Veterans Friendship Coordinator

**Veterans Friendship Coordinator Colchester**

NE Essex 1 full time or 2 x part time Roles available

The Befriending service aims to improve social isolation and loneliness for older adults within North East Essex. There is an existing team of coordinators delivering befriending services and this role will focus on Befriending services for Veterans together with finding ways to improve social isolation for Veterans, for example through representing the service with external organizations or facilitating social groups.

Duties are likely to include:

- Receive, delegate and manage referrals from a variety of sources
- Work with Armed forces veterans and Armed forces charities to increase our reach inclusively
- Identify groups and clubs for veterans in North East Essex and facilitate groups where needed
- Meeting individuals in their homes, understanding their needs and identifying who they would connect well with
- Recruit, onboard and manage a pool of volunteers for befriending
- Complete feedback reviews with volunteers and clients to check that befriending is successful
- Gather case studies to feedback to the central team to showcase success
- Record activity on our data base (Salesforce for Charities)
- Review adverts for volunteers regularly to keep them fresh, high quality and delivering results
- Drive activity for internal and external referrals as needs are identified with clients
- Introduce individuals into local clubs and activities internally or externally

What are your qualities?
- You will need to be outgoing, confident and able to juggle a range of priorities well
- A good team worker
- Have a supportive nature and be approachable to colleagues, volunteers and clients alike
- Able to understand and promote empowerment and support people in later years to make decisions to help them to lead an independent and fulfilling life
- Able to understand the confidential nature of our work and put in place relevant safeguarding procedures
- You will have a genuine desire to make a difference to people in very challenging personal circumstance
- You will need an understanding of Dementia and supporting anyone affected by dementia (training will be available)

What do you need to consider before applying?
- All our staff and volunteers go through the DBS process and thorough vetting (no costs)
- You will need to have a car, license and business class insurance as there is travel across North East Essex
- Previous experience in a similar role would be an advantage
- Experience in group facilitation an advantage
- Previous knowledge of Food hygiene, health and safety procedures and risk assessments desirable

We aim to be an equal opportunities employer and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favorable treatment on the grounds of gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status, or race, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable.

What do we offer?

The organization is growing our reach and activity because of the high demand for support. It is an exciting time to be a part of what we are doing, and this opportunity is about genuinely making a big difference to people. We take great pride in what we do, who we help and how we transform lives.

The role is a fixed term role for a year ,with flexible working between the hours of 8.30 am - 5 pm Mon - Fri.

What benefits do we offer our employees
- 28 days annual leave pro rota plus bank holidays (includes a birthday day and closure between Christmas and New Year) pro-rata for part-time
- 5% Employer Pension Contribution
- Health Assured health package (including up to 6 face-to-face counselling sessions per year)
- Reflective practice sessions

Some more information about us to help you understand what we do and how we do it.

Our Vision

Age Well East supports and empowers people to live better in later life.

Our Values
- _Trust_
- _Compassion_
- _Community_
- _Excellence_
- _Courage_

**About Age Well East**

Age Well East is a Charitable Organisation that is focused on making life better for individuals in later life. The current services that we provide cover:
- Providing a befriending service to more than 350 individuals in later years
- Supplying information and advice on practical support services around the home for those in later years
- Offering emotional support and referral to specialist bereavement and end of life services
- Connecting people in later years via community hubs, activities, and interest groups

The charity has gone through significant growth over the last couple of years and is now an independent charity that reaches people throughout Colchester, Witham, and North East Essex.