WELCOME TO EQUAL LIVES VOLUNTEERING!
We're really pleased that you've found your way here and are thinking about volunteering with us! We've got several different opportunities available, so take a look around and once you know what you'd like to do, click the link on the right to set up an account and fill in the application form. We'll be in touch soon.
We can't wait to meet you!
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Opportunities for Volunteering
Advocacy Support Officer
The purpose of this role is to provide check-ins and advice for people waiting for longer-term advocacy support.
This is a frontline role where you will be providing time-limited emotional and factual support to people facing disabling barriers and who are experiencing difficulties in areas such as social care, mental health, healthcare, child protection and employment.
You will be responsible, with the support of a manager and the wider advocacy team, for regularly checking in with people on our waiting list and liaising with the advocates to provide interim advice where possible.
By providing frontline support for people on our waiting list, you will be ensuring that people don’t feel alone in the time that they are waiting for an advocate.
We would welcome volunteers who face challenging or disabling barriers themselves for this role.
OVERVIEW
This is a great role for anyone wanting to develop their office skills for a change in career or those who are looking to go into caring and helping professions to develop their empathy and listening skills. Often our waiting lists for advocacy services can be several months long, due to the demand for our services. Due to this we feel it is an essential service to have volunteers who feel comfortable to build confidence with those waiting and bridge the gap between the initial inquiry and the advocacy support itself. If you feel that you'd like to develop your skills, whilst supporting and empowering those in need of our services, then we want to hear from you!
Activities you will carry out as part of the role are as follows:
Provide regular check-in calls for people on the advocacy waiting list to bridge the gap in our services
Keep accurate and up-to-date client records
Diary management
Liaise with the advocates to pass on interim advice to clients where possible/appropriate
Signpost people to additional support where necessary
Attend training and team meetings as part of the advocacy team
VOLUNTEERING ARRANGEMENTS
Full training will be provided for this role, covering areas such as:
Emotional support and active listening
Mental health systems
Child protection processes
Social care
Support services in Norfolk
This role is either available as a remote role or can be based in our central Norwich office if preferred (Sackville Place, 44-48 Magdalen Strett, Norwich, NR3 1JU)
All volunteers are required to undertake our core training programme. This covers basic safeguarding and other key features such as equality and diversity.
New volunteers will have an opportunity to shadow experienced members of staff as part of their training.
Dependent upon the candidate, there may be additional opportunities to participate in a variety of training courses, please ask for further details.
Volunteers are required to adhere to the organisation's policies and practice guidelines.
Reasonable expenses, including travel whilst undertaking this role, will be reimbursed. This includes mileage (currently £0.45 p/mile) and parking costs.
Applications must include 2 satisfactory references who have known the applicant in a professional or educational capacity for a period of at least 12 months.
Applicants must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) before commencing any volunteering shifts.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
An awareness of disabling barriers and how these might impact upon the clients
Honesty and integrity
An ability to be empathic, whilst maintaining professional boundaries
Reliability and only committing to a level of volunteering which is realistic
Good interpersonal skills
The ability to be non-judgemental and adaptable
Good verbal and written communication skills
Excellent listening skills
The ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
Sound administration skills and an ability to maintain accurate records
Commitment to attend training courses and team meetings
Ability to follow organisational policies and procedures, including but not limited to safeguarding and data protection
As with all our volunteer roles, any technology/equipment needed to do the job will be supplied.
Shopmobility Volunteer
Shopmobility Assistant
Shopmobility is a scheme that supports people to rent mobility scooters or other mobility aids during their visit to the city. Shopmobility is based in Chantry Place (previously Chapelfield Shopping Centre) and we are looking for volunteers to help with the day-to-day running of the shop.
There will be several opportunities to volunteer, build your skills and meet new people!
There will be opportunities to choose your days and hours. Training will be provided during induction.
The site will follow the COVID19 safety guidelines and volunteers will be reimbursed reasonable expenses incurred whilst supporting us.
If you're empathetic and enthusiastic then we need you for this role, fill in the application form and let us know you're interested.
ROLE OVERVIEW
Open the site ready for business, and close at the end of the day
Greet customers and support them to rent the equipment
Keep the site clean and tidy
Clean vehicles when they’re returned
Handle cash and take card payments
Support people to sign up as Shopmobility members
Support people to join Equal Lives as members
Answer some queries on social media
Take future bookings
Some other occasional ad hoc tasks as required
We are looking for volunteers that are:
Dedicated to the empowerment of disabled people
Conscientious and honest
Someone who enjoys a challenge
Looking for a new opportunity
Dedicated to making disabled people’s voices heard
Able to do the tasks listed above
We’ll give you:
Comprehensive training, including GDPR, Safeguarding and Data Protection
The opportunity to choose your days and hours
An accessible city centre location
A variety of activities to challenge you and develop your skills
The opportunity to take on additional responsibilities as you gain experience
Specific tasks focusing on the skills you want to gain
A friendly and supportive team of staff and volunteers
FURTHER INFO
There will be opportunities to choose your days, hours and the length of time which you volunteer with us for.
The site will follow the COVID19 safety guidelines and volunteers will be reimbursed reasonable expenses incurred whilst supporting us.
All volunteers are required to undertake our core training programme. This covers basic safeguarding and other key features, such as data protection.
New volunteers will have an opportunity to ‘shadow’ experienced volunteers and members of staff
Potentially, depending on the candidate, there may be additional opportunities to participate in a variety of accredited training courses. Please ask a manager for further details.
Volunteers are required to adhere to the organisation’s policies and practice guidelines.
Reasonable expenses, including travel whilst undertaking this role will be reimbursed. This includes mileage (currently £0.45 p/mile) and parking costs.
Applications must include 2 satisfactory references who have known them in a professional or educational capacity for at least 12 months. Applicants must also complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check before commencing volunteering.
Payroll and Finance Assistant
Payroll and Finance Assistant
Are you experienced in the finance sector and looking for the next step in your return-to-work journey?
Or maybe you’re an economics student looking to spend time volunteering to gain course credits?
Either way, this could be the perfect role for you!
Equal Lives have a great deal of payroll and administrative related work which we require assistance with, if you’re a process driven and logically minded individual, with a passion to free the world from disabling barriers, then we want to hear from you! This role would greatly help us with supporting disabled people in the local community.
Role Overview
High quality customer focussed service, using our payroll service and accounts service, to ensure their needs and expectations are met.
To be responsible for the provision of our payroll function for customers.
To be responsible for the provision of our accounts service to our customers.
To support with the finance function of the company to ensure that the organisation operates within the law, and that Managers are supported with the management of financial procedures and their delivery budgets.
Work with, and provide support to, external contractors to support the organisation’s ongoing contract, legal and financial compliance.
Day to Day responsibilities could include, but are not limited to:
Interpreting timesheets and other records to obtain accurate data for processing payroll.
Calculating payments and deductions to be made to employees including basic pay, holiday pay, SSP, SMP and Nest pensions.
Processing payroll, charges and other payroll expenses on behalf of individuals and calculating payments due.
Processing HMRC returns and other employment and payroll-related documents on behalf of individuals and calculating payments due.
Distributing payslips and other payroll information to individuals and their employees.
Maintaining comprehensive and up to date payroll files, case management logs, lists and other records.
Responding to queries from your customers regarding their payroll, with a customer centred approach and in a timely manner.
Processing purchase ledger invoices, charges, and other expenses on behalf of individuals and calculating payments due.
Processing sales ledger invoices and charges on behalf of individuals and calculating payments due.
Processing incoming funds from individuals, ensuring accurate allocation.
Processing payments, such as HMRC liability, as required.
Maintaining comprehensive and up to date databases, lists and other records following procedures.
Maintenance of all organisational financial-related systems to ensure legal compliance is always maintained.
Supporting the Finance and Systems Manager with the development and implementation of finance-related policies and procedures, to support and develop our financial systems and ensure legal compliance.
Processing of bank reconciliations within agreed time scales.
Volunteering Arrangements
Due to the sensitive nature of the documents you will be working with, this is an office-based role in our headquarters at Sackville Place, Magdalen Street, Norwich.
Volunteers must be able to commit to volunteering for 10 hours per week, within office hours of 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday, ideally split across 2 days. The exact working pattern can be discussed at the induction stage with the team manager.
All volunteers are required to undertake our core training programme. This covers basic safeguarding and other key features.
New volunteers will have an opportunity to ‘shadow’ experienced volunteers and members of staff
Volunteers are required to adhere to the organisation’s policies and practice guidelines.
Reasonable expenses, including travel whilst undertaking this role will be reimbursed. This includes mileage and parking costs.
Applications must include 2 satisfactory references in their application form; these must be from individuals who have known them in a professional capacity for at least 12 months. Applicants must complete a Disclosure and Barring Service check.
Person Specification
Honesty and integrity
An ability to be empathic, whilst maintaining professional boundaries
Reliability, and only committing to a level of volunteering which is realistic
Good interpersonal skills
The ability to be non-judgemental
Good verbal and written communication skills
Excellent listening skills
Ability to work on own initiative and as part of a team
Sound administrative skills, and an ability to maintain accurate case records
Commitment to attend training courses and team meetings
Ability to follow organisational policies and procedures including safeguarding, data protection and health and safety
Process Driven
Good Maths
Understanding of IT – including office Word, Excel
Interest in finance
Attention to detail
Trustee
Trustee
Equal Lives is a Disabled Persons Organisation (DPO), which means we are user led. 100% of our trustees identify as disabled.
Trustees play a crucial role in governing our organisation and helping to steer the direction of our services.
As a pan-disability organisation our trustees have a wealth of personal experience and expertise to bring to the organisation.
We are looking for a trustee who is:
Passionate about the rights of disabled people.
Keen to disable barriers to independence.
Has personal experience of disability.
Flexible and able to attend monthly meetings via Teams.
We would particularly like to attract trustees with financial or legal experience.
What we can offer you:
Skilful managers, staff and volunteers.
An experienced Board of Trustees.
An organisation whose services are designed to empower disabled people.
An organisation who is keen to actively listen and learn.
Mission Statement
To remove disabling barriers so that people have equality, dignity and independence – in Norfolk and beyond.
Our Shared Values and Principles
The key shared values and principles that underpin our work are:
Equality, dignity, and human rights.
Independence and inclusion.
Fairness and natural justice.
Openness and honesty.
The social model of disability.
Impairments are a normal part of life, discrimination is not.
People are experts in their own lives.
Professionals should be on tap, not on top.
Nothing about us, without us.
Rights not charity.
Welcome!
Firstly, the most important thing that I must do right away, is to say a very big Thank You for becoming our volunteer, we all collectively, from the bottom of our hearts, welcome you aboard Equal Lives.
We thought the world we live on was slowly improving in removing disabling barriers for us but considering the austerity Measures following the financial crash in 2008, and now the Covid-19 Pandemic, has caused our world to be simply turned upside down and every single person with a disability continues to face many many difficult situations ahead.
It is you, bringing with you your time, energy, and enthusiasm to Equal Lives that we value very greatly, and we will really benefit from, and enjoy working with you on our many different projects. Your contribution will aid us to fulfil our goals, allow us to expand our services, and broaden the outlook and scope of Equal Lives.
You are a valuable member of Equal Lives and do please let us know any of your ideas, concerns, impressions, and solutions you may have tucked away. We are a team, and we all work together, sharing our time and energy so do not hesitate to get into contact with your team leader or indeed myself or any of the trustees.
Shaun McGarry
Acting Chair
March 2021
