Volunteering with EDA Enables Our Volunteers To

Why volunteer for Enfield Disability Action?

EDA aims to make volunteering a positive and enjoyable experience and believes that it is equally important to support our volunteers as it is to support staff members. EDA strives to remove any disability access barriers so that disabled people can take up the voluntary placements on offer.

Volunteering with EDA enables our volunteers to:

Ø  Improve skills such as confidence, interpersonal skills, team building, time management, communication skills.

Ø  Widen knowledge of computer literacy and technology (including a number of software packages) by accessing dedicated in-house training.

Ø  Work in an office environment and in accordance with the Advice Quality Standards.

Ø  Develop networking skills.

Volunteering with EDA offers people the opportunity to develop new skills and abilities in a safe, supported and relaxed environment. Volunteers are provided with training opportunities to acquire appropriate skills to undertake the placement and provide an excellent service to disabled people and their carers.

Having put Peer Support in place EDA provides an environment where experiences are shared giving both staff and volunteers a unique opportunity to learn from each other and to resolve any problems.

A high number of our volunteers have used the skills and confidence they have gained at EDA to move into paid employment and/or further training and education. Many others have continued to volunteer and some have chosen to join the Board of Directors. So why don’t you join the team at Enfield Disability Action and help to make a difference?

Volunteers Statements

About Enfield Disability Action (EDA)

Enfield Disability Action (EDA) is a pan-impairment organisation run by and for disabled people of all ages. EDA works to, and promotes, a social model of disability.
As a user led organisation EDA provides an umbrella for local disability groups, and shares training, policy development and best-practice guidance to facilitate the development of this section of the local third sector.
EDA works strategically with Voluntary and Statutory partners, provides input to local planning and consultative mechanisms, conducts research, enables project development, sources funding, provides a core organisational infrastructure, facilitates quality-assured practices and hosts the following services:

Ø  Advocacy

Supports disabled people to know their rights, make their own decisions, have more choice and control in their lives and speak up for themselves.

Ø  CancerLIFE

Provides support to a self-help group for people effected by cancer in Enfield.

Ø  Deaf Project

Provides opportunities for Deaf People to explore issues and access to services. Supports Deaf People to claim benefits and services.

Ø  Udirect Support Service

Direct Payments is a cash payment from Enfield Social Services to enable disabled people to buy Care Services directly. Udirect provides information and advice to help people to manage their Direct Payments Care package.

Ø  Disability Information & Advice Project

Provides information and advice on all aspects of disability to disabled people and their carers. The project helps people claim over ½ million pounds worth of disability benefits every year. Service includes home visits, Drop-ins and Outreach Sessions.

Ø  Safeguarding & engagement

Supports awareness-raising of abuse, arranges advocacy through the reporting process and works to improve the reporting of hate crime in Enfield. The project also co-ordinates input from disabled people into consultation processes to ensure that their needs are always considered when planning services.

Ø  Enfield Advice Services Transitions (EAST)

Is a partnership that is comprised of a number of voluntary organisations which aims to assist advice organisations in Enfield to respond more effectively to the changing legal and funding environment and to build the capacity of the sector to continue to provide high quality services for disabled people and carers.

All services are provided free to disabled people and carers and are not conditional upon membership.
As a large, modern User-Led Organisation, the ethos of EDA is shaped by the voice of local users and developments in the Independent Living movement. The following statements summarise the organisational approach and values. In all aspects of our work, we…

Ø  …aim to inform, enable and support the choices that disabled people make towards independent and diverse lifestyles

Ø  …support disabled people’s evolving aspirations as service uptake increases their options and confidence

Ø  …place the emphasis on what support the individual needs to achieve their goals, NEVER assuming that the person cannot manage

Ø  …work towards removing the prejudice of low-expectation, whether it comes from the client, or elsewhere

Ø  …are committed to ongoing consultation with our clients, in order to bring about continual improvement in line with their needs

Ø  …work with other agencies and organisations to maintain productive and positive working relationships

Enfield Disability Action Equalities and Diversity Statement

Enfield Disability Action takes pride in being a diverse organisation, enriched by the participation of all individuals and communities. We recognise that prejudice and discrimination continue to result in unfair treatment for many people. We are committed to addressing this by:

Ø  ensuring the effectiveness of our equal opportunities policies

Ø  being clear and open about our values and promoting them

Ø  listening, learning and taking action to bring about change.

Ø  requiring the EDA Team – Directors, staff and volunteers – to be aware of and act in accordance with our policies and procedures.

Volunteering with Enfield Disability Action

Enfield Disability Action depends upon many people who give up their time to assist EDA’s projects in providing the best quality of services possible.

You can help us by:

Ø  Becoming a volunteer with one of EDA’s projects. Please see the placement details enclosed for further information.

or

Ø  Becoming a professional Advisor to EDA’s Board

Ø  Become a Director / Trustee of Enfield Disability Action

All of our volunteers undergo training as part of their induction and can be offered further training as identified during supervision and their volunteer placement.

A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required for all placements.

How to Apply

All interested applicants should complete the application form below and return it to Enfield Disability Action by email:

Please remember to state the volunteering position you are interested in when emailing your application.

If you have any further enquiries, please contact using the details below:

Enfield Disability Action

Community House

311 Fore Street

London N9 0PZ

Tel.: 0208 373 6228

Fax: 0208 373 6223

E-mail:

*Please note that an application to become a Director/trustee requires full membership of EDA as a disabled person and two nominations from EDA members in addition to two references. Appointment takes place during AGM but you can be co-opted to join the board prior to the meeting. Please contact EDA to discuss your nomination.

VOLUNTEERING APPLICATION FORM

CONFIDENTIAL

This form must be completed in full by all candidates.

Please do not attach a CV as it will not be considered

Volunteering position applied for:

1. Personal Information

LAST NAME: / FORENAME/S:
PERMANENT ADDRESS:
CONTACT DETAILS
HOME: / WORK:
MOBILE: / EMAIL:

2. References (Two referees are required)

1. Present / most recent employer /placement / 2. Second referee
Name: / Name:
Address: / Address:
Tel No: / Tel No:
Capacity in which they know you: / Capacity in which they know you:

3. Relevant Education and Training

Please give here relevant details of education and qualifications including current/proposed

courses and any membership of professional associations.

Schools / College etc / From/To / Qualification(s) with dates

4. Relevant Employment and Voluntary Experience

Present, or most recent post / placement:
Job / Placement Title:
Employer’s Name and Address:
Reporting to:
Date started: / Date of leaving(if applicable):

Please give a brief description of duties and responsibilities:

Previous posts:

Please list all previous employment / voluntary placements, starting with the post held immediately before post described above (Please use separate sheet if necessary):

Employer / Voluntary Placement Details / From/To / Job / Placement Title and brief description of duties

5. Supporting Statement

This section is central to your application. Decision to invite you to an interview will be

based on what you tell us here about how you fulfil the role as a volunteer. (Please continue on separate page if necessary):

7. Additional Information

Any placement is subject to a Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) check where the following documents will need to be provided:

Ø  Proof of identity i.e. passport, photo driving license, national identity card

Ø  2 current utility bills

Ø  National Insurance number

Ø  Address details for the last 5 years

If appointed, when could you start?

How did you hear of this vacancy:

8. Declaration

I declare that the information provided on this form and on any accompanying documents is

true to the best of my knowledge and belief. I understand that false information may lead to

the termination of volunteer placement.

I agree that the content of this form and of any accompanying documents may be treated as

part of any Volunteer Placement Agreement issued between myself and Enfield Disability Action.

Signed:……………………………………………..Date:…………………………………….

Enfield Disability Action is working towards being an Equal Opportunities employer.

Please return this form to:

Enfield Disability Action

Community House

311 Fore Street

London N9 0PZ

Enfield Disability Action

Volunteer Recruitment Pack