Communication Assistant Volunteer Roles in Manchester

Shout is the UK’s only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope. When people text 'Shout' to 85258, they are connected to a Shout Volunteer for a text conversation. Our volunteers provide a safe space for people to share what's causing them distress, while showing warmth and compassion.

Tasks and Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you’ll be enrolled in a training group. New groups start every two weeks.

Shout Volunteers receive 25 hours of free training in communication, listening, managing and assessing risk, and problem solving. The training is self-paced and done online. You’ll learn how to bring people in distress to a place of calm and practice skills that will be useful to you throughout life.

As we are investing in you throughout your time with us, our hope is that you will complete the training in a timely manner and look at this as a longer term commitment. The experience you gain over time is valuable and our goal is to have volunteers commit to 200 hours on the platform, which can take up to two years to complete, as we ask you to take one 2-4 hour shift per week. 

Our Volunteer Training Support team is here to support you, answer any questions and provide feedback during training and throughout your time with Shout. You’ll be joining an incredibly supportive volunteer community and have access to the resources you need to do your role.

As a volunteer, you’ll be supporting people in distress, so it’s important we see the skills required to do that while you are in training. While most trainees complete the training and go on to volunteer, not everyone will pass the training. If this happens, there are other ways you can still support us.

Selection Criteria

A Shout Volunteer is kind and compassionate, a good listener, and has the ability to remain calm when supporting people in crisis. You will also:

• Understand the difference between being friendly and being a friend

• Be aware of your own mental health and wellbeing

• Be open-minded

• Be supportive

• Be reliable

• Be discreet and able to respect confidentiality at all times

• Be accepting and non-judgemental

• Be passionate about contributing some of your time to a cause such as Shout

• Adopt a growth mindset, and be willing to accept feedback

Requirements

• You must live in the United Kingdom or New Zealand while volunteering. 
• You must be over 18 years of age.
• You will need a reliable internet connection and a private place to take your shift.
• All of your volunteering must be done using a laptop or desktop computer and Google Chrome.

It’s worth spending time thinking about the nature of the role, and whether it’s right for you. We support all texters, regardless of race, religion, sexual identity or issue. You will need to be comfortable addressing topics frequently discussed with texters (suicide, self-harm, depression, etc.) without compromising your own mental health. 

Before you apply, please consider whether either of the following applies to you:

• Have you recently experienced grief, loss or change issue/s? For example; someone close to you has been ill or has died, you’ve lost your job, your relationship has ended.

• Is your current mental health and wellbeing in a place such that the stress and pressure of listening to the challenges of others would bring additional burden to you personally?

Benefits to Volunteers

The role is rewarding and can save lives. Shout Volunteers tell us they gain a sense of pride, satisfaction and purpose from taking conversations. They also tell us that their own wellbeing increases, they learn valuable skills and gain experience they can use at work and in their personal lives.

Volunteering can also be a great addition to your CV. You do not need to have any past experience in mental health to be a Shout Volunteer - we’ll provide you with all the training and support you need to do the role.

Application Process

You will need to create your account and fill in the application using a laptop or desktop computer and in a Google Chrome browser. This is a standard requirement for all of our systems at Shout, from the application through to the platform.

You should leave up to an hour to complete the form. As Shout is a text based service and we do not conduct in person interviews for our volunteer candidates what you write in your application and the strength of your references are how we get to know you. 

We appreciate when candidates take the time to write thoughtful, considered answers. We recommend you review your application with an eye toward things like spelling, grammar and punctuation. While some of our texters will occasionally reach out using more informal text speak, our volunteers respond in full sentences and double check their messages for accuracy before hitting send. 

Your application will be reviewed once we have received responses from both of your references. We ask for a personal reference and a professional reference. The personal reference can be a friend or colleague but the other must be someone who knows you professionally or has supervised you in some way. 

This could be a manager or supervisor from where you work or a teacher or educator from where you study. We recommend you choose references who are able to speak to your ability to fulfil the selection criteria outlined above.

We do not accept references from family members. This includes your partner or their relatives, your children, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents or godparents. 

Please allow up to a month for us to review your application and return a decision. 

If your application is approved, you can book your place on training. Training groups usually start every two weeks and spaces are available to book a couple of months ahead. While you are in training and before you are allowed on the platform we will carry out a background check.

Volunteering for Sense

Our amazing team of volunteers help us run over 100 shops across England and Wales.  Every donated item that you sort, prepare and sell helps to raise vital funds to support us in our mission to make sure no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, is isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our shops are at the heart of local communities – sharing the work of Sense, and helping to secure support for our life changing work.

What your role will involve

There are a variety of tasks that you can get involved with in the shop, including:

• Welcoming and assisting customers, providing great customer service and a fantastic shopping experience
• Receiving donated goods from members of the public
• Sorting, steaming, tagging and preparing donated goods for sale
• Creating eye catching window and in-shop displays
• Keeping the shop floor well stocked, tidy, clean and organised
• Processing sales and serving on the till
• Promoting Gift Aid and other Sense fundraising initiatives
• Acting as an ambassador for Sense; promoting the shop and Sense in your local community
• Supporting with the recruitment and training of new volunteers
• Following new health and safety measures to ensure the safety of everyone

Will the role suit me? Yes, if you are:

• Motivated and hardworking
• Reliable, flexible and willing to do a variety of shop tasks
• A team player
• Friendly and helpful
• Passionate about customer service and enjoy interacting with people
• Respectful of others and their diversity
• Interested in supporting the work of Sense and want to make a difference to people who have complex disabilities and are deafblind.

What can Sense offer me as a volunteer?

• A full induction and ongoing support and guidance from your Shop Manager to make sure you feel confident in your role
• Support to develop new skills, knowledge and experience, in particular of a retail environment, but also skills such as teamwork, customer service, communication and using your initiative
• A reference for other paid or voluntary work (available on request)
• The opportunity to share your existing skills and experience to benefit others
• The chance to meet new people from a wide range of backgrounds and to join a passionate and committed team
• The opportunity to make an invaluable contribution to Sense by raising vital income and raising the profile of Sense in your local community; changing the lives of those who have complex disabilities and are deafblind

About Sense

For everyone living with complex disabilities. For everyone who is deafblind. Sense is here to offer personalised support to help people communicate and experience the world. We believe that no one, no matter how complex their disabilities, should be isolated, left out, or unable to fulfil their potential. Our experts offer support that’s tailored to the individual needs of each person, whether that’s at our centres, through our holidays and short breaks, or in people’s own homes. In addition to practical support, we also provide information to families, and campaign for the rights of people with complex disabilities to take part in life.

Volunteers add real value to Sense, bringing their passion, enthusiasm and fresh perspectives to the work that we do. We believe that volunteers enable us to bring people together, and provide opportunities for people with complex disabilities to communicate and experience the world.

We include. We collaborate. We find a way. We challenge. We celebrate.

Beacon Counselling is a registered mental health charity in Stockport dedicated to improving mental health and emotional resilience of our community for more than 40 years.

We deliver a whole range of mental health and wellbeing services in schools, community hubs, online and from our base in the heart of Stockport, offered by our dedicated team of qualified paid and volunteer counsellors and wellbeing workers.

We are looking for both adult and/or children’s qualified volunteer counsellors, dedicated to improving the mental health and emotional resilience of our community. Our ideal candidates are committed to providing a high standard in their work, with a passion to supporting clients to help them on their journey towards positive mental health and who embed and share Beacon’s values.

Alongside the ability to expand your skills, experience and development through the delivery of a diverse caseload, you will have access to CPD opportunities and training, staff counselling scheme, weekly clinical drop ins, charity worker discount scheme, travel expenses will be provided and internal supervision will be provided with a minimum commitment of 2 clients per week.

Are you passionate about issues relating to gender inequality and ending violence against women and girls?

If so, come and volunteer with Women and Girls Network’s Sexual Violence Helpline!

About the opportunities

We are seeking Sexual Violence Helpline Volunteers who will thrive in a multi-cultural feminist environment. In this unique role, you will provide emotional support for self-identifying women, girls, and non-binary people affected by sexual violence. You will create a safe space where survivors are free to be themselves, have their voice heard and safely explore the impact of their experiences.

As a Sexual Violence Helpline Volunteer, you will make a difference to survivor’s lives, gain valuable front-line experience within London’s VAWG sector and join a friendly, committed and passionate team. We also offer a comprehensive induction programme, access to specialist training courses and ongoing support. 

About the service

As part of the Ascent partnership within the London Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) Consortium, the SVHL provides free and confidential emotional support to self-identified women aged 14+ and based in London, and who has been affected by any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives.

The SVHL consists of a specialist team of women, including trained counsellors and volunteers, who provide a safe space for survivors to explore their feelings. Support is also provided to the friends and families of survivors and other professionals to understand how best to support survivors of sexual violence.

Services provided by the SVHL includes a Freephone Helpline, Emotional Webchat, and Emotional Services Session (for those on the counselling wait list).

About WGN

Established in 1987, Women and Girls Network (WGN) is a community-based organisation providing women with a comprehensive range of therapeutic services which facilitate healing and recovery from experiences of violence. We work with all forms of gendered violence, whether physical, sexual or emotional.

The crimes of violence committed against women and girls usually involve assault and violation of both mind and body with devastating consequences. Where women’s lives may have been shattered and fragmented by gendered violence, our services provide a holistic healing journey engaging all aspects of self: mind, body and spirit.

We are committed to offering services which empower women with a choice of therapeutic activities that encourage them to be self-nurturing, creative and active participants in their healing process.  We recognise the individuality of every woman and the uniqueness of her experience; we view healing as a partnership where women retain control by choosing specific programmes which meet their needs.  Our work is intended to inspire and facilitate growth, resolution and change, moving a woman from survivor to thriver.

Interview details

Interviews are expected to take place on a rolling basis until all posts are filled, early applications are highly encouraged.

Further information

These posts are subject to pre-volunteering checks including DBS, references, and social media background screening 

WGN is an equal opportunities employer. 

The above posts are exempt under the Equality Act 2010, Schedule 9, Part 1.