Casework Volunteer
Beyond Detention
Volunteers are required to provide advice, guidance, and emotional support to people we support who have recently left YWIRC and have been given the right to remain in the UK and who require ongoing support to establish themselves in their new community.
Volunteers are required to provide advice, guidance, and emotional support to people we support who are in Yarl's Wood IRC or have recently left and have been given the right to remain in the UK and who require ongoing support to establish themselves in their new community. Volunteers are required to give the people we support the time and space to talk about their situation, how they are coping and to offer emotional support in a compassionate non-judgmental manner. Volunteers are required to follow a set list of assigned task and actions for each person we are supporting, this may include tasks such as a weekly wellbeing call, referring someone to their local foodbank or finding housing advice services to connect them with. Volunteers are required to make a variety of phone calls and send emails to external partner organisations to signpost and refer people for specific advice, guidance, interventions outside of our remit of support. Volunteers are required to use our computer systems such as Emails, Teams, SharePoint and our support recording software, ‘Capsule’. Recruitment and training All new post-detention casework volunteers will be required to attend - an information session, a training and selection day and a separate interview. Once volunteers join the organisation, they will take part in - initial training, ongoing mentoring, and ongoing training as needed throughout the year depending on training needs and updates to service provision. Time Commitment: This role involves a weekly time commitment at our office in Bedford town centre, ideally a 3–4-hour shift per week. Hours are flexible between the hours of 9:00-5:00pm Monday-Friday.
Administration,Advice, Information & Support,Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring,Driving (must have full driving licence),Support Work,General & Helping
Admin, Good IT Skills, Organising & Planning
Willingness to accept people without being judgemental or seeking to influence them Ability to keep calm when faced with difficult situations, including when listening to traumatic stories or meeting people who may be displaying a wide range of emotions Ability to demonstrate empathy and understanding Ability to listen - encouraging others to express their own thoughts and feelings Emotionally resilient with an understanding of the need for professional boundaries Interested in supporting people from a diverse range of cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs Willingness to abide by our policies and procedures, in particular respecting a detainee’s right to confidentiality and date protection Willingness to attend our ongoing training programme and other events Competent use of another language in the spoken and written word is an advantage
Beyond Detention is committed to supporting all volunteers through: A clear Role Description and Code of Contact Role specific training – through the induction process and our ongoing training (OGT) programme. Ongoing support from the In-Detention Coordinator Regular communication about your role and the activities of the organisation. The opportunity to give regular feedback on your role and the wider organisation. Doing our best to help you develop your volunteering role with us, while recognising your need to balance this with work, study, family and/or other commitments. Annual recognition of the volunteering you have done for Beyond Detention, plus references for work, study or other volunteering if required. Honouring the time commitment you have agreed to give and not putting pressure on you to commit more. Treating all volunteers fairly and in accordance with our Policies and Procedures. Trying to resolve fairly any issues or difficulties you may have whilst you volunteer with us before they become problems, in line with our Policies and Procedures. Promptly reimbursing agreed out-of-pocket expenses following procedures set out in our Expenses Policy. Providing adequate insurance to cover your volunteering within the scope of your Role Description or any additional tasks approved by us. Additional benefits of being a Post-Detention Casework Volunteer may include: Role specific training and experience such as basic legal training ‘OISC level 1’ Knowing that by providing essential emotional support, advice, and guidance we are supporting people to develop in their own communities in their post-detention journey Being part of the Beyond Detention team with regular opportunities to meet online and in person
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MK40 2AA
43 Bromham Road Bedford
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