Dementia Carer Listening Support Volunteer

Role Details

Requres DBS:
Yes

Own Transport Required:
Yes

Disability Friendly:
Yes

Description

Volunteers are required to support the delivery of meaningful activities to a group of people living with dementia or their carers. May include small group/1:1 support.

We want to introduce group members to a diverse range of regular activities that enable them to develop and maintain their own skills, while exploring a repertoire of activities designed to provide cognitive stimulation, physical exercise and imaginative creativity. If you have a particular passion, hobby or interest that you would like to share with the group, that can also be arranged.

You may also be involved in supporting the delivery of the carer support group, which may include greeting people, making hot drinks and providing a listening ear. You may also be required to feedback any queries or requests for information.

The project aims to provide meaningful activities to enhance peoples’ social inclusion.  The group will be based in local community venues to encourage social inclusion and community development.

Why You’ll Love It:
You’ll love working with the group members as no two sessions are ever the same. There is a diverse range of personalities who attend and getting to know each of them, listening to their stories, sharing activities with them, connecting with them is the most amazing feeling. You’ll leave each session knowing that what you have done in that short time has made a huge difference not only to the people living with dementia but also their carers who benefit from accessing the carer support group or respite.

Dementia Carer Support

As a Dementia Carer Listening Support Volunteer, you will attend our weekly carer peer support groups and offer carers a compassionate, non-judgemental space in which to talk and feel heard.

Your role will include:

  • Spending time listening and talking with carers, either individually or as part of a small group.
  • Listening attentively to the experiences, concerns and challenges carers choose to share.
  • Noticing recurring themes, issues or unmet needs arising through conversations.
  • Feeding relevant themes and concerns back to the Young At Heart team, while respecting confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.
  • Helping us better understand the changing needs of the carers we support so that we can respond through appropriate signposting, resources, Carer Talks and other support.
  • Helping us develop and improve the Listening Support Volunteer role by sharing your observations, ideas and feedback.

This is a listening and reflective role rather than a practical caring role. It does not involve personal care or providing direct care to people living with dementia, and volunteers are not expected to provide counselling or therapeutic support.

No counselling qualifications, therapeutic training or previous professional experience are required.

We are looking for someone with:

  • Good listening and communication skills.
  • The ability to listen without judgement or immediately trying to solve someone’s problems.
  • An ability to recognise themes and concerns within conversations and reflect these appropriately to the Young At Heart team.
  • An understanding of the importance of confidentiality, sensitivity and appropriate boundaries.
  • The ability to communicate sensitively about experiences which may be difficult or emotional.
  • The ability to recognise when something needs to be raised with a member of the Young At Heart team.

An interest in dementia, unpaid caring, counselling, social work or community support may be useful, but specialist knowledge is not essential.

This role would particularly suit someone who is:

  • Compassionate, warm and approachable.
  • A naturally good listener.
  • Patient and comfortable giving someone the time and space to talk.
  • Empathetic and non-judgemental.
  • Curious about people’s lived experiences and interested in understanding what matters to them.
  • Emotionally mature and comfortable hearing about difficult or sensitive experiences.
  • Reflective and able to notice patterns and recurring concerns without making assumptions.
  • Reliable, trustworthy and respectful of confidentiality.
  • Open-minded and willing to learn.
  • Comfortable asking for guidance when something falls outside the volunteer role.

You don’t need to have the answers. What matters most is being able to listen well and help carers feel that their experiences are heard and valued.

Our Dementia Carer Listening Support groups currently take place at the LiveWell Dementia Hub in Thornaby:

Tuesday: 2:00pm–3:30pm
Friday: 1:00pm–2:30pm

Volunteers can support either session and are not expected to attend both.

Volunteers will be required to complete an Enhanced DBS check and the required safeguarding training, and to follow Young At Heart ULO CIC’s policies and procedures relating to safeguarding, confidentiality and appropriate boundaries.

The Listening Support Volunteer will work alongside the Young At Heart team and will not be expected to manage safeguarding concerns, crises or situations requiring professional support independently.

Guidance and ongoing support will be provided.

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