Befriending Coordinator (Maternity Cover)

Hours : 30 hours per week

Salary : £25,750 pro rata

Location: Based in Barking and Dagenham with travel throughout East London 

Duration : 12 months (Maternity cover)

MAIN JOB SUMMARY:

Be a LifeLine, find a LifeLine.

An increasing number of people experience isolation and, as a result, struggle with poor mental health;

•          7.8% of adults in the UK felt lonely 'always or often' in 2024

•          Life expectancy of people with a severe mental illness is about 15-20 years shorter than those without.

Our Befriending programme equips local people to become a LifeLine for someone else by volunteering as a befriender, and to find a LifeLine through being matched with a befriender who can help break them free from isolation.

The Befriending Service supports adults aged 18+ who are experiencing loneliness or social isolation, helping them stay independent and improve their quality of life through regular contact with volunteer befrienders.

The Befriending Coordinator plays a key role in delivering a high-quality, inclusive service. This includes assessing service user needs, managing referrals, supporting and matching volunteers, monitoring outcomes, and promoting safeguarding. The role also involves building strong community links to expand the service’s reach and impact.

MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1.    Matching service users with appropriate volunteer befrienders and ensuring successful ongoing matches and monitor the ongoing success of those matches.

2.    Help identify and address safeguarding concerns, escalating where appropriate. Ensure the service is inclusive and accessible to all community groups, including underrepresented populations. Contribute to service development by identifying gaps and unmet needs through user engagement and feedback.

3.    Maintain accurate service user records in line with data protection policies and respond to general enquiries in a timely and professional manner.

4.    Build and maintain positive relationships with professionals and community organisations. Represent the service at external events and forums, support outreach efforts, and signpost individuals to relevant support services where needed.

5.    Maintain regular contact with the Senior Volunteer Coordinator, checking in on progress and providing appropriate information regarding new referrals.

6.    Support the collection of monitoring data through regular service updates and volunteer reports.

7.    Address any Befriendee-related concerns or issues through open and supportive communication.

8.    Collect feedback from service users and volunteers and use this information to help improve service delivery.

9.    Support with the set up of coffee morning workshops and training sessions that are suitable for both Befriender and Befriendees.

10. Assist in preparing simple case studies and evaluation materials to evidence the service’s value.

In Common with other staff:

1.    You support LifeLine’s and all the stakeholders we work with equal opportunities policy and work actively to overcome discrimination on grounds of race, sex, disability, sexuality, age or status in our services.

2.    You carry out all duties in accordance with Safeguarding and Health & Safety requirements.

3.    You ensure that the highest standards of customer service and care are provided at all times.

The above mentioned duties are neither exclusive nor exhaustive and the post holder may be required to carry out such other appropriate duties as may be required by the management, within the grading level of the post and the competency of the post holder.

QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENT:

PREFERRED:

Experience

·      Recruiting volunteers

·      Experience working closely with internal colleagues (e.g., Senior Volunteer Coordinators) to ensure streamlined communication and holistic support for service users.

Knowledge

·      An understanding of provisions to support

·      An understanding of systems, services and barriers to access in the Borough’s across London

Qualifications

·      Foundation degree in Community work

Skills and Abilities

·      Ability to understand/speak another language

ESSENTIAL:

 Experience

·      Strong interpersonal and communication skills to maintain supportive relationships with a range of individuals.

·      Solid understanding of safeguarding procedures and experience in identifying and escalating safeguarding concerns appropriately.

·      

 Skills and Abilities

·      Ability to communicate and empathise with the most valuable people the community.

·      Ability to work actively to overcome discrimination on grounds of race, sex, disability, sexuality, age or status in our services

·      Able to undertake training

·      Ability to support others through active listening, referring to broader sources of support where needed

·      Ability to work within a team, ensuring volunteers feel valued and the beneficiaries’ needs are met

·      Ability to keep records, and fulfil administrative requirements of the project

·      Good IT skills (MS Word, excel, power point, Outlook and internet)

Qualifications

·      Level 2 in English & Maths