Background

This role offers a unique opportunity to be part of our award-winning team in a supportive environment that’s helping people, who are still using drugs in Glasgow City Centre, to build skills and experience, confidence and self-worth. We’ve created a low threshold, inclusive and trauma-informed service where people can access psychosocial group work, harm reduction interventions and pathways into treatment. We’re making a difference as quickly and as effectively as possible.

Role Purpose

We See You is a service for people who are still using drugs in Glasgow City Centre, delivered from our Access Hub. Using the philosophy of ‘meeting people where they are at’, we prepare person-centred support that meets immediate needs and offer people a place to come to help build on their strengths, skills and ambitions to live well. The service takes a harm reduction approach which includes access to essential safe equipment, overdose awareness and prevention and wound care training. We're building volunteering into the service, providing people with an opportunity to build skills and experience, confidence and self-worth. 

Specific Tasks

• Support us to deliver the group work element of this project
• Assist staff to facilitate the co-designing and co-producing of group work with people who access the We See You service
• Help us to deliver holistic group work elements, such as music, drama, mindfulness and employability skills
• Deliver low threshold harm reduction (support that makes minimal demands on the person) – including Injecting Equipment Provision

Skills and Qualities Required

Successful We See You Volunteers will:

• Have the ability to work with people in a way that takes into consideration their individual and cultural beliefs without expressing personal opinion
• Be able to approach your volunteering role and tasks with a flexible and non judgemental attitude
• Be empathetic towards our client group
• Have good communication and people skills
• Enjoy meeting and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds
• Commitment to high levels of harm reduction based support – experience of dealing in this practice would be beneficial
• Have resilience and tolerance with people who have faced multiple exclusions
• Be very welcome to bring their own skills and talents into the space and be willing to share them!

Commitment

We welcome volunteers to stay with us and continue to help us make a difference in people’s lives. 12 months would be the ideal minimum but we respect your time and commitments elsewhere.
For this role, we ask for a minimum of four hours a week.
Our recruitment follows the Safer Recruitment process, which means giving consideration to safeguarding arrangements at every step. We will ask you to attend an informal interview, provide us with two references and attend our Mini IMPACT training – a shortened version of our dynamic 5-day staff programme.

Support and Training

• A full and comprehensive induction is provided for this role
• In-role training is available – we value our volunteers and want to ensure you are equipped with the skills you need to fulfil your role
• Out of pocket expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with our Policy
• Volunteer mentoring on each shift
• Simon Community Scotland together with Volunteer Scotland and Disclosure Scotland will support you with the required PVG process

What’s in it for me?

For as little as four hours a week you have the chance to meet new people and be part of an amazing team who are passionate about what they do.
Everything we do is about and for people: the people we support, our staff, our partners and everyone affected by homelessness. Each person involved brings their individual skills and creativity to the work we do. This is a chance for you to make a real difference to the most vulnerable people within your community and pick up essential skills that are valuable to employers.

Our expectations

We would like people who care about our client group and who are enthusiastic and able to respond flexibly to a role that can sometimes be challenging, but brings great rewards and satisfaction.
We would require you to be fully committed to Simon Community Scotland’s Mission and Core Values and adhere to our policies/procedures and Code of Practice.

If you need any help completing this form please contact us: volunteering@simonscotland.