Outreach Home Visitor Volunteer Befriending Support

Multiple locations in Hampshire: New Forest, Southampton, Winchester, Basingstoke and surrounding areas
Hours: Minimum 1 hour per week or 2 hours per fortnight, plus travel time.
Reporting to: Outreach Programme Manager

This volunteer opportunity is age restricted to 18+ and requires additional training which is provided.

Established in 2018, Hammersley Homes is a charity that provides support for life, for vulnerable adults who live with enduring mental health challenges and psychotic illnesses. Our aim is to establish a nationwide network of Day Centres, Outreach Services and Supported Housing schemes. We focus upon increasing people’s quality of life, whilst decreasing the likelihood of relapse into a mental health crisis.

Implementing ongoing support provides an opportunity to notice if there is any notable decline in the person’s health or wellbeing.

Our Outreach Service was set up to support people living with long term mental illness who may be suffering from the debilitating effects of disorganised lifestyles, loneliness and/or social isolation. The main aim of this service is to provide support to members living in their own homes, and out in the community. Our focus is to help people to reach their personal goals and live their best life.

Hammersley Homes is staffed by a small multi-skilled team of hardworking employees and volunteers who are scattered about the region supporting our Outreach Members, working remotely and/or office/home based. We are looking for caring and empathetic volunteers to assist our Outreach Members with any day-to-day tasks that they may be struggling with, including online access, budgeting, hobbies, exercise and engaging with community activities.

As a Home Visitor you will support clients to maintain contact with the outside world and help relieve some of the loneliness and bring some fun and pleasure to their lives. Volunteers can help to access services and support which they struggle to access by themselves – for example helping to ensure they are receiving all the benefits they are entitled to.

To ensure success as a Support Volunteer, you should have excellent interpersonal skills, a passion for helping others, and be able to empower individuals through emotional and physical support.

As the name suggests, a Home Visitor has a friendly disposition and supports the beneficiary with company, tactful guidance, presenting options for the person to make informed choices and encourages:

• Happiness and contentment
• Social contact and integration where possible
• Guidance and referrals for other support when desired/required

• Maintaining a person-centred approach by providing emotional support, talking to Outreach Members about their needs and listening to their concerns
• Practical support:
  Helping Outreach Members to go shopping, arrange and attending medical appointments, helping with a memory jog for medication, sorting out mail, support with online access and access to other services
• Supporting members to participate in leisure activities and hobbies, e.g., a walk at the local park, hobbies, introduction and accompanying attendance to a group that might interest them
• Observing and monitoring the wellbeing of the member, paying close attention to any changes in behaviour
• Supporting Outreach Members to maintain their existing skills and develop new ones
• Encouraging Outreach Members to look after their own home, their personal hygiene and health (volunteers do not support with domiciliary duties including personal care, administration of medication or cleaning. If extra support is required, volunteers must inform the co-ordinator so that this can be arranged).
• Supporting Outreach Members to achieve their ambitions as set out in their support plans
• Recording notes accurately on the Reporting App after each visit, and reporting any concerns, incident, or safeguarding issues to the Co-ordinator (A mobile phone is provided)

It is expected that each visit will last up to 2 hours, dependent on the contract agreed by the Outreach Members. To ensure continuity and guidance for you, you will be asked to write…