Outreach Assistant

Role Title: 

Outreach Assistant

Brief Description:

Supporting animal-assisted intervention visits to venues including care homes, schools, hospitals and community groups

Where:

Visiting services at various locations across Greater Manchester, whilst it is possible to meet us on location assistance with packing and unpacking at our base is always appreciated.
Noah’s A.R.T.

1-9 Borough Arcade, Hyde, SK14 2AA

What’s in it for you?

• The chance to make a difference.

• Enjoy new experiences & develop new skills.

• Excellent training opportunities.

• Reasonable expenses covered.

• Be a part of an amazing team and meet new people.

• Gain experience working with animals.

• Opportunity to meet others who care about animals.

• Improve self esteem and confidence.

• The chance to contribute to the work of Noah’s A.R.T.

• Gain experience of animal-assisted interventions.

• Gain experience working with a wide range of people with differing needs.

• Opportunity to support others.

• The potential to gain the experience needed for a paid position. 

When:

Mondays and/or Fridays

Duration: 

Ongoing

Main Duties:  

• Communicate promptly with the volunteer coordinator and lead therapists.

• Work as a team with the lead therapist and other volunteers .

• Support clients to interact with the animals.  

• Be friendly, empathetic and attentive to clients’ needs.

• Notify staff as soon as possible if you cannot attend.

• Adhere to all Noah’s A.R.T. policies and procedures at all times.

• Understand that you represent Noah’s A.R.T. when volunteering, and behave respectfully, professionally and courteously to clients, carers, Noah’s A.R.T. staff and other volunteers at all times.

• Take reasonable care to avoid injury to yourself or others and report any accident or injury immediately.

• Take safeguarding seriously and report any concerns to staff.

• Understand that you must not disclose to a third party any confidential information you obtain whilst volunteering which is not available to the public.

• Maintain animal welfare standards during sessions.

• Understand the selection of animals for therapy work and suitability of animals with different clients.

• Promote the safety of the animals during sessions, including allowing them to have the choice to interact or retreat.

• Handle the animals confidently as needed.

• Recognise the signs of stress in the animals and understand how to reduce stress.

• Recognise signs of illness or injury in the animals.

• Be aware of behaviour changes in the animals and report this to Noah’s A.R.T. staff.

• Report any incidents such as nipping, biting, etc. (to self or participants).

About You:

• You have an interest in mental health/animal welfare.

• You have access to email and phone.

• You are polite, approachable, and friendly with good communication skills.

• You can volunteer as part of a team of people from different backgrounds.

• You are committed to equal opportunities and treat all individuals with respect.

• You understand, and commit to, confidentiality.

• You are punctual and reliable.

• You are able to take initiative and adapt.

• You are interested in developing your skills and experiences.

• You are passionate about contributing to the work of Noah’s A.R.T.

Skills & Experience:

ESSENTIAL

• 18+

• Able to manage potentially triggering situations; we visit mental health wards, care homes and eating disorder wards where you may be exposed to dementia or obvious instances of self harm.

• Willingness to engage with challenging clients such as those with neurodiversities or those who may be heavily medicated. 

• Whilst supervision is available you must be confident in your ability to manage your own mental well being.

DESIRABLE

• Driver.

• Knowledge of mental health needs.

• Experience working with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults.

• Animal welfare knowledge.

About Us:

Noah’s A.R.T. is a family-run, community-based, not-for-profit social enterprise. It was founded in 2015 with a mission: to utilise the benefits of the human-animal bond to improve mental health and wellbeing in Greater Manchester. 

• We will provide on the job training, a volunteer induction and access to supervision if needed.

• We also provide invaluable training opportunities in a variety of areas with ourselves and other organisations.

• We will pay travel expenses and other expenses within reason (to be discussed with a member of staff prior to making a claim).

• We provide a friendly and welcoming work environment and are understanding of differing individual circumstances; we try to be flexible where possible in order to accommodate.

• If you have volunteered with us for three months or more we will be able to provide you with a reference.

Other Requirements:

• We ask volunteers to provide two references.

• Some roles require a DBS check.

• Volunteers must be over 14.

• Volunteers are expected to complete the online induction as well as attend relevant training.

• Volunteers must adhere to Noah’s A.R.T. policies, procedures, protocols and guidelines at all times.

Benefits to Noah’s A.R.T.

• Extra support for staff during sessions.

• Extra support for clients during sessions.

• Improved safety of the animals.

• Quicker identification of health issues and risks to/from the animals.