Befriending Coordinator

You have recent experience in the mental health field, or working with vulnerable adults, and a good understanding of service user development. All you need is the perfect environment to put your skills to great use. Welcome to Richmond Fellowship as a Befriending Coordinator.

Our friendly team in Hammersmith help people living with mental health problems to develop a sense of independence, purpose and fulfilment and gain the skills they need to return to work or simply live a more fulfilling life. But, we need your help.

As a Befriending Coordinator, you will support individuals with lived experience of mental health issues one on one through befriending to help reform and improve their lives. You will also help recruit, support and match volunteers to work with our clients and develop befriending networks that will empower service users to improve and sustain their mental health and wellbeing. Along the way you might support other areas of our service such as peer support groups, workshops and social events for local clients.

To succeed, you'll need:

• Communication skills, written and verbal, to confidently consult, liaise and work effectively with clients, volunteers, colleagues and a wide range of organisations.
  
• Self-motivation and professional integrity.
  
• Time management skills, prioritising and planning work.
  
• Problem solving and decision making skills.
  
• A genuine desire to help others.
  
• Ability to travel locally within Hammersmith and Fulham (though this is a Hybrid role so 1-2 days in the office/community per week)
  
  It would be a great bonus if you have:
  • Experience of recruiting and/or supervising volunteers
    
  • An understanding of holistic support for people with mental health issues
    
  • Relevant IT skills (General Microsoft Office use, client record management system experience and an ability to utilise Zoom and schedule befriending matches to meet remotely)
    
  • Some flexibility over working hours may be helpful to accommodate befriending sessions out of hours.
    
    This is a permanent full-time role requiring the post holder to work 37.5 hours per week.
    
    We are committed to increasing our diversity and welcome applications from those with Lived Experience.
    
    The closing date for this post is the 27th May 2024. However, we reserve the right to close the vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of applications.
    
    

    Richmond Fellowship is part of Recovery Focus, a national group of charities highly experienced in providing specialist support services to individuals and families living with the effects of mental ill health, drug and alcohol use, gambling and domestic violence. From 1st June 2024 Richmond Fellowship will be merging with the mental health charity Humankind to form a single organisation that provides the joined-up mental health, housing and drug and alcohol support we've all known has been needed for decades. In October 2024, Humankind will then be renamed to reflect the new, bigger and better organisation.