Information and Advice Volunteer
Age UK Somerset
| Name: | Information and Advice Volunteer |
| Organisation: | Age UK Somerset |
| Location: | |
| Type: |
Part Time
The role is flexible as you can pick and choose where and when you would like to work, and you will make your own arrangements with the client you will be visiting.
Each appointment takes a couple of hours or so.
We do ask our Volunteers to carry out a certain number of assignments during the year and we also offer refresher training sessions to ensure your knowledge is up to date.
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Description
In the role of Information & Advice Volunteer, you can make a real difference to an older person’s life. When someone is struggling financially they often keep it to themselves and it can turn into a heavy weight, causing a great deal of anxiety and sleepless nights. In this volunteering role you can help to lift these horrible feelings and really improve a client’s quality of life.
We need Information and Advice volunteers across our whole area of North Somerset and Somerset.
After training and shadowing other volunteers on visits to ensure you feel confident, you will be offered assignments where you visit a client at their home to assist them in completing the forms which will enable them to receive the benefits they are entitled to, which can make a big difference.
Our Information and Advice team in the office are always on hand to provide support.
Although this may sound daunting, with every form and visit the process becomes easier and our Volunteers report getting an immense feeling of satisfaction every time they hear that one of their claims has been successful.
This role is never boring. Every assignment is different and you will get to meet interesting people along the way.
Request Organisation Contact Details
Organisation Description
Age UK Somerset exists to make life better for older people in Somerset and North Somerset.
There is much to celebrate about getting older, but our later years can also prove challenging: loss of confidence, lack of mobility, financial pressures and suffering from loneliness and isolation are just some of the issues our local older people face.
We offer a wide range of popular and well-used services and activities specifically developed to meet the needs of the over 60s and we need Volunteers to help us run them. These include our Active Befriending service, Friendly Phone Calls, Maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy ‘Memory Connections’ groups, Information and Advice service and lots of fun Ageing Well activity sessions. These services can not be provided without the support of our wonderful Volunteers.
NOW more than ever WE NEED YOUR HELP….These services can only continue with the support of people like you.
As a Volunteer, whatever time you can afford to give and whichever of our many roles you decide suits you the best, your contribution will be helping more older people to enjoy a happier and healthier later life.
When
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Cause / Interests
- Elderly
- Poverty and Debt
Types of Activity
- Administration
- Advice, Information and Support
- Community Work
Skills and Qualifications
Requirements
This role is suited to someone who would like to help older people in their community, who is well organised, ideally good with paperwork, good at listening and able to tactfully draw out the information needed to make a successful claim.
Benefits
• Talking to others and hearing interesting stories
• Increase in confidence
• Meet new people
• Feel happier
• Sense of belonging and feeling part of the community
• Improved Self-esteem
• Sense of Purpose
• Sense of Achievement
• Feel Less Lonely
• Improved Social Skills
Additional/Specific Suitabilities
| Minimum Age: | 18 | |
| Maximum Age: | NA | |
| Disabled Access: | Yes | |
| Wheelchair Access: | Yes | |
| Expenses: | Agreed out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed | |
| Restrictions: | NA | |
| Induction: | General charity induction session (lasts 1 hour) | |
| Insurance Cover: | You will be covered by our insurance while volunteering. If you are driving to your volunteering role you must inform your car insurer. | |
| Special Needs: | Dependent on need | |
| Offer: | Full support from the charity’s staff. | |
| Training: | Full training, refresher sessions and shadowing opportunities are available until the volunteer feels confident. | |
| Other: | NA |
Recruitment Method
Application form, DBS Check, References