Job Title: Befriending Coordinator
Location: Kettering Business Exchange
Area: Kettering Corby
Salary: £20,670.00 pro rata
Job Type: Full time, Fixed term contract to March 2024
Working Hours: 30 hours per week
Responsible to: iCAN Countywide Befriending Manager
Deadline for applications: 18th July 2023
SERVE is an established charity that has been helping local people stay safe and independent since the 1980s.
Our befriending service helps to reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness for older people, enabling individuals to remain living independently in their own home. Befriending offers supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to people who would otherwise be socially isolated. We are looking for someone who can deliver a safe and reliable befriending service in Kettering & Corby.
We are keen to attract applicants who reflect the diverse communities we support across North Northamptonshire.
Purpose of the Job:
- Assess and coordinate a successful befriending service, supporting our beneficiaries in the community.
- Ensure beneficiaries and volunteers are adequately safeguarded.
- Match volunteers with beneficiaries, taking into consideration hobbies, interests, and availability.
- Identify new opportunities to increase the organisations befriending service and to ensure sustainability.
- Monitor and evaluate the project with case studies to ensure service user satisfaction and outcomes are being met.
- Measure outcomes and maintain records to monitor performance, facilitate the evaluation of the service and to meet monthly reporting requirements.
- Be responsible for ensuring all person-identifiable information is stored and/or disposed of appropriately, that information governance and confidentiality procedures are adhered to.
- Play an active role in the recruitment, retention, training and development of volunteers.
- Encouraging peer support.
- Work and liaise effectively with stakeholders and partners fostering.
Administration of Service Delivery:
- Monitor the befriending relationships to ensure they are operating successfully and outcomes for the individuals involved are being met.
- Maintain records of the volunteers, beneficiaries and relevant contact as per contractual requirements in accordance with the Data Protection Act and Data Protection Regulations.
- Prepare reports accordingly and contribute recommendations for improvements and future develops for the service.
- Liaise with Adult Social Care, health and other statutory authorities to promote the service, identify potential service users and to foster good working relationships.
- Provide induction, and ongoing training needs sourcing suitable training opportunities in liaison with the iCAN Countywide Befriending Manager.
- Professionally represent SERVE, attend meetings and training whilst working with initiative in delivering the service.
About you:
Experience:
- Working with people from vulnerable groups
- Supporting people living with dementia and long-term health conditions
- Establishing and maintaining partnerships
- Experience of delivering and monitoring projects
- Managing and supporting volunteers
- Ability to set priorities and manage workload while remaining responsive to events.
- Experience of developing strong partnerships and joint working arrangements with other organisations
Knowledge and Qualifications:
- Educated to A level standards or equivalent and/or high levels of experience in similar work, knowledge using MS Office, Email systems and any customer relationship management systems (CRMs)
- Ability to produce statistical and operational reports
- Knowledge of voluntary sector
Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrate appropriate language and communication techniques dependent on the audience
- An approachable, flexible, positive attitude that encourages individuals to take a solution focussed approach
- The ability to support beneficiaries and volunteers and communicate clearly and effectively
- Dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of the service, developing and maintaining effective relationships, and building trust
Working Requirements:
- Ability to meet deadlines and targets
- Willingness to engage in continual professional development
- Full driving licence and vehicle available for travel for work
Equality and Diversity:
- Values diversity, differing cultural perspectives and works effectively with people regardless of appearance, disabilities or beliefs
- Demonstrates ability to work in a non-judgmental manner
Benefits:
- Training & development opportunities
- 25 days holiday
- Contributory pension scheme
Please click on the APPLY button to send your CV and Cover Letter for this role.
Candidates with the relevant experience or job titles of; Befriending Coordinator, Social Care, Support Provision Supervisor, Support Supervisor, Service Coordinator, Support Worker, CRM, Customer Relationship Management and Volunteering Administrator may also be considered for this role.
