Job Description. Job Title. Purpose of Job. Accountable to. Hours. Essential Requirement. Other Information. Volunteer Receptionist

Transcription

1 Job escription Job Title Purpose of Job Accountable to Hours Essential Requirement Other Information Volunteer Receptionist To greet young people in our Centre and ensure that their queries are dealt with appropriately and efficiently. To contribute to the effectiveness of the organisation in our work with young people aged years. Chief Executive Officer To be agreed. A Criminal Records Bureau check will be required if lone working with young people. Mileage and parking will be paid only on occasions when you are asked to travel somewhere on behalf of oorway.

2 About oorway Youth homelessness continues to be a significant issue across the UK and has many causes. It takes various forms, including sofa surfing and unfit housing, as well as rough sleeping. Homeless young people have a range of complex needs that prevent them from progressing into work and independent living. oorway is an independent charity based in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, working with young people aged years who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. A range of factors may impact upon a young person s chance of becoming homeless. For example, relationship breakdown between the young person and their family remains a major cause of youth homelessness, leaving young people without family support networks to rely on. Approximately 50% of young people who come to oorway report they had to leave home because of arguments, relationship breakdown or being told to leave. Our services are designed to meet individual need and we also work closely with other organisations to help them move forward in their lives. Our short-term aim is to help young people solve the immediate crisis of no home, no money ; our long-term aim is to improve life chances through learning to live independently and accessing training, education and employment. This helps to build their self esteem, regain dignity and offers hope for a better future. Advice Service oorway s Advice Service is the first point of contact for young people. We currently have 40 units of accommodation through our Private Landlords Scheme which is made available to young people on our waiting list. In the last 2 years our Advice Service was contacted more than 1,600 times in total. In April 2010 oorway was awarded the Community Legal Service Quality Mark for General Advice. Currently oorway holds several outreach sessions for young people at different locations in Warwickshire. These are delivered by a Senior Housing Needs Advisor, a Housing Needs Advisor, with support from other oorway staff members and volunteers. We work closely with local accommodation providers to help meet the demand and to prevent homelessness. Support Service oorway s Support Service works with young people who are accommodated through our Private Landlords Scheme, in local authority and registered social landlords accommodation. Our Support Workers help young people to maintain their tenancies and achieve successful independent living. Once young people have settled into their new home, they are supported to overcome the impact of having been homeless and take steps towards a new future. oorway has 3 Support Workers, two of them work on the Supporting People programme, the third is a Young Person s Support Worker and is funded through BBC Children in Need.

3 evelopment Service oorway seeks to help young people develop their skills and build their confidence whilst they are receiving support. oorway employees have been trained to deliver an AQA accredited Lifewise Skills programme which was developed by Centrepoint. This has been successful to date with a range of modules being offered such as ealing With ebt, Anger Management and Sexual Health. Our Young People s Group (YPG) is well established and provides young people with peer support. They take it in turns to chair their meetings, take minutes and write newsletters. Meetings are held every other month with an activity in the month between. All young people with oorway are members of YPG and accessing activities is optional. They are all encouraged to participate in volunteering activities. oorway has a Youth Inclusion Worker who is responsible for oorway s development activities. She is supported by other members of the oorway team to deliver activities.

4 Volunteer Receptionist Main Objectives The role will provide general support to oorway and the post holder will gain an understanding of working in the voluntary sector. This role is the first point of contact for all visitors to oorway and directing them to the relevant member of staff. It is essential to ensure that all queries are dealt with appropriately, efficiently and sensitively. The post holder will contribute significantly to the effectiveness of the organisation in our work with young people aged years. The role will provide support to ensure that the organisation provides a professional, impartial, fair and outcome focussed service for young people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. oorway s organisational objectives are to: To prevent youth homelessness and the exclusion that embeds it. To increase access to safe and secure accommodation for young homeless people to alleviate homelessness and exclusion. To promote a personalised approach to young people s housing and personal development needs. To influence policy that affects homeless and excluded people. Key Responsibilities Provide support to the team and young people as required. evelop good practice and improve existing procedures, involving young people when appropriate. Maintain accurate records, including statistics, in order to monitor and evaluate the work of the project. Consult with young people and involve them in development, delivery and evaluation of the service. Work closely with other members of the team. Monitoring and developing social networking and digital media, including weekly updates. Place young people at the heart of the service to ensure that project work is appropriate to their individual needs. Any other duties as and when appropriate.

5 Person Specification What is oorway looking for? How will oorway check if you have it? Criteria: E= Essential = esirable Application Form Interview & / or test / additional assessment Knowledge & Experience 1. Experience of face to face work with young people 2. Strong key skills including literacy, numeracy, communication and listening. 3. Experience of working in a customer focused environment and adopting a flexible, professional and positive approach. 4. Highly competent in the use of Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, , Internet and a good understanding of social networking. 5. Experience of working in a confidential environment and within professional boundaries. 6. Empathic approach to working with homeless young people and an understanding of the issues they may be experiencing.

6 Competencies Working with others 7. evelops effective working relationships. Understands the principles of confidentiality. Aids a sense of team spirit by encouraging co-operation and open communication. Effective Communication 8. Excellent communication skills - verbally and in writing at different levels. Uses appropriate tone and language. Listens closely and communicates in a nonjudgmental way with young people. Customer Focus 9. Involves young people in the development, delivery and evaluation of the service. Identifies needs of internal and external customers and strives to deliver a prompt, effective and personalised service. Maintains awareness that young people s situations change quickly and is responsive to this. Valuing others 10. Sensitive to the needs of others and demonstrates interest in their views. iplomatic in difficult situations and treats all individuals in a fair and consistent manner. Relates well to people of all backgrounds and cultures and adapts style accordingly. Committed to improving housing and employment opportunities for young people. 11. Time & Workload Management Manages time & resources effectively with good organizational skills. Monitors performance and progress against objectives. Takes action to ensure deadlines and outcomes are achieved. Can work independently and on own initiative. 12. Specialist Knowledge & Application emonstrates the specialist knowledge and technical requirements of the job. Identifies learning from previous experiences and applies to new situations. Application Form Interview & / or test / additional assessment