Triage Support Volunteer

Role summaryAssisting clients with form filling, specifically, ESA, PIP, Housing Benefit and any other forms. Supporting the operation of your Plymouth office in their day to day business.

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

LocationErnest English House, Buckwell Street, Plymouth, PL1 2DA

Supervised byTBC

Why get involved with Shelter?

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 Devonwith 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. 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 can include

  • Meeting and greeting clients
  • Booking in clients for interviews with our advisers
  • Helping clients with form filling
  • Giving out information and leaflets
  • Signposting people to other services if we are unable to help
  • Researching housing issues
  • General basic admin, such as photocopying, scanning, creating client files and filing
  • Initial assessments of Shelter clients during Plymouth’s drop in advice service

Skills and Abilities Required

  • Experience of working with the public
  • Able to sensitively deal with people experiencing upheaval in their lives
  • Interest in housing and homelessness
  • Ability to organise your own work, manage your time and work on your own initiative
  • Using computer programs such as Word and Excel to a good standard
  • Effective communication skills and the ability to understand the needs of our clients
  • Willingness to follow Shelter’s policies, including volunteering, health and safety, equality and diversity and 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
  • 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 by completing an application online via , or alternatively please complete a paper application form and return it to
  • As this role may require you to handle sensitive information, we are obliged to carry out 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.