Time2Share@WECIL

Who we are

Time2Share@WECIL’s Befriending Service links volunteers 1:1 with a Disabled child / young person. Links are based on shared interests and activities which the volunteer and young person can enjoy doing together either in the child/family home or out in the community.

What experience do I need?

You do not need any previous experience with disabled children or young people, but we ask that volunteers are friendly, caring, reliable and able to make a commitment to visit a young person regularly.

What will I be doing?

You will volunteer within Time2Share@WECIL’s befriending service for disabled children/young people (aged 5-18 yrs) and their families. This involves spending time regularly with a disabled child or young person in their home or supporting the young person to take part in social and leisure activities in their local community. You will not be asked to administer medication or deliver personal care in this role.

Who am I responsible for?

You are responsible for the safety and wellbeing of the child or young person you are linked with. All links are risk-assessed and carefully monitored by your co-ordinator.

Who am I responsible to?

The parent / carer. You must ensure that the parent / carer’s reasonable instructions and guidance regarding the welfare of their child are adhered to and that clear communication is maintained. Feedback must be given to the parent/carer following a visit.

Your co-ordinator and Time2Share@WECIL. You must respond promptly to any contact from your co-ordinator. You are required to report monthly on any time spent with the child you are linked with and any activities undertaken, and to take part in the annual review.

How often will I be needed?

Time2Share@WECIL typically ask for volunteers to commit to 2-4 hours a week and the days / times are agreed between the volunteer and the family. We ask for a minimum commitment of 6 months to ensure the child and their family are able to benefit fully from the relationship.

What about expenses?

Volunteer travel expenses can be reimbursed on receipt of a claim form (and receipts where applicable). You won’t be left out of pocket.

To apply: VOLUNTEER APPLICATION FORM

[email protected]

Our culture and values

Time2Share@WECIL is committed to the safeguarding and welfare of children and young people and expects its staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Our first priority is to ensure the safety of the children we support. 

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

WECIL (West of England Centre for Inclusive Living) is an organisation which is run and controlled by Disabled people, with the Social Model of Disability underpinning all its employment practices and service delivery.  

WECIL was recognised as a Disability Confident Leader in 2018, in acknowledgement of our commitment to good practice in employing Disabled people, and we provide a range of advice to individuals, businesses and other organisations on access, disability equality and inclusion. It is therefore important that we model best practice in disability equality and all other aspects of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in all our policies and strategies, as well as in all our services and activities. 

In terms of disability equality, WECIL will make its services as accessible as possible to the widest range of Disabled people with all impairments and health conditions, and will go further than just the ‘reasonable adjustments’ required by law to ensure any Disabled staff members, volunteers and trustees have the support they need to carry out their roles. 

However, WECIL recognises that other equality issues are just as important as disability equality, and we are committed to being an anti-racist and anti-discriminatory organisation. We also recognise that the majority of Disabled people also have other protected characteristics (e.g. are women, LGBTQ+ or from Black and minoritised backgrounds) , and we will proactively work with intersectionality, and avoid creating a hierarchy of oppressions.  

The values that underpin our work, outlined in our Strategy are:   

• Choice and Control 

• Integrity 

• Amplifying the views of Disabled people 

• Breaking down barriers 

• Promoting equality and diversity 

• Demonstrating inclusive practice 

We believe that everyone should be able to achieve their full potential.  We believe that we must all take account of the power and privilege that exists in our society, and which creates visible and invisible barriers to opportunities, and which manifests as systems and structures which hold people back. 

We will diversify our staff, volunteer, trustee and service user profile, as we believe that a diverse organisation leads to more creative thinking and better decision making, and will make WECIL stronger and more resilient. We will celebrate our diversity as a strength, rather than just tolerating it. We also recognise that, to do this, we need to work in partnership with a range of other equality groups, led by people with protected characteristics, to improve our understanding of their perspectives, histories and priorities, and also to improve our practice.  

We believe that everyone has a right to be included in society, and that Disabled people, along with people from other equality groups, are often excluded or marginalised through organisational, structural, physical  or attitudinal barriers. Our services are designed to support people to self-advocate, and to challenge and overcome these barriers where possible. However, we also recognise the need for organisations like ours to constantly challenge systemic racism, inequality and privilege that exist in all aspects of society. 

We recognise that there is a difference between ‘integration’ and ‘inclusion’. Historically, Disabled children and adults have been ‘integrated’ into mainstream settings (schools, places of employment etc), but those settings have not made the changes required to really ‘include’ them. We see ‘inclusion’ as having human rights, choice and control, and being able to take part in all aspects of society, and having any contribution respected and valued. This same narrative should also apply to the way other marginalised groups are treated e.g. asylum seekers and refugees.  

We will always report and challenge discriminatory practices and tackle inequality, bullying, and harassment and victimisation.  We will work in partnership with other equality organisations, and we will do all we can to promote community cohesion and foster good relationships between people with different protected characteristics as required by the Equlaity Act. 

We are informed and led by the lived experience of Disabled people and others with protected characteristics, and will co-produce our services with them. This will ensure services are responsive and informed by them as “experts by experience”, and this will make us a better organisation for everyone. We understand that employing Disabled people wherever possible enables us to develop any peer support element of our work.  

We recognise the important contribution that our Children and Young People’s Services can make to this EDI agenda by raising awareness of the issues in their sessions and with families. Most importantly they support young Disabled people to understand equality principles and celebrate diversity, so they develop a positive identity and self-confidence and promote inclusion.  We constantly aim to develop services that reflect best practice in inclusion, and to recognise the need for young people to encounter diverse role models.  

We recognise that understanding of EDI is always developing, and we are committed to a programme of continuing professional development, so that we are always improving our understanding and practice. We will constantly review our policy and practice in the light of EDI data. We will be a safe space for members of the WECIL community to reflect on EDI issues and develop a culture where discussion of EDI issues is the norm.  

This Policy applies to all the protected characteristics outlined in the Equality Act 2010: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, sex, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation and religion and belief. However, we will also eliminate other forms of discrimination not covered by the Act  including (but not limited to) discrimination of the grounds of: 

• people who have impairments and health conditions but do not self-identify as ‘disabled’  

• immigration status 

• socio-economic disadvantage and class 

• gender 

• experience of the care system/care leavers  

• trades union activity 

• first language