The opportunity

Every Red Cross service relies heavily on the help and support of a team of volunteers to make it run successfully. The volunteers in the Therapeutic Care Team work closely with the co-ordinator to help provide a high quality service to users. This involves offering a gentle massage for people in stressful situations, helping them relax and reducing their pain.
>Travelling to the location where the placement has been organised. This could be a hospital, hospice, residential home, Health centre's day care centre, sheltered housing
>Ensuring that the client is relaxed and comfortable and the environment is conducive to the therapy
>Providing one to one companionship for the client whether in relaxed silence or chatting/listening, helping to relieve social isolation
>Delivering the massage as agreed with the co-ordinator and the client and in accordance with procedures
>Wearing the agreed protective clothing while on duty
>Abiding by the health and safety requirements of their placement, and undertake hygiene procedures and infection control techniques as specified by the host organisation and the Society
>Keeping a simple record of training and service undertaken
>Agreeing that they undertake their Therapeutic Care duties as part of a recognised British Red Cross Service, and that their training may not be used for private gain
>Upholding the Fundamental Principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
>Working within the Society's Equal Opportunities Policy
The volunteering opportunity would consist of every other Tuesday 10:00 - 12:00 at Eastwood Park Women's Prison.

The organisation

As previously

Skills/Qualifications

>The willingness to undertake the required training and be passed as competent to practice. Annual refreshers are also required to be undertaken and passed
>The ability to be discreet and maintain confidentiality
>The ability, enthusiasm and sensitivity for communicating with people who are unwell
>An empathy with sick and/or elderly people
>An ability to work under own initiative without supervision
>An ability to communicate clearly
>Reliability and punctuality and honesty at all times
>The ability to offer regular commitment of two hours per week or fortnight
>To be able to travel to the placement
>A commitment to equal opportunities, and to treating all individuals with whom you come into contact with respect and in accordance with the Fundamental Principles of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
>An understanding of the need to refer back to the co-ordinator, if there are any concerns, or if any further services are required or the visits prove unsuccessful
>The ability and willingness to follow standard procedures and undertake relevant tasks as requested by the co-ordinator
>A willingness to undertake any relevant additional training e.g. Manual Handling, Red Cross World, Emergency First Aid etc.
>The ability to supply two satisfactory references and undertake an Enhanced CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check

Times you can volunteer:

• Tuesday: Morning