Volunteering with Lincolnshire Rape Crisis

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1 Volunteering with Lincolnshire Rape Crisis Thank you for your interest in our work and in volunteering with us. You can find out more by visiting our website at We welcome applications from women only (in accordance with the Equality Act 1990, Schedule 9, Part 1) with a clear understanding of and commitment to feminism. Our volunteers must be committed to the aims, ethos and values of Lincolnshire Rape Crisis (LRC) and meet all the essential requirements for their chosen role. Crises in our own lives can help us to understand and support others but it is very important that if you have experienced any form of sexual trauma in your own life, we would insist that you have given yourself time to recover before trying to help others. We recommend that at least two years have passed since completing your own personal support before you consider volunteer support work. We require all volunteers to complete our training course which covers all areas of working with survivors of sexual violence. The course takes place over ten weeks: ten Tuesday evenings and two Saturday sessions. All sessions are mandatory and must be completed prior to volunteering with us. We would be grateful if you could ensure you can commit the time required for the training before applying to volunteer. We require all volunteers to commit to a minimum of 6 hours per week for one year following completion of training. We do hope you choose to apply for a volunteer role with us. If you wish to arrange an informal chat about any of our opportunities, or find out further information, please us at volunteering@lincolnshirerapecrisis.org.uk Kind Regards Carrie Green Volunteer Coordinator and Trainer Believing Supporting Empowering volunteering@lincolnshirerapecrisis.org.uk 1

2 About Lincolnshire Rape Crisis Our Mission Lincolnshire Rape Crisis will support and empower women and girls who have experienced sexual violence and will encourage all women to stand beside us in our mission to eliminate gender inequality and sexual violence. Statement of Purpose The purpose of Lincolnshire Rape Crisis is to provide a free, confidential and nonjudgemental support service run by women for women and girls who have experienced any form of sexual violence at any time in their lives. LRC provides short or long-term emotional support and practical information by telephone, face to face, letter or and offers advocacy and support through medical, Police and Court procedures. Lincolnshire Rape Crisis is a service user led organisation and works from a feminist perspective, recognising that rape and other forms of sexual violence are crimes of gender-specific violence and abuses of power. 2

3 Lincolnshire Rape Crisis Values Feminism We believe that sexual violence is both a cause and consequence of gender inequality. We are proud to be a feminist organisation and we will endeavour to fight for the rights of women and girls. Equality Equality is a fundamental human right. We recognise that women and girls are discriminated against because of gender, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. We are committed to fighting for the rights of women and girls and we will strive for inclusivity for all. Choices Offering women and girls choice is paramount to our work at Lincolnshire Rape Crisis. We will be led by the choices our Service Users make. Empowerment Lincolnshire Rape Crisis is committed to empowering women and girls and their rights. Respect At Lincolnshire Rape Crisis women will be treated with dignity and respect. We will respect an individual s life story and resilience and at all times women will be believed. Trust Women and girls can trust us to provide a women-only space where they can feel safe. We work transparently and honestly to encourage our Service Users and partnership organisations alike to view us as a service with integrity. 3

4 The Volunteering Application Process Application Form We require you to complete an application form if you wish to apply to volunteer with us. The form asks for details about your previous experience and why you want to volunteer with LRC. It is important that you meet the essential eligibility criteria for the post and that you demonstrate this on your application by providing clear examples. We will not be able to shortlist you for interview if you do not meet all essential criteria. Interview Once we have received your application form and are satisfied that you meet the criteria for the role, we will contact you to arrange an interview with the Service Manager and the Volunteer Coordinator. This is an opportunity for you to get to know more about us and for us to find out more about you. At the interview, we will ask the same questions of all applicants and you will have chance to ask us questions about the role and LRC. References We require all applicants to supply details of two referees on their application form who are able to comment on your ability to meet the requirements of the Role Description and should not be relatives. If you complete a successful interview, we will contact your referees and once we have received these, we will make a decision about offering you a place on our training course. References must be from a previous employer, voluntary position or from a professional body and must not be family. If unsuccessful for your chosen role, we may be able to offer you another opportunity within LRC that we feel you are more suited to. We can also put you in touch with your local Volunteer Centre who have details of other volunteer opportunities in your area. Disclosure and Barring Check An enhanced criminal records check and disclosure with the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) will be made for all volunteering roles due to the nature of the work, and we ask that you be honest and open with us about any previous convictions or cautions you may have. A criminal record will not automatically bar you from working at LRC, but it may be that you cannot carry out your chosen role. 4

5 Offer of Training Place References will be taken up after successful interview and if satisfactory, you will be offered a place on our training course. All volunteers will receive core training and depending on the role, further training as necessary. This can be in the form of training sessions, shadowing and on-the-job support and supervision. Volunteers must attend all sessions of the training programme and we will provide you with training dates so you can make sure you can commit to them in advance. A Training Review will be carried out at the end of the training programme to discuss your progress on the training, identify any further training needs and plan your induction and settling-in period. It is also an opportunity to talk about your role and tasks in detail and ensure you meet the necessary criteria following training. Following a successful Training Review, volunteers will start a three month settling-in period. The settling-in period is an opportunity for you to try out your role, identify any areas of development and training and to ensure the role you have started is the right one for you (and us). At the end of the settling-in period, you will be asked to attend a review meeting with the Volunteer Coordinator and an offer of a volunteer place will be subject to a satisfactory review. Support and Supervision Supervision meetings will be scheduled with volunteers on a regular basis and it is essential that you attend them. For women working directly with women and girls, we hold group supervision meetings every 8 weeks with other volunteers, usually lasting around 2 hours, facilitated by the Volunteer Coordinator. These meetings are an opportunity to discuss common issues and identify solutions together, reflect and share, and offer support to each other. For volunteers who are not directly working with women and girls, the Volunteer Coordinator will arrange one to one supervision every six weeks. Volunteers will also be matched with a Volunteer Buddy for peer support. Commitment All volunteers will need to make a minimum commitment of 6 hours per week for one year. 5

6 What we look for in all Volunteers LRC would expect its volunteers to demonstrate a commitment to our aims, our feminist values and all policies and procedures. Exceptions We can only accept applications from women (in accordance with the Equality Act 1990, Schedule 9, Part 1) All volunteers must be over the age of 18 and in some cases over 25, depending on need Personal Qualities The ability to work as a team and participate in group work Good listening and communication skills The ability to work alone and under own initiative A sensitive and empathic approach to the work Emotionally robust enough to work openly with the issues arising from sexual violence A good awareness of own health and safety Reliable and committed Essential Skills Good understanding of spoken and written English Basic computer literacy Confidence in using the telephone Training The ability to attend all sessions of the volunteer training programme Willing to undertake further training as require A commitment to own learning and development 6

7 Recruitment To be open during the recruitment process The ability to provide two references (who are able to comment on your ability to carry out the work of LRC and who must not be relatives) Willingness to undergo an enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) check Commitment Willing to commit to at least 6 hours of volunteering per week Willing to attend support and supervision sessions and regular team meetings The ability to commit to volunteering for at least one year from the end of training. Students We do welcome applications from students studying in Lincoln. However, we reserve the right to restrict these applications to ensure there is a balance at any one time as we are aware education and other commitments can affect volunteering abilities. We cannot accept applications from students who wish to spend long periods away from Lincoln at home as this will affect our service. Please consider this before applying. 7

8 Training Before commencing volunteering with us, all prospective volunteers are required to undertake our training course, Supporting Survivors of Sexual Violence. This is a mandatory, specialist and very intensive course that covers all aspects of the work here. The course takes place over several sessions, all of which are mandatory. We ask you to consider your ability to attend this course before you apply. Training will take place at our Centre in Lincoln and lunch and refreshments will be provided. The next training dates are: Monday 18 August PM Friday 22 August PM Monday 25 August PM Friday 29 August PM Monday 1 September PM Friday 5 September PM Monday 8 September PM Friday 12 September PM 8