Childrens Hospices Across Scotland

Charity registered in Scotland SC019724

CHAS is the only charity in Scotland that provides vital hospice services for children and young people with life-shortening conditions. We offer care for the whole family in our two children's hospices, Rachel House in Kinross and Robin House in Balloch. We also run a homecare service called CHAS at Home helping families in their own homes across Scotland when they need it most.

We are currently supporting over 300 families, as well as significant number of families who receive bereavement support. Our services are funded mainly through the generousity of our many supporters who help us to raise over £9million needed each year to provide these hospice services.


Current opportunities

We have so many ways you can help us to raise funds – all over Scotland. Our busy Community Fundraisers work locally across Scotland and they are always looking for volunteers to lend a hand. What activities will I be involved in? Depending on where you live, your skills, experience and interests, you could be: - Coordinating and banking local collecting cans, keeping an eye out for new sites - Supporting at events like the Kiltwalks or cheering our fundraising runners at marathons - Joining a local fundraising group or even setting up your own group with your friends - Helping us build networks with local communities and groups, perhaps as a schools ambassador - Using your confidence and skills to become a CHAS speaker, spreading the word about how CHAS supports families across Scotland. What skills and abilities will I need to have? It’s important that you are reliable and trustworthy with an outgoing and friendly personality and that you share our key values – respect, care, honesty and accountability. But we also want to hear about any specific aptitudes and experience which you think would be useful in any of the activities outlined above or any new skills you would like to develop through volunteering. How much time should I offer? The time commitment is flexible, role dependent and can be agreed with your local Community Fundraiser who will be your volunteer manager. What are the benefits to me? - Making the most of your abilities plus learning new skills - Getting more involved and making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition. - Adding to your cv - Meeting new people - Having fun! What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS? By helping CHAS to fundraise, you are helping us develop our services for children and young people with a life-shortening condition. A visible presence in the community, you will be the public face of CHAS and help to raise awareness of our vital services. This improved awareness not only helps to raise money, it also means that more children and families will know about and access our services. CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers, free from discrimination and prejudice, ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation so that we can improve the quality of care we provide, reach more families and children and maximise a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise. We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability. We can provide more information on volunteering eligibility and the kind of adjustments we can put in place to ensure your volunteering experience is a positive one.

Nursing Support Volunteers support the CHAS at Home team in families own homes with tasks such as bathing, assisting with personal care, moving and handling, getting children ready for bed, helping children up and dressed in the mornings. The aim of this role is to work closely with the nursing team, providing an 'extra pair of hands' when on a family visit providing high quality care to children and young people, ensuring they get the right support at the right time. What activities will I be involved in? - Helping to bathe and dress the children - Undertaking personal care of children whilst working alongside a member of the nursing team - Managing or access to sensitive and confidential medical and personal information regarding the children and families accessing our services - Sitting with a child undertaking play, storytelling, watching a movie etc. whilst nursing staff attend to medical needs of other children and young people What skills and abilities will I need to have? - Experience of working in (or towards) a care or clinical role - Have experience of knowledge of children with complex needs - Empathy, tact, sensitivity - An ability to relate to people of all ages and walks of life - Adhere to rules around GDPR and a strong understanding of confidentiality - Good communication skills How much time should I offer? You might want to offer a regular commitment of 2-4 hours a week. This can be further discussed with the CHAS at Home team as to how this would work for all in terms of fixed or flexible shifts. Where is the opportunity based? We are building a team of nursing support volunteers across the country but at the moment are prioritising in the central belt and Inverness areas. We do pay travel expenses and would ask that volunteers ideally live within a 40-60 minute drive of the family they would be visiting. What are the benefits to me? - Learning new skills - Using your existing skills for a great cause - Getting more involved and making a real difference to families - Adding to your cv - Meeting new people from diverse backgrounds - Having fun! What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS? By volunteering in nursing support you will be ensuring that children and young people receive the highest quality quality care and support throughout their time with CHAS. What else should I know? The role is open to anyone age 18 and over and requires membership of the PVG scheme. There is a simple form to complete and we will assist you with this. You may already have a PVG, if so you will only need to complete an update form. The process won’t cost you anything and having a criminal record will not automatically exclude you from volunteering. We will assess each applicant on an individual basis. CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers free from discrimination and prejudice. Ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation helps improve the quality of care we provide and helps us reach more families and children, maximising a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise. We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability. We can provide more information on if you are allowed to volunteer and what adjustments we can put in place to ensure your volunteering experience is a positive one.

What activities will I be involved in? - Providing transport to adult family members to attend an appointment or support group meetings - Collect prepared meals from Rachel House and deliver to nominated family. This might also include shopping for ingredients and delivering them to the family - Ad hoc collection or drop off as required What ongoing learning/support/guidance will I receive? It’s important to us that you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. As a CHAS volunteer you will be invited to complete a short core learning package that is tailored to your role. We are always developing new opportunities for volunteers to learn and offer a range of options for volunteers. What are the benefits to me? - Learning new skills whilst having fun - Using your existing skills - Getting more involved and making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition - Adding to your CV - Meeting new people What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS? - Families who don't drive have the same opportunities to be involved with CHAS events. - Families benefit from freshly home cooked meals being delivered to them in times of crisis. What else should I know? Volunteer drivers using their own cars need to be 17 or over with a full driving licence. In order to drive a CHAS vehicle you need to be 25 or over (this is for insurance reasons). The role requires a basic disclosure check which CHAS will reimburse. If you have a criminal record you will not be automatically excluded from volunteering. We will assess each applicant on an individual basis. CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers, free from discrimination and prejudice. Ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation so that we can improve the quality of care we provide, reach more families and children and maximise a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise. We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability. We can provide more information on volunteering eligibility and the kind of adjustments we can put in place to ensure your volunteering experience is a positive one.

CHAS runs a number of charity shops across Scotland, selling donated stock as well as new goods to raise the vital funds required to care for children and their families. You will be part of our retail team, assisting with the day to day running of the shop. What activities will I be involved in? - Welcoming and assisting customers in the shop - Accepting donations and completing any associated paperwork - Sorting, steaming, hanging, pricing and displaying stock - Serving customers and using the till - Offering excellent customer service - Keeping the shop well stocked, clean, tidy and organised Where is the opportunity based? You can volunteer in any of our shops - we have two in Dunfermline and two in Kinross. What are the benefits to me? - Making the most of your skills while having fun - Getting more involved and making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition - Adding to your cv and learning new skills - Meeting new people What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS? By selling goods in the shops you are directly raising the funds that enable us to support children with a life-shortening condition. What else should I know? You must be aged 14 years or older for this role. If you are younger and interested in this role please do get in touch to discuss options of volunteering accompanied by an adult. CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers free from discrimination and prejudice. Ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation will improve the quality of care we provide, help us reach more families and children, and maximise a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise. We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability.