Onside Advocacy (Bromsgrove & Redditch)
Description of the role
Working in partnership with Primary Care Networks (PCN’S)*, Onside deliver a range of wellbeing services which work with people for a set number of sessions to improve their health & wellbeing. We have volunteering opportunities in the below services:
Social Prescribing Service: This links patients with non-medical support to address people’s needs in a holistic way. Social Prescribing aims to support individuals to take greater control of their health and wellbeing and enables people to feel more empowered to look after themselves.
Lifestyle Advisor Service: This service provides a set number of sessions to people who need support addressing dietary intake, physical activity, smoking cessation and alcohol reduction. This service has been recently extended to offer a multi-component service using a unique peer support approach to help specific
communities address dietary intake, physical activity and behaviour change through connecting people with their own local weight loss community.
Wellbeing Coaching: Our wellbeing coaches support people facing low level mental ill health with one to one or group coaching sessions. A wellbeing coach can help people; Develop insight to improve mental wellbeing & improve coping skills and confidence, take greater control of mental health & wellbeing and refer or signpost people on to appropriate services.
*Primary Care Networks: Primary Care Networks (PCN’s) are a group of GP Surgeries which work in the same or surrounding geographical area which come together to focus on local patient care.
Responsibilities:
Wellbeing volunteers would support adults in a person-centred way, tailoring to the needs of the individual. This may be through practical, social and/or emotional support. Volunteers work one to one or support staff with delivering groups to individuals who may be experiencing a lack of confidence, social isolation, anxiety and/or lifestyle issues such as challenges maintaining their weight. The volunteer will be able to listen and understand the needs of the individual; working with them either on a one-off basis of typically up
to 6 sessions or assist the team in empowering people to develop the knowledge and skills they need to make changes to their wellbeing and/or access vital services in their community.
Specifically, our wellbeing volunteers may:
Research specific support for service users that will help them make changes to and improve their wellbeing. This may be through supporting service users to:
- Understand technology and how to navigate support online
- Find accessible groups for people with mobility issues
- Provide motivational and peer support for those lacking confidence to attend group sessions (confidence building)
- Assist in the delivery of group programs both remotely and face to face across Worcestershire.
- Provide support to those going through assessments for benefits such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Employment Support
- Allowance (ESA) or within housing such as homelessness interviews with the council.
- Carry out research into grants & opportunities for those struggling to fund bills, mobility equipment and more.
- Offer information, advice and support such as signposting to local and national groups, charities and more.
- Support service users to create personalised plans to make positive changes to their health & wellbeing i.e. grounding exercises in wellbeing coaching.
- Carrying out remote calls to obtain feedback about our wellbeing services to aid our understanding of the service user journey and support the evaluation of our work
We are looking for:
- First and foremost, to be compassionate, kind, caring, empathetic and have great listening skills. It is also helpful if you understand and can empathise with people who are struggling to make positive and helpful decisions about things which are impacting on their quality of life.
- You will enjoy getting out and about in your local community, helping people to grow in confidence and supporting them to make plans and access appropriate services and community activities. Overall, a willingness and desire to want to make a difference and support people in your local community to enable positive changes.
- You will also need to use appropriate systems for data capture and reporting so being comfortable in using email and Microsoft Office applications is useful. Full training will be provided on specific systems.
Practical Considerations
This opportunity is across Worcestershire but you can opt to only support people in your local areas. Mileage and expenses are paid.
Any specific requirements
- Any other additional requirements will be discussed with you and the organisation.
Where is the opportunity based?
This opportunity is across Worcestershire but you can opt to only support people in your local areas.
When is the opportunity available?
Volunteering days available to be discussed between you and the organisation. We recruit on a rolling basis.
About the organisation
Onside is a Worcestershire and Herefordshire based charity which supports local people disadvantaged by disability, mental ill health, learning difficulties and age related health issues. We provide a range
of support and strives to ensure people who are vulnerable are free from abuse, neglect, discrimination and unfair treatment and that they are able to be genuinely involved and included in their local communities.
Volunteers are at the heart of our work. They play a key role in helping us to support over 3000 people each year who find themselves in desperate situations and facing isolation and exclusion.
We are seeing a growing demand for our services and we need to recruit an increasing number of volunteers so that we do not have to turn vulnerable people away.
Bromsgrove and Redditch Network 