Role description: Welcome Area Volunteer
Providence Row is a homeless charity tackling the root causes of homelessness to
help people get off, and stay off, the streets. Last year, almost 1,000 people used
our services. Working with people to build skills and confidence is the key to
success. We do this through our trainee schemes, language classes and
employment support. The support we provide for mental health and addiction
issues helps people to rejoin the community. We also help people to return to their
home communities and families, in the UK and abroad.
The role description outlines the tasks and responsibilities a volunteer will carry out
in this role. We recognise that volunteers have different strengths and want to gain
different skills, so to keep the role relevant to volunteers it is reviewed in regular
meetings with your supervisor.
The Resource Centre’s Welcome Area is the first point of contact for everyone who
visits Providence Row, and for rough sleepers the chance to have breakfast and
speak with someone about their situation.
We are looking for confident and enthusiastic Welcome Area volunteers capable of
working with clients who have varying levels of vulnerability and challenging
behaviour.
It is not a prerequisite for you to have worked in this sector, but ideally you will
have good people skills, some experience of providing customer services or have
similar transferrable skills, be ICT proficient and able to create an environment that
is welcoming and safe.
We are inclusive in the way we work with volunteers, and have a facilitative
approach that naturally provides the opportunity for Continued Personal
Development.
We provide a structured induction with one to one training, development and
supportive work reviews, with the opportunity for specialist external training as
opportunities become available.
We will pay travel costs up to £10 per day and provide luncheon vouchers to the
value of £5 per day.
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Responsible to: Charles O’Madden, Welcome Area Coordinator
Purpose of the role: To represent Providence Row as the first point of contact
and support the Welcome Area to deliver a focused and compassionate service to
all Resource Centre visitors.
Task based objectives:

Ensure all visitors are greeted in a warm and welcoming way and, where
required, met by appropriate staff.

Have a considered approach to work, communicating effectively while being
aware of own body language.

Pre-assess (initial assessment) new clients making good use of open
questions to facilitate recording of basic needs and services.

Use the assessment outcomes to inform actions available that are realistic
and achievable for the clients circumstances and where necessary
handover information to Personal Advisors.

Interact with clients in a facilitative way and use our database to record preassessment and attendance information.

Support clients to make benefit applications using the internet and
telephone.

Work with clients to prepare letters using Microsoft Word and complete
documentation necessary to obtain support.

Answer and forward internal / external telephone calls, using Microsoft
Outlook to relay emails to the appropriate member of staff.

Utilise online scheduling software to book pre-assessment meetings,
monitor bookings, courtesy text messaging, and feedback.

Prepare and store clients ID and personal documentation;

Support the Welcome Area Coordinator to maintain a safe environment for
all staff, visitors and clients;
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Person specification:
Knowledge and Experience
Essential /
Desirable
Ability to handle personal data and maintain confidentiality at all times
Essential
A good knowledge of ICT and experience of database use
Essential
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Essential
Excellent time management skills and the ability to work to deadlines
Essential
Ability to work outside of normal office hours (e.g. 8am start time)
Optional
Experience of dealing with challenging behaviour - this may be in a customer
service environment or working with vulnerable people. Experience from paid,
unpaid or personal situations are all acceptable.
Fluent in more than one language, please indicate which languages you are
fluent in on your application form.
Competencies
Desirable
Takes the time to understand difficulties without pre-judgment and with a view
to overcoming them (Compassion)
Essential
Exercises the same degree of consideration and care for all those who come
to Providence Row, whatever the reason (Respect)
Essential
Welcomes and seeks to involve everybody, whatever their background,
presenting issues, ethnicity, nationality or faith (Inclusiveness)
Essential
Works with people, not for people, to enable them to realise their gifts, abilities
and talents (Empowerment)
Essential
Acts fairly and promotes justice within the organisation and in relation to the
needs and rights of people who use our services (Justice)
Essential
Demonstrates emotional intelligence, understands the needs of others and
recognises the impact of their behaviour on others
Essential
Is accountable for the performance of the organisation, their team and their
own performance (trustworthy, dependable & inspires confidence)
Essential
Is proactive and takes the initiative to gain the information needed for the role,
with a flexible and “can do” attitude
Essential
Is emotionally resilient, self aware and reflective.
Essential
Optional
This position is for 1 or 2 days a week Monday-Friday, between 9am-4pm
(8am optional start time), with a minimum commitment of half a day (am) for
three months.
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