Victim Support

Job Description

Job Title: Volunteer Coordinator

Department:Victim Support Kingston

Reporting to: Senior Service Delivery Manager

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  1. Main purpose of the job
  • The Volunteer Coordinator will organise and develop the work relating to volunteers and victims of crime. The post holder will maintain an overview of volunteer activity on a regular basis. The focus of the post will be on providing the necessary support and training to all volunteers to ensure an effective service to victims of crime.

2.Main tasks

Allocation of Referrals

  • Be responsible for the daily allocation of referrals to volunteers, briefing them on background information and appropriate action required.
  • Ensure that clients are allocated to volunteers within one working day of a request for contact being made.
  • Follow up referral work designated to volunteers as appropriate, monitoring their caseloads, assessing the quality of their work, ensuring that case notes are returned by volunteers and that contacts are entered on the Case Management System.
  • Decide on the appropriate methods of offering support to victims with the resources available.
  • Deal with referrals not suitable for Victim Support by referring on as appropriate.
  • Maintain records of volunteer availability, training and working practices and ensure personal details are accurately recorded on relevant systems.
  • Preserve Victim Support's confidentiality policy when dealing with personal records.

Volunteer Recruitment, Support and Training

  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in recruiting and maintaining a team of volunteers who reflect the local community.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in advertising and promote Victim Support to attract potential volunteers.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in the selection and assessment of new volunteers in line with policy.
  • Provide appropriate ongoing support to volunteers, by daily contact, regular support group meetings, social events and one-to-one support sessions as necessary.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in providing annual performance reviews with volunteers and use the outcome to develop, motivate, reward and retain volunteers.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager and the BME Outreach worker in recruiting volunteers for BME work within the borough.
  • Provide practical help and advice to volunteers on a daily basis.
  • Provide regular awareness sessions with a diversity focus.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in maintaining adequate numbers of specialist-trained volunteers, making best use of courses provided by Victim Support.
  • Support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in maintaining volunteer files, and training records and organise CRB checks etc.
  • Be responsible for issuing volunteer Identity Cards and for keeping up to date records of volunteer’s names and card numbers.
  • Undertake such administrative tasks as required for the efficient completion of the duties entailed in the post.

Special Responsibilities

  • Responsibility for initial contact with and assessment of the needs of victims of crime and the allocation of cases.
  • To undertake a limited amount of client work (on completion of relevant training) when suitable volunteers are not available.
  • To provide 1:1 casework management support to specialist trained volunteers that are working with victims of serious crime.
  • To support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in liaising and maintaining contact with local police Community Support Units.
  • To represent Victim Support and to participate in meetings of local groups/forums as required by the Manager.
  • To support the Senior Service Delivery Manager in giving talks to local groups and agencies on the work of Victim Support and victim’s issues generally.
  • Provide the Senior Service Delivery Manager with information and statistics regarding volunteers and client work.

3.General

  • Attendance at team meetings and 1:1 sessions.
  • Dealing with queries from the public.
  • Participation in training to develop personal skills and knowledge relevant to the nature of the post.
  • Keep up-to-date with developments in Victim Support at National and local level.
  • Implement Victim Support procedures and policies.

4.Special Conditions

  • Be prepared to be flexible in meeting the demands of the post, as the post holder will be expected to work some evenings and some weekends.
  • Be prepared to be flexible in the work location, with the understanding that the post holder may be required to work from any location within the London region.

Person Specification

Job title:Volunteer Co-ordinator
Department:Victim Support Kingston

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Experience:
  • Delivering a service in statutory, voluntary or community or private social care setting
  • Managing a team with a strong client service focus (s)
  • Managing volunteers in a range of different roles (s)
  • Providing support and guidance to people delivering a social care service
  • Working with people who have a range of different lifestyles
  • Outreach work with BME communities (s)
Knowledge and understanding of:
  • Issues facing the voluntary sector and volunteers
  • The impact of crime
  • The issues facing victims of crime in the BME community (s)
  • The importance of confidentiality and safe working practices
  • Diversity issues and principles
Skills and Abilities:
  • Communicate effectively, verbally and in written form (s)
  • Demonstrate empathy and control own emotions
  • Influence others
  • Build and sustain relationships
  • Gather, analyse and use information and evidence from different sources
  • Think and plan operationally
  • Lead and manage change
  • Promote organisational interests and values
  • Build and lead effective teams (s)
  • Work with a team towards clear objectives
  • Value, support, and manage others
  • Balance competing needs and interests
  • Solve problems
  • Use generic IT applications
  • Recognise own strengths and weaknesses
Other:
  • Work flexible hours to meet the needs of the volunteers

BME – Black and Minority Ethnic