Volunteer Role Profile

Role Homeless Prevention Welfare ServiceVolunteer.

Role summaryProviding help and guidance to clients accessing the Homeless Prevention Welfare Service and supporting the operation of your local Shelter Office in their day to day business.

Suggested InvolvementOne day per week minimum suggested for around 6 months, but this is flexible

LocationSifa Fireside, 48-52 Allcock St, Birmingham, B9 4DY and Shelter, Gateway House, 50-53 High Street, Birmingham, B4 7SY

Supervised bySenior Adviser

More than one million people a year come to us for advice and support via our website, help lines, and national network of services. We help people to find and keep a home in a place where they can thrive, and we tackle the root causes of bad housing by campaigning for new laws, policies and practice.

As a Volunteer, you will be an invaluable part of our team as we strive to provide the people of Birmingham with free, expert housing advice from trained advisers on a wide range of housing and debt issues including homelessness, housing applications, housing benefit and issues relating to fuel poverty. You can also join one of our specialised support serviceswho help with a variety of complex issues such as homelessness, domestic abuse, troubled families, mental health and offending.We support thousands of clients a year and are committed to delivering more of what we do to the people who need us most.

Main Tasks to include

  • Shadowing Advice/Case workers
  • Inputting information on to our case management system
  • Making telephone calls to gain information / update clients
  • General basic admin, such as photocopying, scanning, creating client files and filing
  • Floor-walking speaking to clients and updating them on process of their application of accommodation
  • Support Advice/Case workers with day to day work.
  • Staffing reception area
  • Filing

Skills and Abilities Required

  • Experience of working with the public
  • Interest in social welfare law e.g. housing; welfare benefits; debt; community care
  • Effective communication skills and the ability to understand the needs of our customers
  • Ability to organise your own work, manage your time and work on your own initiative
  • Confident using computers and programs such as Word and Excel to a good standard
  • Willingness to follow Shelter’s policies, including volunteering, health & safety, equality & diversity & confidentiality

Induction, Learning & Development

To enable you take part in this opportunity Shelter will

  • Provide a volunteer pack including a Handbook and all Policies and Procedures
  • Provide e-learning: Equality & Diversity, Health and Safety, Data Protection, Case Management Systems (if appropriate)
  • Provide relevant training, coaching and shadowing to enable you to fulfil your role
  • Reimburse “out of pocket” expenses in line with Shelter’s volunteer expenses policy

Benefits of Volunteering with Shelter

  • Supporting and learning about the work of a large national charity
  • Developing transferable skills
  • Enhances your CV, we can help you to update this and will provide references when you leave our services

Next Steps

  • Please apply online by clicking the ‘apply for this position’ button for the application form. Alternatively, if you have received an application pack via post or email, please complete the application and return it to . After you have applied, we will invite successful candidates to an informal interview to discuss the role further.
  • You will be involved in regulated activity for this role, and for this reason we require you to undertake a basic DBS check.
  • Please note, you will be asked to declare any unspent convictions. Having a criminal record does not mean that you cannot volunteer with us. It may limit the different ways that you can get involved, but please contact us (using the email stated above), if you require more information.

This is a voluntary position that supports the work of our services and is not replacing the work of a paid member of staff. This role description does not form part of any contract of employment.