Advice Support Volunteer

As an Advice Support Volunteer you’ll play a key role in ensuring that everyone who visits or telephones George House Trust receives a warm and professional welcome.

In this role it is especially important that all your volunteering is undertaken in compliance with our Values and Vision, Policies, Codes of Conduct (which includes adhering to strict information control practices), and Health and Safety guidelines as you will be public face of, and often a first contact at, George House Trust.

Key reception-based tasks include:

• Meeting and greeting visitors to the building;
• Answering the telephone and door intercom;
• Signposting visitors to the relevant staff member or activity within the building;
• Opening up and closing down the Reception Waiting Area and Reception Office at the beginning and end of each day;
• Taking standard details from callers and transferring calls to the relevant staff or volunteer;
• Taking standard message information and contact details and logging them or emailing them to the relevant staff or volunteer;
• Maintaining and using the Duty Adviser call log;
• Logging the names of service users who use the Reception computers;
• Supporting the team with the display of posters and flyers for events. 

Key office-based tasks include:

• Supporting the work of the Services Team, including Advisers, Project Coordinators and Services Director;
• Occasionally making outgoing telephone calls;
• General office duties, including duplicating, scanning, printing, laminating, binding, etc.;
• Records management;
• Placing occasional catering, supplies and equipment orders;
• Preparing resources for distribution and information stalls;
• Small administrative development projects;
• Data entry.

You must be able to commit to one (or more) routine morning, afternoon or evening shift every week.

You should be able to commit to volunteering for a period of at least 12 months following your induction to the role (i.e., have no anticipated life changes during this time).

The shift times are:

• Morning: 09:00 – 13:00
• Afternoon: 13:00 – 17:00

This role is based in the office at George House Trust.

Person Spec:

• Fluency in written and spoken English;
• An ability to communicate clearly and appropriately with staff and collaborative professionals, service users and volunteers, both verbally and in writing;
• Experience in using Microsoft Word and Outlook;
• Good interpersonal skills and an interest in working with people;
• Sensitivity toward anyone who may be distressed or anxious;
• Good listening skills;
• Be confident at speaking on the telephone;
• Be friendly, welcoming and professional;
• Have basic numeracy and literacy skills;
• Signpost people to staff members and volunteers or to information resources, as appropriate;
• Be able to act on your own initiative;
• Be able to prioritise tasks;
• Be punctual and reliable;
• Be respectful of others’ differences and choices;
• Take responsibility for your own actions;
• Maintain confidentiality at all times and be mindful about not discussing anything sensitive in a public location in the building (in Reception or on stairs, for instance);
• Give and receive feedback;
• Work with others as part of a team;
• Strong administration and organisational skills and an attention to detail;
• Be confident at asking for support and guidance when necessary.

Desirable skills:

• Previous experience of providing non-commercial customer services;
• An existing knowledge and experience of using Microsoft Excel, Publisher and PowerPoint.

• Role specific induction (2 sessions of 2½ hours each);
• 1 Mentored shift with an experienced volunteer for reception tasks;
• George House Trust Volunteer Induction;
• A commitment to complete one update training session per year.

No.

Support & Development will be provided by the George House Trust Peer Support and Information Officer & Volunteer Manager

For further information, or to get involved email rachel@ght.org.uk.