Volunteer Coordinator, West Cumbria Baby Bank

Howgill Job Description

Job Title:
Location:

Volunteer Coordinator, West Cumbria Baby Bank
Birks Road, Cleator Moor, CA25 5HR.

Responsible to:

The West Cumbria Baby Bank Manager

Salary:

Hours:

£12.71 per hour (Initially a 12-month fixed term contract subject to
funding). The Howgill Family Centre has a company pension
scheme.
               20 hours

Purpose of Post: We are looking for a dynamic, hands-on person who can work closely
with the Baby Bank Manager and volunteers to develop the project in its aim to provide
essential baby equipment, clothing and toiletries to disadvantaged families in
Cumberland via health professionals.

 Howgill’s mission
To improve the lives of children, families and their communities in Copeland:

•  Howgill provides distinctive services to children and families, based on trusting
relationships. Howgill’s services are accessible, and care is taken to include the
most disadvantaged. We specialise in providing early help and emphasise
prevention.

•  Howgill is committed to people’s growth and development. By increasing
aspirations and expectations service users, parents, carers, children,
volunteers and employees are encouraged to learn and progress towards
fulfilling their potential.

•  Howgill’s approach is collaborative. Families are at the centre of what we do,
and we have high expectations of the adults in the relationship. There is a
recognition that people with whom we work have responsibilities too – to act
safely and responsibly. Howgill partners with a wide range of organisations
across public, private and voluntary sectors.

•  Howgill fosters independence and resilience. We believe people can address
the issues they face – recognising that they may need support in the forms of
information, skills and confidence to enable them to do so. We will enable
people, when they are ready, to move beyond the point where Howgill’s support
is required. Former service users are encouraged to become volunteers,
employees, sponsors, patrons and trustees.

Howgill’s vision

Every child and family in Copeland is respected, included and resilient and has the
ability to function in this increasingly complicated world; parents and children are able
to seize opportunities to flourish.

Howgill’s values
We are:

•

Inclusive – our services are open and are offered unconditionally to all who have
needs we can help.

•  Nurturing - we strengthen and inspire families by being flexible and responsive

to the evolving needs of children and families.

•  Collaborative – we work in partnership with children, their families and other

agencies.

•  Trusted – we are a respected and established charity that is honest, transparent
and accountable. Our services are supervised by professionally qualified staff.

•  Beneficiary-focused – we always put the safety and wellbeing of children and

families first.

The job description reflects the major tasks to be carried out by the post holders and
identifies a level of responsibility at which the post holders will be required to work. In
the interest of effective working, major tasks may be reviewed from time to time to
reflect changing needs and circumstances. Such reviews and other consequential
changes will be carried out in consultation with the post holders. The post holder will be
required to carry out such duties as may be determined from time to time within the
general scope of the post. Howgill Family Centre reserves the right to alter the content
of this job description, after consultation, to reflect changes to the job or services
provided, without altering the general character or level of responsibility. The duties
described in the Job Description must be carried out in a manner which promotes
equality of opportunity, dignity and due respect for all employees and service users.

Main Duties:

•  To coordinate with the Baby Bank Manager to recruit, coordinate and induct

volunteers according to the Baby Bank manual, supporting them in their work
and development at the storeroom and ensuring risk assessments are
completed.

•  To promote and highlight safe working practices to volunteers, as detailed in the

Baby Bank manual.

•  To work with the Baby Bank Manager to seek out donations of second hand and

new items from the public and charity groups.

•  To oversee the safety checking of clothing and equipment, ensuring all

procedure is followed from the Baby Bank manual.

•  To monitor stock levels and request authorisation to resupply as required, in

coordinate with the Baby Bank Manager.

•  To coordinate the preparation and allocation of donations: check, launder and
pack moses basket starter packs, toiletry packs, sensory toys and equipment,
clothing bundles and cots.

•  To process and log referrals, monitoring progress until items are dispatched,

keeping the booking system up to date.

•  To communicate regularly with the Baby Bank Manager regarding referral

statistics.

•  To monitor and action email correspondence.
•  To coordinate with the Baby Bank Manager to promote the project by preparing
photos and text for social media posts, as well as attending some promotional
and fundraising events (businesses, schools and clubs etc), as necessary.
•  Promote the early years vision of the Baby Bank and Howgill Family Centre.