Connection Volunteer

This role is now full

About Crisis at Christmas  

Christmas can be very challenging, but particularly for people who do not have a place that they can call home. We mobilise a huge volunteer effort to bring warmth, companionship, and vital services to people at one of the hardest times of the year. We help people take their first steps out of homelessness, offering Crisis’ year-round support and training to help them leave homelessness behind for good. 

About the role 

• You can perform this remote role in any part of Great Britain, all we ask is that you conduct the calls in a confidential environment 
• You will be supporting guests and members who are socially isolated over the Christmas period to stay connected to Crisis. You will do this by providing regular wellbeing calls to check how they are and to offer companionship during the festive period
• You will provide a listening ear to the guest and monitor general wellbeing, feeding back any concerns or actions to the Connection Team Leader
• You will provide a brief record of calls made 
• You will take referrals from our Call Centre team and schedule calls with your clients over the Christmas period
• The role is remote and can be done from anywhere. Calls will take place between 22nd December and 5th January
• All telephone Connection Volunteers receive full training and ongoing support from their designated Service Coordinator

Skills and experience we are looking for  

We are looking for volunteers with: 

• Good listening and communication skills 
• Patience and sensitivity 
• Understanding of confidentiality and boundaries
• Reliability and flexibility 

This role would suit a senior volunteer, a trained Samaritan or Guest Welfare volunteer who has experience of supporting guests at Christmas. We also welcome those with experience working or volunteering in the homeless sector. 

The volunteer will arrange and commit to regular telephone calls with guests who are isolated over the Christmas period. 

Additional Info 

All Crisis at Christmas Volunteers are asked to:  

• Comply with Crisis policies including health and safety, data protection and Volunteer code of conduct at all times  
• Maintain the privacy and confidentiality of all accessible information about guests, members and the organisation  
• Be positive, productive and have the passion to help end homelessness   
• Please note, we may conduct a short telephone interview to talk about your background and/or qualifications
• You may be only able to work for half a shift and we will do our best to accommodate your preferences. Please send an email to ccservices@crisis.org.uk if this is the case.
• We strive to ensure that our services are welcoming, remain relevant and are fully accessible to everyone that we help and support. We are particularly welcoming of volunteers from diverse and other marginalised communities, as this helps us ensure the best experience for those that we are here to help. People who have lived experience of homelessness are also particularly welcome to apply.
• This role requires an Enhanced DBS check. If you hold a DBS certificate issued for Crisis in 2020, this will still be valid for your volunteering this year.