This includes:
- helping in day centres, e.g. chatting to people, sharing any special skills you might have, helping staff, helping out at meal times
- driving people to appointments, e.g. at hospital
- delivering meals-on-wheels
- helping at lunch clubs, e.g. serving meals
- shopping and practical help around people's homes
- helping groups which support vulnerable people, by using skills you may have acquired either at work or in your personal life, e.g. doing the accounts, taking notes of meetings, computing
- helping in residential homes
- helping carers have time to do the things they can't do whilst they are caring, by providing a 'sitting' (respite) service
- helping people to be more involved in their communities - community connecting
- becoming a 'buddy' to disabled football/rugby supporters - Never Watch Alone.
Training and support
We can provide training to help you to work on our behalf, if you need it. We will also support you to settle comfortably into your new role and to maximise your skills and abilities.
Expenses
We will refund any money which you may pay in your role as a volunteer, e.g. petrol costs if you need to take someone to hospital.
Insurance
We will provide full and adequate insurance to cover you for the work you do for us. However, if you use your own car, we ask you to provide evidence that you hold fully comprehensive insurance.
Confidentiality
We ask you to sign a declaration to say that any personal information provided by or in relation to people who receive services from the council is kept confidential by yourself, and only discussed by you with people entitled to that information.
Checks on your background
Because you will be working with 'vulnerable' people, we ask you to complete a Disclosure Application Form, so your details can be checked with the Criminal Records Bureau (external link). This is standard practice, but it can take a few weeks for a response.
What to do next
Complete our online application form, or download an application form (.pdf, 42kb) and return it to us. We will then send you the CRB form to complete.
