Frequently asked questions
Volunteers are vital to Persona in so many ways.
Here are some of the questions we often get asked about coming to volunteer with us.
Why volunteer?
By volunteering with our services, you can help provide vital support, reduce isolation and increase the wellbeing of people in your local community. Volunteering isn't just about benefitting others, you can benefit too!
Volunteering helps you:
- feel part of your community
- have a sense of purpose
- feel happy, knowing that you are making someone's life better
- build your confidence and self esteem
- stay physically and mentally active
- share your skills and talents with others
- meet new people
- add to your CV with new experiences
- choose your future career path
- build and learn new skills
What's expected of me?
The main thing we are looking for from you is your time, your willingness to get involved and to share and learn with others.
As a volunteer you will be supporting the people we support, so we also ask that you are able to listen, show resepect, empathy, understanding and patience. Ideally you will also be able to commit to being with us on a regular basis that suits you too, but we do recognise that flexibility is key.
There are some specific requirements as part of volunteering within the social care sector which include:
- following policies and procedure relevant to your volunteering activites, such as health and safety and confidentiality
- completing an enhanced DBS
Do I need to be qualified?
No, you don't need to be qualified to volunteer at Persona, there are plenty of activities that you can get involved in with no prior experience. You will also get the opportunity to gain new skills and training depending on what activities you choose to get involved with.
All we ask for is enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.
What support will there be?
As a volunteer you will be based with one of our teams at Persona where you will be supported by the whole staff team.
When you start your volunteering you will have an induction which will include:
- an introduction to the team
- a tour around the place where you will be volunteering
- Health and Safety requirements
- identification of any training you need, to support your volunteering role
Is there any training involved?
Yes, when you volunteer in social care there is some really important information that you need to be aware of, such as safeguarding. Depending on what activites you get involved in as part of your volunteering there might be some other learning for these too. You will have access to our online Learning Hub where you can access our e-learning courses and there may also be some face to face learning.
What types of activites will I get involved in?
There are a range of activites that take place within our services such as:
- supporting people on trips and outings
- gardening
- helping someone to use technology
- supporting people to eat and drink
- taking part in art and craft activities
Will I need a DBS check?
As you may be regularly attending the service, you may need a DBS check and we would arrange this for you. Do you have a criminal conviction? It doesn't necessarily mean you can't volunteer with us - click here to read more.
We're happy to answer any questions you may have - either mention them in your application or contact us here.
We believe that volunteers can bring lots of added skills and benefits to our services too. So if you have a skill or a talent that you would like to share, we'd love to discuss how we can make that happen.
So if you want to volunteer with us, click here to apply and a member of the team will give you a call.
To find our more about our volunteering opportunities click here
