JEWISH CARE

Book Club Volunteer
Reading with residents living with dementia
Various Locations – Opportunities available across all Jewish Care Residential Care Homes

Role Summary:  

Using our dementia-friendly reading books to lead and facilitate either one-to-one or small group reading activities. Our dementia teams have put together a series of appropriate reading materials that are highly engaging and memory provoking. Jewish Care are proud to implement new approaches to supporting people living with dementia. This role is a wonderful and rewarding role offering stimulating and enjoyable activity to our residents.

Time Commitment:     Approximately two hours, or as works for the volunteer.
Weekly, or as arranged with the team.

How this role makes a difference:  
Perhaps sometimes surprisingly, many people living with reduced cognitive ability are still able to enjoy reading, and it is vitally important for them to participate in and enjoy regular practice at these enjoyable sessions. Supporting the teams in this role enables all residents to have the opportunity to take part in these sessions if they choose to. Volunteers will have relevant training as well as the support and guidance of our Dementia Practitioners. Each session has a clear format but may vary dependant on the need of the resident. Volunteers will be closely guided by the dementia practitioners, and full training and guidance is available.

What you’ll be doing in this role:

• Attending each week or as arranged with the team.
• Working to support the Dementia team by leading reading activities in a calming, welcoming atmosphere.
• Engaging residents in reading activity and helping to build their confidence.

• Greeting residents, talking to them about the material, and facilitating the sessions.
• Each session is tailored and can vary dependant on the needs of each resident/session.

Skills & experience required:  

• Good listening skills and non-verbal communication skills, empathetic and non-judgemental attitude
• Able to confidently engage with a diverse range of people and enjoy helping others
• Empathetic and understanding attitude
• An understanding of issues that affect people living with dementia.
• A calm and sensitive manner
• An open-minded, creative approach
• Patience and the ability to work at a slow pace to match residents.
• Ability to share appropriate information and follow processes
• Reliability and flexibility
• The ability to work independently (if required) but also stay within the role’s boundaries
• A ‘can do’ attitude and willingness to be flexible with required tasks

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.
• Specialist pioneering DementiAbility training, as required.
• 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 2,000 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 about this role, other roles, or about volunteering with Jewish Care, please contact volunteering@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.