Purpose of the role
Every year, Me2 Club matches over 100 children who have additional needs or disabilities with committed and passionate volunteers to help them attend and take part in mainstream leisure activities. We tackle the impact of exclusion and social isolation experienced by children and young people and help build their confidence, self-esteem and independence.
As an Activities and Volunteers Coordinator you'll support a caseload of children, taking time to get to know them and their families and understanding their support needs and interests. You'll play a crucial role in carefully matching children to volunteer buddies, helping to build strong and nurturing relationships. You'll work as part of a team to recruit, train and provide ongoing support to our volunteers and meet the growing demand for our unique service.
The Ideal Candidate
You will be passionate about ensuring inclusion for all children and young people with additional needs and disabilities in mainstream activities. You'll be able to quickly build trusting relationships with children of all different abilities and their parents and carers. You'll be knowledgeable and experienced at directly providing support to children with additional needs and disabilities and be able to draw on a range of techniques to help build children's confidence and independence and reducing the isolation they experience.
Ideally, you'll have worked with and managed groups of volunteers to deliver services directly to children. You'll be a confident communicator and feel comfortable delivering training and presentations.
Key Accountabilities
* Recruit, train and provide on-going support to groups of volunteers to meet the needs of the children we support
* Hold a caseload of children, building strong relationships with them and their families
* Identify high quality matches between children and volunteers, overseeing the match at their regular mainstream activity
* Provide ongoing support, advice and guidance to volunteers as well as activity providers
* Regularly visit children and volunteer matches at weekly mainstream activities
* Where appropriate, carry out risk or support needs assessment to ensure children and volunteers are safe and supported at their activity
* Promote and represent Me2 Club across Reading and Wokingham to increase the number of children we support every year
* Build positive and impactful relationships with local partners and organisations
* To advocate for the needs of children and families and work in a person-centered way that is empowering to beneficiaries
* Ensuring services are delivered safely and responding promptly to any safeguarding related concerns in line with Me2 Club's procedures
Other Accountabilities
* Adhere to Me2 Club's policies, procedures, government legislation, and good practice
* To undertake, record, and review as appropriate, all necessary Health and Safety assessments/profiles with regard to children/young people and their activities and residential trips
* Support in the planning and delivery of Me2 Club's additional projects including Family Events
* To undertake any other duties commensurate with the general level of responsibility for the role
Person Specification All criteria are essential unless otherwise stated.
Experience/Training:
* Experience of working with children with additional needs including social, emotional and behavioural difficulties and epilepsy
* Experience of managing and supporting volunteers (Desirable)
* Experience of delivering training, workshops and presentations (Desirable)
Skills and Knowledge:
* Good understanding of the needs of children with additional needs and disabilities including Autistic Spectrum Disorder
* Strong relationship building skills and able to quickly gain the trust and confidence of children, families, volunteers and activity providers
* Strong communication skills including oral and written for a range of internal and external audiences
* Knowledge and awareness of good safeguarding practice
* Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities
* Ability to manage own workload
* Good IT skills and ability to learn how to use a range of applications including the charity's CRM, Office 365 and WordPress
Personal Qualities:
* A commitment to Me2 Club's vision and mission, ensuring Inclusion for All
* A commitment to safeguarding children and adults at risk
* A commitment to equal opportunities
* Takes responsibility for own learning and development
* Creative approach to problem solving
* Resilient and able to maintain energy, focus and positivity
Criminal Record Check:
Enhanced DBS
Travel Required
: Frequent travel across Reading and Wokingham with some travel outside of these areas. Use of a car is essential and therefore you must have access to a vehicle.
Please apply via application form available on the Me2 Club website -
Job Types:
Part-time, Temporary contract
Contract length:
12 months
Benefits:
* Additional leave
* Casual dress
* Company events
* Company pension
* Employee discount
* Flexitime
* On-site parking
* Sick pay
* Work from home