Check in & Chat: Volunteer Chatter Role Description

About the role

Check in & Chat Volunteer Chatters provide listening, signposting and support to vulnerable CNWL service users or their carers (family/friends) who may be experiencing loneliness, isolation or poor mental health in line with the Check in & Chat (C&C) service model (8 chats in 8 weeks).

We are looking for volunteers representative of our local communities, and would like to involve more chatters who can speak different languages, especially Gujarati, Hindi, Somali and Arabic.

Commitment

Because of the nature of this role, we please ask you to:

• be available for at least 4 hours per week, mostly during 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, but some people will appreciate calls at 8am or after 5pm.

• commit to talk to up to three people at the same time and for 8 chats in 8 weeks for a minimum of 6 months

• have a laptop (or another device which can be used to type) that can be password protected and solely used by yourself.

Key Tasks

• Calling up to three people 8 times each over 8 weeks to support their wellbeing, reducing feelings of loneliness and isolation.

• Checking on their emotional health and wellbeing and offer a space to listen to them.

• Proactively working with individuals to sign post them to local support teams and/ or community resources to help their longer-term wellbeing.

• Keeping in regular contact with your supervisor, including being available for regular support calls

• To follow our strict guidelines on recording and reporting, including:

▪ Escalating any concerns which arise during the calls to your supervisor;

▪ Alerting your supervisor if you can’t reach the person you are calling

▪ Recording every call you have, even when you have not got through to the person, using the template provided, giving an overview of their wellbeing

▪ Emailing these “Records of Contact” to the Check in & Chat Team and your Supervisor after each call

• Ending and stopping contact with C&C clients after 8 calls, unless otherwise agreed

• Supporting in monitoring impact by doing feedback calls with individuals who have ended their chats

• Ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times, following the Trust data protection and care records policies.

Training and support

All Volunteer Chatters go through role-specific training alongside statutory and mandatory training, including Safeguarding and Data Protection. You will always be supported by a dedicated team and a named supervisor, who will meet with you regularly.

Key traits, skills and experience

• Reliability: to be someone we can rely on: consistent and dependable

• Resilience: you will volunteer with vulnerable people at different stages of their recovery, they may disclose experiences of a sensitive nature

• Empathetic, compassionate, patient, tolerant and considerate

• Good conversational and listening skills with a caring nature

• Have an understanding of individual’s needs taking into consideration cultural and religious requirements

• The ability to work independently whilst staying within the role’s boundaries, recognising what should and shouldn’t be done, when to seek advice or report concerns

• Speaking other languages – as our patients come from a diverse community and some don’t speak English as their first language.

• Have IT skills that enable you to use email (including copy and paste functions), smart phones and research online.

What is in there for you?

• The satisfaction of providing crucial support and great customer service to CNWL service users and their carers

• The opportunity to develop listening skills and experience talking to different people from various backgrounds and lived experiences.

• Experience and insight into working within the healthcare sector, really valuable if you are considering a career in health services or in customer service support roles

• Full support and a range of relevant training, including Confidentiality, Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity

• Gain the National Volunteer Certificate accredited by Health Education England

• Local induction and full support

• The opportunity to help the NHS in a time of growing pressure

• A reference for future volunteering or employment, after 6 months

For the full document please download the attached PDF

You may also be interested in:

• Heart & Soul Listeners
• Palliative care befriender
• Telephone befriender / phone bank

Image courtesy of Centre of Aging Better