Volunteer Specification

Volunteer Specification

Volunteer Role:Information & Support line

Accountable To: Board of Trustees

Responsible To:Helpline Staff

Volunteering Sessions: A session is 2 hours

(min commitment 1 session a week)

The role of anInformation & Support Line Volunteer is to answer calls from grandparents, families and professionals on issues related to grandparents for a period of up to two hours per session giving information and support to callers on issues regarding grandparenting.Training will be provided but this is a position that requires the volunteer to receive telephone calls in their own home. Sessions are as and when the volunteer can spare the time and all volunteering is done at no expense to the volunteer as all materials, postage etc. will be provided.

Main purpose of the role

• To cover Information & Support line telephone calls during a specific time
• To give support and information to callers on grandparenting issues arising from those calls
• To send out any relevant information that may be required as a result of the calls
• To have a sympathetic, caring nature

Main Responsibilities

1. Attend training courses as appropriate.
2. Answer Information & Support line telephone calls and taking action as necessary.
3. Complete Information & Support line call sheets for each incoming call and return completed forms to the Grandparents’ Association office.
4. Send out any information that may be required by the caller.

The following are the agreed ‘core competencies’ that everyone working for the Association (staff, volunteer, trustee) should understand and commit to. These will form the basis of any job or role description and must be considered in all aspects of service design and delivery.

The appreciation of the fact that the child, and enabling the best outcomes for every grandchild, is at the centre of all service delivery is a starting point for anyone involved in the work of the Grandparents’ Association. Alongside that core competencies are:

• Respect – for the service user/customer, their family and their situation at all times.

• Empathy - understanding of the key needs met by the services the GPA delivers and ability to empathise with service users.

• Communication – an ability to communicate clearly in written and verbal communications without the use of jargon.

• Confidentiality / data protection – understanding of good practice in protecting individual data at all times

• Ability to work with others in a team where appropriate but also confidence to work alone with element of autonomy where appropriate.

• Ambassador - understanding that where they have been given approval to attend a related event , or are talking to a grandparent or professional, they are representing the views, beliefs and policies of the GPA – and not any personal views they may hold.