JEWISH CARE

Befriender for people living with dementia

(face-to-face)

"If you want to be part of an amazing team helping to combat loneliness and isolation within the Jewish community, this role is for you”

Role Summary: The role is to provide a friendly face and a listening ear to an isolated individual living with dementia.

Time Commitment:  Typically, one hour per week, excluding travel times where relevant.

How this role makes a difference:

Dementia may take away our memory and our memories, but it cannot take away the good feeling provided by interaction with a fellow human being. Please help us achieve a dementia-friendly community.

More and more older people in our community live an isolated life, due to current and past life circumstances or due to disabilities and conditions that affect the way they socialise and relate to others. When people live with dementia, they may get confused, forgetful, scared, and need just a bit more understanding from others. Your support will make sure that the people you befriend have regular human contact, someone who understands them and is able to provide some meaningful interaction.

What you’ll be doing in this role:

• Visiting an individual or people living with dementia in their own houses or in public spaces such as coffee shops, parks etc.
• Updating the volunteer coordinator after every visit. A short basic report will be logged based on your report.
• Contributing to the wellbeing of the clients by offering engaging activities (training and resources available).
• Liaising with the volunteer coordinator and the befriending department about any new developments, concerns and/or suggestions.
• Treating what you see and hear as confidential and sensitive.
• Keeping your skills and knowledge up to date by taking part in relevant training offered by Jewish Care.

Skills & experience you require:

• Good communication skills and willingness to use own initiative.
• Ability to confidently engage with a diverse range of people and enjoy helping others.
• A strong understanding of issues that affect people in later life.
• Reliability, consistency,  and dependability.
• Good conversational and listening skills with a clear speaking voice.
• Patience, empathy and a non-judgemental attitude.

Induction, Learning & Development:
Training is available so volunteers can carry out their roles to the highest professional standards, develop new skills, build confidence, make new friends and take on new and increasingly responsible tasks. 

Jewish Care will provide the following training, essential for this role:

• Provide you with access to a Volunteer Handbook and all Policies and Procedures.
• Provide Induction Training:  Getting to know Jewish Care, Communication & Disability Awareness, Boundaries & Confidentiality, Safeguarding, Health & Safety, GDPR.
• Dementia Pathway Training.
• Provide on the job induction.

Benefits of Volunteering with Jewish Care:

Without our volunteers, we simply couldn’t function.  We absolutely depend on you.  Whatever your age, disability, whether you are working, unemployed or retired, there are opportunities to help at Jewish Care.

As well as helping others you’ll get the chance to develop skills, build confidence and make new friends.

• Enhance the lives of older people, making a real difference to the Jewish Community we support.
• Be part of a great team and make new friends.
• Build your confidence and develop transferable skills.
• Access to a comprehensive training programme designed for the social care environment.
• Gain valuable experience and enhance your CV
  
  

Our aim is to enable people to enjoy a first-class experience as volunteers, making the most of their skills to make an impact on the communities that Jewish Care serve.

Why get involved with Jewish Care?
The work of Jewish Care and the services we provide to our community are vital.  We touch the lives of 10,000 people each week, with everything we do being underpinned by our Jewish values and ethics.  We provide services to:

• Older people
• People with Mental Health needs
• Holocaust Survivors
• People who are living with Dementia
• People with physical and sensory disabilities
• People who care for others

We can only do this thanks to our amazing professional staff of 1,400 and the 3,000 dedicated volunteers who help make our work possible.

Next Steps to becoming a volunteer at Jewish Care:

Step 1:
Please complete an expression of interest form for this role, which will automatically create a profile on our volunteer management system.  After you have applied, we will be in touch to discuss this role in more detail.
Step 2:
Following a successful conversation, with a member of the Volunteers Team or Hiring Manager you will be invited for an interview (and asked to bring identification with you).
Step 3:
Following a successful interview, you will be offered the volunteering role and asked to add further information into your volunteer profile, providing two references and completing a DBS (previously CRB) application form online.  Additional paperwork may need to be completed for some roles e.g. volunteer driver.
Step 4:
You will be invited to attend mandatory Volunteer Induction Training. Training is to enable volunteers to carry out roles to the highest professional standards, develop skills, build confidence and meet other new volunteers
Step 5:  Mazel-tov/Congratulations!
Once we have received and recorded a suitable DBS, satisfactory references and training has been completed, you are officially part of the Jewish Care Volunteer network!

If you have any questions at all about volunteering with Jewish Care,  please contact volunteers@jcare.org or telephone 020 8922 2405.

This is a voluntary position that supports the work or our services and is not replacing the work of a paid member of staff.  This role does not form any part of any contract of employment.