Q. Do I have to commit to a minimum number
of hours each month to be a volunteer visitor?
A. No, that's why volunteering for Independent Age fits so well
around your existing lifestyle. Just tell us roughly how much time
you would like to give - and we will match you up with an older
person that needs that level of visiting. It will be up to you and
your member when a convenient time to visit will be- meaning you
can pop in whenever it suits.
Q. I only want to volunteer as a one-off - can I do
this?
A. Yes! If you only want to do one thing per year for us then
that's fine. We want the older people we support to forge genuine
friendships - so volunteer visiting would not be an option in this
instance. However you could hold a Big Tea to raise valuable funds
or help at a local social activity event in your area. Just tell us
when you would like to help and we can go through the options with
you.
Q. Do I have to sign up for a minimum period of
time?
A. We ask all of our volunteer visitors to try and volunteer with
us for at least a year - that way the older people we help can
really get to know their volunteer visitor. If you want to help at
a social activity or run a Big Tea - you can do these as little or
as often as you like.
Q. Will I get training and support to be a volunteer
visitor?
A. Yes. We will give you training so you know what to expect and
so you can carry out our role with confidence. Sometimes just a
half day is all you'll need. If you are a Volunteer visitor you'll
also get the full support of your local representative - and
a specialist casework team at Head Office to advise and support
you.
Q. Will I get my expenses paid?
A. Yes. We don't want anybody to be out of pocket as a result of
volunteering with Independent Age. That's why we pay all associates
costs including travel, mileage and refreshments - should you go
out with your member for a cuppa!
Q. Will I need to have a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB)
check?
A. That depends which role you go for. All of our volunteer
visitors must undergo a CRB check to ensure we protect the older
people we help. However, you will not need a CRB check to
help at an event, assist at a social activity or hold a Big Tea.
There is no cost to you if we apply for a CRB check on your behalf
and usually these do not take longer than 8 weeks to process. In
this time though we can start your training and induction - so it
won't feel like you are waiting around.
Q. Can I do more than one role?
A. Yes of course - and many of our current volunteers do. This way
you can get a flavour of everything we do and get involved in all
aspects of the charity. An example of this may be by visiting an
older person as a visitor and then volunteering to accompany them
to a social activity too, and then once a year hosting a Big Tea to
support this kind of work.
Q. What if I don't get on with the older person I am
allocated?
A. As we know, sometimes people just don't 'click'. (Luckily this
doesn't happen often!) If this does happen, don't worry. Just speak
to your local representative and we can try and allocate you
someone you feel more comfortable with and we can reallocate the
person you visited to someone else too.
