Volunteering Matters Overview At Volunteering Matters we believe everyone in the UK should have the opportunity to thrive, so we bring people together to overcome some of society’s most complex issues through the power of volunteering. We partner with communities to overcome adversity, tackling social isolation and loneliness, improving health, developing skills and opportunities. And because we’re a national charity, we do this at scale, sharing our expertise and building partnerships to make an even bigger impact. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all. Project Overview Our Family Supporters in Edinburgh project offers practical and emotional support to families across the city of Edinburgh, empowering them to face a range of life challenges. We recruit, train and match dedicated, local volunteers to help families every step of the way, spending 1-1 time together on a personalised set of goals chosen by the family, for the family. We can help in many ways, such as improved living standards, budgeting, healthier eating, better school life and behaviour, access to health and wellbeing aid, as well as introducing parents to community resources, to name a few. So far, thousands of families across the UK have benefitted from our service and we are now delighted to extend the programmes reach to families in Edinburgh. Who can volunteer with us? Our volunteers are locally based people with an understanding of the challenges that families are facing. Aged 18+, each volunteer brings different life experiences and skills that they can use to help the family they are matched to, offering support on a weekly basis for an hour or so each week, usually for 6-9 months at a time that suits everyone. They build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family. All volunteers are interviewed, trained to the highest standards and undergo disclosure checks before being matched with a family. We also encourage and welcome volunteers who have the ability to speak multiple languages join our team! What can we offer volunteers? As well as the sense of achievement that comes through supporting a family, our volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, attend social events with other volunteers and enhance their employability. Certificates are provided upon completion of induction training and at the end of the commitment, with project staff happy to provide references for future studies or employment.

Disability Equality Scotland is a national charity working to make life more accessible, equal and inclusive for disabled people in Scotland. We are the umbrella organisation for all local disability Access Panels in Scotland, providing them with support and guidance to improve the lives of disabled people at a local level throughout Scotland. Our Nairn panel is currently operating in Moray and would welcome new volunteers to support their work. What is an Access Panel? Access Panels are groups of volunteers who work to improve access and inclusion for disabled people in their local community. They do this by raising awareness and helping to change attitudes among the general public about the need for inclusive access. Access Panels are made up of people of all ages and abilities who share a passion for the issues faced by disabled people. With the help of Disability Equality Scotland as the national umbrella body, Access Panels support their communities to become as accessible as possible, particularly in relation to the built environment, healthcare, employment, education, and transport.

The Support Session Volunteer role is a varied role that will support VoiceAbility in the delivery of Social Security Scotland Benefits Advocacy and more. Our volunteers will help our clients to access benefits by supporting individuals with complex needs who self-disclose as having a disability. Another key part of the role is networking, in person and online, to promote the service. You will also have the opportunity to help VoiceAbility engage with local communities through supporting our school work experience programme as well as our focus groups. In your day-to-day role you will be: • Helping clients understand about advocacy • Supporting clients with issues they cannot resolve on their own • Keeping detailed notes and records of interactions with clients and visits • Delivering support for 2 individuals maximum at one time • Signposting clients to other services • Building professional relationships and networking • Promoting our services and organisation • Supporting our community engagement programmes in your local area You will get the chance to try out all the various aspects of the role and we will help you to develop any particular skills or gain the specific experience you would like. Upon completing your training, you will be provided with a VoiceAbility mobile phone and email address which will be how you engage with VoiceAbility staff and clients. If you're interested, please click the ‘Apply’ button. You will then be contacted by the coordinator by email or phone call. We are happy to have a chat about how we can support volunteers to engage in the role who identify as having a disability.

Triage Volunteers are the first contact for clients seeking help for a variety of issues. They identify key information about the client’s issues and assess and agree whether signposting or a call back is the best route to support the clients and deal with the issues. Main Tasks include: • Assess clients enquiries using sensitive listening and questioning skills • Identify key information about the enquiry including time limits, key dates and any requirement for urgent advice or action, using scripts and diagnostic tools • Identify and summarise the essence of the enquiry • Establish the client’s objectives • Record cases – make an electronic record of the client’s details, in accordance with CASTLE recording requirements and CARF’s Quality Assurance Policy • Keep up-to-date with advice and organisational updates by reading AdviserNet news items, relevant publications, internal email communication, intranet articles and online training This is a great opportunity to meet new people and learn new skills. Volunteers will be provided with training and support. For a full list of tasks and to find out more please enquire with the Learning and Development officer.