Volunteers on our culturally sensitive befriending scheme will help to reduce older people’s feelings of loneliness and isolation through regular telephone calls and visits to their home. These regular conversations help to build a meaningful interaction in a comfortable environment.
Please note: due to current restrictions, this role is currently remote and befriending is done over the telephone. In the future when restrictions lift, you may be able to meet up with the older person you are matched with, if you wish.
Where possible, we aim to match volunteers and older people according to their needs (e.g. someone who lives locally, speaks the same language, from the same or different cultural background).
What is the Inclusive Community Care project?
The Inclusive Community Care project builds on our existing Good Neighbour Scheme and is adapted so that it is culturally sensitive and catered towards the needs of older people and volunteers from Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic backgrounds.
The services and other volunteering opportunities available at SCCCC are open to volunteers from all cultural, ethnic and religious backgrounds. However, as part of the Inclusive Community Care project we are especially looking to recruit Black, Asian & Minority Ethnic volunteers. Ethnic Minority older people face many barriers in accessing much needed support such as language and cultural barriers. By recruiting volunteers from Ethnic Minority communities and those who speak community languages, we hope will address these barriers. This means an older person can be supported and understood by somebody they can relate to, and perhaps even have someone to speak to in their own mother tongue.
So if you are Asian, Arab, African, Caribbean, of other white/ European background (such as gypsy, polish etc) or of any other cultural and ethnic background then we'd love to hear from you!
This role can be done remotely via telephone at the moment, if desired.
What skills do I need?
Have a caring attitude, the ability to listen, must be reliable, trustworthy and have the ability to work unsupervised. Must be culturally competent/ sensitive
It would be desirable if you can speak an additional language such as Arabic, Chinese, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, Somali, Slovak, Polish, Persian/Farsi, Kurdish ( to name a few!)
What will I gain?
An insight into issues facing older people from different communities.
Improved social and communication skills
Experience of delivering a new and exciting befriending scheme
Supporting older people from different cultural backgrounds
The ability to support older people
References for future employment
Training and support
All volunteers are offered an induction course and occasional training events throughout the year. Staff are always available to give support and advice.
Time commitment
At least one hour a week, long term commitment. Timings will be flexible and agreed between the volunteer and older person
DBS (criminal records) check
Yes
Location
We always try to place volunteers in their preferred geographical area. Currently could be remote.