Escorting and Befriending Co-ordinator

JOB DESCRIPTION

Escorting and one-to-one Befriending Service

Job Title:

Escorting and Befriending Co-ordinator

Salary:

£28,356 - £29,581 p.a. pro rata + matched pension contribution

Hours:

21 hours per week including occasional evening and weekend work

for which time off in lieu will be given.

Contract:

Fixed Term until March 2028

Responsible to:

Head of Community Engagement

Age UK Kensington & Chelsea Values

We promote the well-being of older people through:

• Providing services which support independence

• Learning from this experience to inform our understanding of older people's needs

• Ensuring the voices of older people in Kensington and Chelsea are heard

• Working in close collaboration with other organisations to achieve these aims

Job Role and Purpose

The Escorting & Befriending Volunteer Co-ordinator works as part of a small team responsible for developing and coordinating a high-quality befriending service that reduces loneliness and social isolation among older people.

The role trains and supports volunteers, matches them with clients based on individual needs, and ensures safe, meaningful and person-centred relationships.

The role takes befriending referrals, assesses people’s needs and suitability for the service, assists clients to set goals and matches them with a suitable volunteer.

Working closely with partner organisations and community services, the Co-ordinator monitors outcomes, maintains accurate records, promotes the service, and ensures volunteers and clients receive ongoing support to improve wellbeing, independence and social connection.

Key Tasks

	1. To develop and promote al aspects of the volunteer-led escorting and befriending services.
	2. Working with the Volunteer Manager to make sure we have an ongoing supply of
	volunteers to cover the services' needs.
3.	Supervising, supporting and motivating volunteers once placed with their clients, listening to their feedback and taking them into consideration for any changes To arrange and carry out home visits and risk assessments of potential clients with a view
4.	to making a volunteer placement (regular for long and short-term befriending and occasional for escorting) or if required, making a referral to an appropriate agency or to another Age UK K&C service.
	5. To monitor the impact of the service on the client's well-being and follow up appropriately. To work with the line manager to identify opportunities for joint working with voluntary and
	statutory sector partners to promote the escorting and one-to-one befriending services and to devise and implement ways of reaching isolated communities of older people.
7.1	In consultation with clients and other professionals, to work with line manager to identify gaps in the above services for older people and to propose and develop new initiatives to meet those needs.
	To support the development and update publicity material, ensuring all material complies with house style and to arrange the distribution of publicity material across the borough.
	9. To provide writen reports as required.
	10. To ensure that all records are kept up to date and monitoring, evaluation and quality assurance procedures are in line with policies and procedures.
	11. To undertake supervision and training as determined by the line manager.
	12. To attend meetings as directed and participate in organisation events.
	13. To work collaboratively within the Community Engagement Services team and other Age UK K&C departments to ensure that relevant information is shared and that service users
	benefit from the full range of the organisation's services and activities.
	14. To maintain an on-going link with our internal Activities and Events programme.
	15. To undertake any other duties that from time to time may be reasonably required.
	16. To follow the organisation's policies and procedures and making sure volunteers also do

Person Specification

Essential

1. Experience of delivering a volunteer-led befriending service.

2. An understanding of the factors affecting older people's lives, especially with regard to mobility and isolation and any other conditions and factors that may contribute to feeling lonely, such dementia or digital exclusion.

3. Experience of working with volunteers, including supervision, mentoring or delivering training. (guideline – 1 year)

4. A compassionate, empathetic and person-centred approach, with a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

5. A Positive attitude towards ageing and older people.

6. Knowledge of safeguarding, confidentiality and working with vulnerable adults, and to report any incidents and safeguarding incidents to make sure clients, volunteers and other members of staff are safe.

7. Computer literate, able to use email, the internet and web searches as a minimum and data input in database.

8. Excellent communication skils, both verbal and written

9. Able to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

10. Experience of working effectively in a small team and able to work under own initiative if required.

11. Experience of record keeping and meeting targets. 12. Knowledge of funding requirements and collecting data to demonstrate service impact.

13. Numerate and literate, able to supply reports as required.

14. Experience of multi-agency working with the ability to create effective links with

professionals in all relevant sectors. 15. An understanding of equalities issues and an ability to apply this to services.

16. Experience of working with diverse communities with the ability to communicate tactfully

17. A flexible attitude towards the working environment, and to occasional evening or weekend work, if required.

Desirable

1. Ability to speak one of Kensington and Chelsea’s main community languages other than English (currently Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Tigrinya, Somali, French and Farsi).