Aid Awareness training and Dementia Friends Awareness.

“Digital Champion” Volunteers

Overview:

We are looking for social individuals within their community to work alongside and represent Communities Together East Anglia as a Digital Champion. We want to ensure that everyone can take advantage of being online if they want to and enjoy the huge benefits the internet offers such as saving money, being in touch with family and friends, activities/games, managing their health/wellbeing and undertaking tasks such as food shopping, banking, and travel.

As a Digital Champion you will support individuals/groups over 55+ to build their confidence and knowledge with using Digital Technology, these skills will help them adapt to the changing world and can assist in removing barriers such as loneliness.

Being a Digital Champion is also an exciting opportunity for you personally to improve your own digital skills and experience.

Description of Role:

Become a Digital Champion by completing 3 x Essential training course’s online which is supported by a training company Digital Unite.
You will have access to the Digital Unite training site to continue to develop your skills and download material to support you in sessions.
Attend monthly Digital Champion Chats online to meet fellow colleagues, share information and ideas (45 mins).
Support “Tea & Tech” sessions Face to Face once a month (2 Hours, held in local library).
Digital Support over the phone (if appropriate)
Digital Support over video call (if appropriate)
Provide written Feedback after a “Tea & Tech”, phone or video call
Communities Together East Anglia Digital Inclusion Co-ordinator will be in regular contact with you, and they will be there to support you in your role, this maybe training, resource material or welfare catch up.

What sort of person are you?

​This role would suit you if you were passionate about your community, friendly, and confident talking to people, either one to one or in a group. A good listener and have a few hours to spare ideally on a regular basis. If you are trustworthy, respectful, and keen to help isolated and less able people, we would love to hear from you. All volunteers will be DBS checked and the organisation Safeguarding Policy and Induction will be given. A role specific induction will also take place between yourself and the Digital Inclusion Co-ordinator. All our volunteers are offered First Aid and Dementia Friends Awareness Training.

Enquiry Form

General – 01449 707030
Community Transport – 01449 614271
Later Life Community Connect – 01284 334516
Suffolk Carers Matter – 01449 707030

Email info@communitiestogether-ea.org

Or you can enter details on the form below and it will be sent to the relevant department.

If you are a professional enquiring on behalf of a client, please make your referral through the Suffolk Information Partnership wherever possible. If this is not possible, please make reference to your relationship with the referee in the message box.

Name *

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Last

Email *

Telephone *

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Which service would you like to enquire about?

• Suffolk Carers Matter
• Later Life Community
• Community Transport (including Rickshaw)
• Volunteering
• Other

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Are you enquiring for yourself, or another person?

• Yes, myself
• No, another

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