Recruitment Pack

01622 691357 (option 5)

recruitment@kab.org.uk

Prevention

We promote the need for good eye health to prevent avoidable sight loss.

Support

Our support services help people to live independent lives.

分 -

Independence

We provide access to information, equipment, training and social groups.

Dear Applicant

Thank you for your interest in working with Kent Association for the Blind (KAB).

We are currently looking for an enthusiastic and skilled Volunteer Co-ordinator (VC) to ensure that an adequate supply of suitable, trained volunteers are available to support KAB clients and help KAB achieve its strategic aims within the Bromley area.

The recruitment pack contains some useful information about what we do at KAB, together with a Job Description and Person Specification. To apply for this role, you will need to fill out our Application Form and Equality Monitoring Form.

Once you’ve completed the forms, please send to April Smith, HR Officer, by email at
recruitment@kab.org.uk, or by post to Kent Association for the Blind, 72 College Road,
Maidstone, ME15 6SJ.

Completed forms should reach us by 5pm on 25 August 2026.

Although we would like to be able to write to each applicant individually to let them know the outcome of their application, sadly the cost of doing this is prohibitive. Therefore, if you have not heard from us within two weeks of the closing date please assume that on this occasion your application has been unsuccessful.

Thank you very much for your interest and we look forward to receiving your completed application.

Yours sincerely

Vanessa Stanley Director of Human Resources

Our vision To improve the lives of people with sight loss in Kent and surrounding areas.

Our mission

To achieve our vision, our key aims focus on prevention, support and independence.

Our values

Our values will shape:

The way we behave with people we support, families, our peers, volunteers and organisations.

How we plan, make decisions and come up with solutions.

• How we recruit, induct and develop staff.

Caring – We are kind and care about people and our work.

Collaborative – We work better together and are always inclusive.

Creative – We are continuously looking for new and effective solutions.

Personal – We treat you as individuals, encouraging each and everyone to reach their potential.

Professional – We are trusted to be the best we can be, working with honesty and integrity.

Skilled – We are highly experienced, with excellent local knowledge.

Who we are

KAB is a charity and service provider that has been working throughout Kent and the surrounding areas since 1920. Our aim is to improve the quality of life for sight impaired people of all ages and enable them to maximise their independence.

We have around 110 staff working from four local bases, and around 500 volunteers across the region. The Charity has a turnover of c. £2.5 million p.a. and is overseen by a Board of Trustees.

Our locations

Our Rehabilitation teams are split into four main contract areas: West Kent, East Kent, Medway and Bromley. Most of our work with clients is within the clients’ homes, and some clients visit our Sight Centres.

There are three Sight Centres, with the addition of our Iris vehicle, which is a mobile Sight Centre. Maidstone Sight Centre is also our head office, with departments such as Finance, HR, Fundraising and our Guide Communicator service. This centre services the West Kent and Medway areas. Our other Sight Centres are in Bromley and Canterbury (East Kent). Each Centre has a resource room full of equipment and technology that a client can try.

Additional services we provide

• Transcription services – transcribing documents into different formats including Braille, large print and audio.

• Training courses in Visual Impairment Awareness, Hearing Impairment Awareness, Deafblind Awareness and Assistive Technology.

• CPD accredited training for professionals in supporting patients with low vision.

• DBS checking service for companies.

To find out more, visit www.kab.org.uk or scan the QR code

Our support

Rehabilitation:
assessment of
needs, registering
as sight impaired or
severely sight
impaired, and
providing advice,
training and
guidance

Eye Clinic Liaison Officers in hospitals

Mobility training

Assistive technology guidance and advice

Social groups.

1-2 Guide Communicator support

Children and young people services

Family activities

Counselling

Befriending

Advice and guidance at Iris, our mobile Sight Centre

Employment Details

Job title: Volunteer Co-ordinator

Responsible to: Service Manager – Health and Wellbeing

Hours of work: 17.5 hours per week

Based at: Bromley Sight Centre, Community House, South Street, Bromley, BR1 1RH Element of hybrid working permissible.

Salary: £11,971.84 - £13,334.33 per annum, plus a London Weighting Allowance of £1,124.87 per annum.

Pension scheme: Membership of the pension scheme is available. KAB will match contributions up to a maximum of 7% of salary.

Wellbeing programme: Access to a 24 hour confidential support service.

Holiday details: 21 days per annum, rising to 26 days maximum based on length of service in addition to bank holidays. Plus 4 extra days at Christmas.

Use of private car: £0.45 per mile for business mileage.

Expenses: All approved out of pocket expenses incurred in undertaking official business will be met.

Volunteer Co-ordinator

Job Purpose

The main purpose of the Volunteer Co-ordinator (VC) role is to ensure that an adequate supply of suitable, trained volunteers are available to support KAB clients and help KAB achieve its strategic aims.

The VC’s priority is the provision of volunteers to support sight impaired service users, but VCs will also recruit, place and support volunteers to help with fundraising, events, PR, office support and admin and other activities in the Bromley Team area.

Job Description

Main Tasks:

Co-ordinate volunteers

• Recruit and select new volunteers ensuring that active volunteers are available across all areas of the Charity’s work.

Manage all aspects of the recruitment and selection process; this will include being the initial point of contact and managing all volunteering enquiries: drafting or amending volunteer role descriptions as needed, promotion and advertising; interview and selection; taking up references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks as needed.

• Deliver regular volunteer induction training sessions (typically a minimum of 2 to 4 per annum, depending on the size of the team) and provide additional training if needed.

Co-ordinate volunteer activities across the team area. Organise workload to respond in a timely manner to requests from KAB colleagues in all departments for volunteers, ensuring that priority is given to urgent requests; placing volunteers appropriately, matching their skills and abilities to the needs defined by colleagues.

• Work in a needs-led way, recruiting and training volunteers in response to needs defined by rehab teams, fundraising teams and other KAB colleagues.

• Maintain regular contact with all volunteers, including quarterly e-bulletins, telephone contact and occasional face-to-face meetings; provide supervision and support as needed, and ensure that any additional training needs are met.

Ensure volunteer activities are safe, that up-to-date risk assessments are in place for all local volunteer roles, events and activities, and that risks are being effectively managed.

Administration and evaluation

Be administratively self-supporting; maintain effective office information systems, accurate records of all volunteer activities, and ensure that volunteer records on KAB’s database are accurate and up to date. Produce statistical information, case studies and reports as required.

Evaluate volunteering activities locally and use the findings to develop and improve services ensuring that all activities continue to meet the needs of service users.

• Manage volunteer expenses and mileage claims. Check all claims for accuracy and ensuring spend is within budget.

General duties

Promote and champion the role of volunteers, both internally and externally, so that they are respected and valued for their contribution to the Charity. This includes liaison with local and regional organisations and the media, use of KAB’s website, social media and marketing materials, and arranging occasional events to promote volunteering and celebrate achievements.

Maintain an excellent understanding of current best practice, legislation and new developments in the field of volunteering. Together with the Service Manager (Health and Wellbeing), ensure that this knowledge is used to inform volunteering practice within KAB.

• Work within agreed budgets.

Liaise effectively with colleagues to exchange information and promote good practice to benefit clients and KAB. This will include attending Rehab Team and VC meetings, providing occasional support to colleagues as required, and attending other KAB events, meetings and training.

• Perform other duties as required by the Service Manager (Health and Wellbeing), the Chief Executive of KAB or their authorized deputy.

Person Specification

Essential Criteria

Be able to demonstrate:

• An understanding of the legal and best practice issues in volunteering, including relevant volunteer policies and procedures.

• Excellent inter-personal skills, good listening skills and the ability to influence and motivate volunteers and the public and build effective professional networks and relationships.

• Excellent written communication skills.

• A knowledge of Health and Safety issues and risk management; the ability to carry out risk assessments and respond appropriately.

• An understanding of equality and diversity issues, and a commitment to putting equality principles into practice.

• Effective administrative skills and a good standard of IT skills, including MS Word, Excel, Outlook, Access or other database, and internet.

• Sound numeracy skills, including the ability to independently produce statistical reports using databases and spreadsheets.

• Ability to work on your own initiative and take personal responsibility for making things happen.

• Good time management skills, and the ability to manage a diverse workload and prioritise effectively so that deadlines are met.

• A sensitive and professional approach towards colleagues, volunteers and service users, mindful of confidentiality and anti-discriminatory practices.

• Ability to travel independently across the area of service.

• Empathy with KAB’s aims, values and objectives.

Desirable criteria

• An understanding of the needs of sight impaired people.

This job description is not exhaustive, but is provided to assist the post holder to know what the main duties are. It may be amended from time to time without change to the levels of responsibility appropriate to the grade of the post and in discussion with the post holder.

KAB is an equal opportunities employer.