JOB DESCRIPTION

Job Title:Befriending Co-ordinator

Responsible to:

Hours Per Week:Full time

Main Job Purpose:

To ensure the efficient co-ordination of the Befriending Service and to promote the independence, health, wellbeing and quality of life for ACH clients, through valuing and enhancing their lives.

Deliver the Homes & Housing Befriending Scheme for Council tenants to the agreed aims and objectives, promoting confidence and independence and enabling tenants to be active in their communities, access existing services and receive support from family, friends and peers.

Ensure the implementation of preventative and earlier intervention services, set out in the Care Act 2014.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Service Delivery and Support

1.To co-ordinate the ACH Befriending Service and deliver the London Borough of Havering befriending scheme for sheltered housing tenants.

2.Working closely with line manager and Director of Operations, ensure the service operates in line with Age Concern Havering’s policies, procedures and values.

3.To manage the selection, induction and training of volunteers, offering appropriate guidance where necessary.

4.To work with line manager and Befriending Volunteers to ensure the delivery of the befriending service objectives for Home befriending and Active befriending (i.e. accompanied activities outside the home).

5.To assess all incoming referrals for the Befriending Service, maintaining records of referrals, acceptances and rejections to the service and providing written outcomes when required.

6.To ensure that service users that are rejected are written to and, where possible, signposted to alternative service provision.

7.To facilitate client/volunteer links.

8.To ensure the development of personalised, outcomes based 12-week goal plans.

9.To regularly review the outcomes model to understand how service users are being enabled and revise goal plans as appropriate.

10.To ensure that the service users are enabled to have increased access to their communities, existing services, family and natural networks of support.

11.To promote the use of technological befriending options for service users that are unable to leave their homes, as well as supporting the service user to invite people into their homes.

12.To ensure that all service users are reviewed after their initial 12 week period and, for those continuing on the scheme, at 12 weekly intervals thereafter.

13.To ensure that exit strategies are developed and that service users are provided with an individual resources pack on exit of the befriending service.

14.To maintain and update the database of clients for monitoring and evaluation purposes.

15.To co-ordinate annual service user surveys, collate feedback and evaluate service provided.

16.To co-ordinate the collection of data necessary to provide specific information needed for KPI’s and external requirements and outcomes.

Service Development and Planning

17.To support line manager in the development of the overall Volunteer Support Service.

18.To supportline manager and the Director of Operations with the planning and development of the Befriending Service.

19.To research the needs of ACH clients and their carers and develop the service to respond to them.

20.To expand the Befriending Service as per the business plan for the service.

21.To support line manager in producing any contract monitoring reports, quarterly and annually, as requested by The Social Care Commissioning Team.

22.To support line manager in producing regular service, organisational and financial information for the Social Care Commissioning Team.

23.To regularly monitor and evaluate the performance of the service, and perform client satisfaction surveys as directed and as necessary to develop the service and inform decision making.

24.To ensure that the project is kept abreast of local and national best practice and legislative changes as well as government initiatives/directives regarding the client group.

External Relationships

25.To maintain a good working relationship with various partner agencies and funders of Age Concern Havering.

26.To promote the Befriending Service,and all other services of Age Concern Havering, enabling a maximum number of clients to benefit from all its services.

Miscellaneous

27.To undertake research and pilot new initiatives in response to clients’needs.

28.To undertake appropriate training as required.

It is expected that all employees will carry out other such duties in relation to Age Concern Havering’s function as may be reasonably required. Age Concern Havering reserves the right to amend reporting lines as required to meet business needs.

JOB SPECIFICATION ACCEPTANCE:

I hereby confirm that I have read and understand the information held within this job description.

Name: ______

Signature: ______

AGE CONCERN HAVERING

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Title:Befriending Co-ordinator

Experience/Abilities

1. / Experience of working with volunteers. / E
2. / Experience of the recruitment of volunteers. / E
3. / Experience of developing training and support systems for volunteers. / E
4. / Experience of supervising volunteers. / E
5. / An understanding of the needs of older people. / E
6. / Knowledge of methods of assessing the needs of older people. / E
7. / Experience of facilitating and managing meetings. / D
8. / Experience of working face to face and communicating with members of the public. / E
9. / IT literate, experience and ability to use computerised systems. / E
10. / Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing, including telephone skills and writing minutes / reports. / E
11. / Ability to work on own and as a member of a team. / E
12. / Ability to use initiative and work creatively and flexibly to achieve the objectives of the post. / E
13. / Ability to prioritise and manage time and resources in a competent manner. / E
14. / Understanding and commitment to the aims of Age Concern Havering. / D
15. / An understanding of Equal Opportunities and how it applies to the work of a voluntary organisation. / E

General Requirements

16. / Ability to work flexible hours to meet the needs of the organisation. / E

E –Essential

D–Desirable

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