What is a Volunteer?
We define a volunteer as someone who gives up their time to work for the organisation, without payment, in order to help the organisation and to provide benefit to themselves. Central to this definition is the fact that volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual.
What can you get out of volunteering?
- Be a part of the Empowerment community.
- Volunteering is a great way to make a contribution in your local community and to make a difference.
- Volunteering can help you gain confidence by giving you the chance to try something new or build on the skills that you already have.
- Volunteering can help you meet different kinds of people and make new friends.
- Volunteering can help you feel part of something outside your friends and family.
- Having fun while helping.
- Improve your CV.
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“I volunteer at Empowerment because I like being polite to people who come into the reception. When I volunteer I feel happy in myself.”
Here are the Current Volunteering Vacancies at Empowerment
(Please contact the individual teams using the button at the end of each role description to discuss the opportunity more)
Role title: | ‘Dare to Care’ Volunteer (Blackpool Care Homes) |
Main Purpose: | This role has been developed in partnership with Blackpool Care Homes and training providers to attract people who are Carers and help them gain insight to this environment. It is part of a pilot project to develop specialist skills as a Carer, to prepare for working in the regulated care sector. There are a wide range of career and education options. |
What does the role involve?
| · Support resident’s wellbeing by offering time, creativity and a listening ear. · Speaking to and interacting with residents and their visitors. · Organising social activities and helping people take part. · Supporting resident visits in line with infection control procedures. · Helping residents to connect with family and friends digitally (optional). |
Skills and Experience: | What is most important is: · Kindness and patience. · Your ability to follow procedures. · Some experience of caring. |
Requirements:
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Training and Progression:
| Before you start as a volunteer, you will be offered a programme of training and support. You will attain a Progression Award as well as some basic training to complement your role. You can also benefit from: · Other learning and training such as Health and Safety, · Safeguarding Adults, Equality and Diversity, Infection Control and many other topics. · Insight into care homes with opportunities to progress in a paid role. · Opportunity to become a Digital Buddy (optional). |
Commitment: | The pilot volunteer programme is designed to provide a three-month opportunity of learning (including the recruitment process) which will include around 6 weeks placement in a care home with a mutually agreed shift pattern of hours to suit you. We recommend you volunteer for a minimum of 4 hours a week, over the 6-week placement. You may be able to do more depending on the Care Home. Successful applicants will be supported to access workplace Covid testing services and will be offered vaccination in line with regulated care home policy. |
Outcomes: | Taking part in this programme will provide you with: · An opportunity to share your skills and knowledge and support a local care home · New skills and qualifications. · An insight into Care Homes. · Opportunities to get involved in the local community. · An ability to evaluate the value of engagement and volunteering. · Recognition for your commitment. Your expenses will be paid, and a uniform may be provided. Most importantly – your contribution will make a difference |
More about Healthwatch: | Healthwatch Blackpool exists to give people a say in health and social care services. We bring public feedback to those who plan and deliver services with the vision to get the best out of health and care for the future. |
If you are interested in this role please contact Beth by clicking here
Role Title | Data Analyst / Administration Volunteer |
Line Manager | Strategic Lead |
Principal Relationships | Project Support Officer and Volunteers |
Role Summary | Healthwatch Blackpool is committed to further develop robust and innovative approaches to gathering, collating and presenting intelligence received from the people of Blackpool relating to health and social care. Our Data Analyst Volunteer is required to work with the team to enable the process of collating, analysing and presenting information to maximise our impact when working with health and social care providers in Blackpool. In addition we are able to offer the opportunity to be involved in wider administration tasks. |
Principal Responsibilities |
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Person Specification | · Educated and/or acquired knowledge, skills and abilities associated with data analysis, report writing and administration · High degree of IT literacy – ability to use all facets of Microsoft Office including expertise in Excel
· Strong analytical and organisational skills with good attention to detail · Excellent written and verbal communication skills. · High-level of organisational skills and experience · Ability to perform administration functions to support the infrastructure of the organisation · Proactive can-do attitude · An eye for detail · Commitment to organisational excellence · Ability to work as part of a team by supporting colleagues and sharing knowledge and expertise · Ability to communicate effectively with people and maintain positive relationships. |
If you are interested in this role please contact Beth by clicking here
Role title: | Community Engagement Volunteer |
What we do: | Healthwatch Blackpool exist to give people a say in health and social care services provided for both adults and children in Blackpool to bring about improvements in those services. We are looking for volunteers to support us to engage with members of the public and ensure their voice is heard regarding health and social care experiences. |
What Healthwatch will do:
| Healthwatch Blackpool visit a wide range of health and social care services across Blackpool. We undertake a variety of engagement activities within local community groups and health services to give the public an opportunity to share their experience of using those services. Healthwatch Blackpool works closely with its volunteers to support them in their roles. |
Commitment: | The tasks that the volunteer will undertake include;
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Time Commitment:
| We are looking for volunteers who are available for days, evenings and weekends on an ad-hoc basis |
Requirements:
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What’s in it for you:
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If you are interested in this role please contact Beth by clicking here
Role title: Responsible to: | Youthwatch Volunteer Project Coordinator at Healthwatch Blackpool |
What Healthwatch do: | Healthwatch Blackpool exists to give people a say in health and social care services. We bring public feedback to those who plan and deliver services with the vision to get the best out of health and care for the future. |
What Youthwatch will do:
| We are looking for young volunteers to support us to engage with young people and ensure their voices are heard regarding health and social care experiences. Youthwatch Blackpool will hear young people’s voices and make sure that they are involved directly in decision making within our town. Our aim is to establish what matters to young people relating to health and social care, whether it be GP waiting times, sexual health clinics, mental health services etc, and have their voice heard. |
What the role involves: | The tasks that the volunteer will undertake include;
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Time Commitment:
| We are looking for volunteers who are available for days, evenings and weekends on an ad-hoc basis |
Requirements:
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What’s in it for you:
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· To develop your training record and understand the health and social care system · To build a network of contacts
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Outcomes | Taking part in this project will provide you with: · Make a difference for young people and have their voice heard · Achieve new skills · Opportunities to get involved in the local community · An ability to evaluate the value of engagement and volunteering · Recognition for your commitment. |
‘Disability Confident Scheme’ | We guarantee to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy. If you require additional support during the application process, please get in touch. Here at Empowerment/Healthwatch Blackpool, we actively encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds, including those from the Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority community, the LGBT community, and people with a lived experience of multiple disadvantage. We believe that Empowerment will become a better and stronger organisation if we are a diverse family of people, each individual bringing with them their own unique set of experiences, gifts and talents. |
If you are interested in this role please contact Beth by clicking here
Please click here to speak to the LET volunteer coordinator
Role title: | Motivate2 Volunteer |
What we do: | Motivate2 is a volunteer advocacy project that is empowering people with personal experience of mental health conditions and/or complex needs and giving them the opportunities to use their knowledge to advocate for other people accessing the advocacy services. |
How we do it:
| Meeting an unmet need through MOTIVATE 2 is something we do through the project. MOTIVATE 2 support people with Non Statutory Advocacy, the volunteers are able to draw from their own experiences to allow them to support the people who need advocacy support. The project has chosen areas where there is unmet needs and people are saying that they require advocacy but there is no one to support them to have their voices heard. They help people who are an informal patient at the Harbour, do drop in sessions on the Acute Wards and also support Blackpool resident who are:
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Commitment: | The tasks that the volunteer may undertake include; · Meeting with people that we are supporting · Supporting the people we support at meetings (being by their side) · Supporting the people we support at meetings (speaking for them) · Making phone calls to professionals · Sending emails · Sending letters · Keeping clear and up to date case notes · Drop in sessions on Acute wards and passing notes to IMHA’s · Gathering information |
Time Commitment:
| The project requires a minimum of 8 hours a week to be given each week. This is because of the nature of support that you are giving. You need to be able to see the people you are supporting, do any jobs they have given you and also write up the case notes that go with the supporting case. |
Requirements:
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What’s in it for you:
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If you are interested in this role please contact Georgina by clicking here
Role title: | Motivate2 Befriender |
What we do: | Motivate2 is a volunteer advocacy project that is empowering people with personal experience of mental health conditions and/or complex needs and giving them the opportunities to use their knowledge to advocate for other people accessing the advocacy services. The purpose of the Befriending Project is to ensure that people in Blackpool who are deprived of their liberty and have no family or friends become less socially isolated and are able to have their social, emotional, educational, religious and cultural needs met. |
How we do it:
| Befriending Project volunteers will make regular visits to those who have been deprived of their liberty . The main purpose of the visits and contacts will be to build a relationship with people in a care homes who have been identified as un-befriended and needing someone to visit. They have been referred from their RPR that works at Blackpool Advocacy Hub. This means building a relationship with the person and identifying ways to connect with them. Spending time doing what someone else would like you to do for a specific amount of time. Giving the person a connection or in the area they live on a regular basis. The RPR might give you specific things that they might like you to check up on during your visit and feedback to the M2 Volunteer Administrator |
Commitment: | The tasks that the volunteer may undertake include; · Befriend the person · Verbally report back to the M2 volunteer administrator after each visit · Support individuals in speaking for themselves · Enabling their opinion to be heard, valued and acknowledged · Respect the views of the individual and represent them even if these views differ from your own · Encourage the person to participate in decision-making. · Support the person to maintain dignity and respect · Give support and assistance as appropriate with the aim of promoting the persons development and social, emotional, educational, religious and cultural needs · Encourage the person to exercise their rights · Complement the activities of the care home and identify any activities that the person may benefit from. |
Time Commitment:
| A few hours a week, depending on how many people you have befriended and have to feed back on. |
Requirements:
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What’s in it for you:
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If you are interested in this role please contact Georgina by clicking here
Role title: | Motivate2 PANDA Volunteer |
What we do: | PANDA is a volunteer advocacy project that is empowering people with personal experience of neurodivergent discrimination and inaccessibility, which gives them the opportunities to use their knowledge to advocate for other people accessing the PANDA service.
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How we do it:
| Meeting an unmet need through MOTIVATE 2 is something we do through the project. MOTIVATE 2 support people with Non Statutory Advocacy (the Befriending Project and the PANDA project are a part of Motivate but are individual projects also), the volunteers are able to draw from their own experiences to allow them to support the people who need advocacy support. The project has chosen areas where there is unmet needs and people are saying that they require advocacy but there is no one to support them to have their voices heard. They help people who are: · Struggling to access getting a diagnosis · Feeling unheard during their diagnosis process · Seeking a diagnosis but never been formally diagnosed with another disability before · Unsure on what their rights are · Having difficulty with finding post-diagnosis support |
Commitment: | The tasks that the volunteer may undertake include;
· Meeting with people that we are supporting · Supporting the people we support at assessments/meetings (being by their side) · Supporting the people we support at assessments/meetings (speaking for them) · Making phone calls to professionals · Sending emails · Sending letters · Keeping clear and up to date case notes · Gathering information
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Time Commitment:
| The project requires a minimum of 8 hours a week to be given each week. This is because of the nature of support that you are giving. You need to be able to see the people you are supporting, do any jobs they have given you and also write up the case notes that go with the supporting case.
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Requirements:
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What’s in it for you:
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If you are interested in this role please contact Ethan by clicking here
What can a volunteer provide to Empowerment?
We will discuss with you what you wish to do and what skills you possess in order to find the role that is most suitable for yourself.
Examples of what you could be doing?
We are looking for people to:
- Assist with joint visits.
- Run drop-in sessions.
- Undertake basic casework.
- Run reception and meet and greet visitors.
- Provide general administrative support.
Who can volunteer?
Anyone over the age of 14 can volunteer.
How to apply?
- Look through our list of current vacancies above and apply via the information attached to that post
- The volunteer coordinator will then give you a call to discuss the opportunity
- Some paperwork will need to be completed and some roles require a DBS check
Will volunteering affect your benefits?
Volunteers are not paid for their time but are entitled to be reimbursed for expenses.
If you are receiving benefit payments it is recommended to inform your benefits adviser prior to starting volunteering, so that your benefit payments are not affected.
What happens next?
Once you are part of the Empowerment team you will be working towards making the lives of those people we support better!