Volunteer and Community Development Worker

Volunteer and Community Development Worker

Position Summary and Objectives

The MOSS Volunteer Program is currently based at Barkly Street, Brunswick and aims to provide social interaction and support to residents of the Barkly Street high rise public housing estate. The Program is one of a suite of programs which supports people residing on this older persons estate.

The Volunteer and Community Development Worker recruits trains and supports a team of Volunteers who provide onsite activities which include providing residents with individualised services and group activities that aim to improve social isolation and better health outcomes. The MOSS Volunteer Program is responsible for the development of community activities. In addition, the MOSS Volunteer Program runs a food bank every Friday at the building to provide much needed food security to residents of the building and surrounding area.

Other support services provided by the MOSS Volunteer Program include a home visiting program, transportation and referrals to support services. There is scope to expand the role of volunteers at Barkly Street and more broadly across the Agency.

Objectives:
Understand and meet the health and well-being needs of the local community, making sense of the issues which affect their lives, setting goals for improvement and responding to needs through empowerment and active participation program development. Scope expansion of the MOSS Volunteer Program to other sites.

The principle duties of the Volunteer and Community Development Worker will be to:

• Recruit and support a team of Volunteers at the Barkly Street and Holmes St High Rise Estates.
• Ensure all MOSS Volunteers are adequately trained and educated to undertake their role.
e.g bus driver safety training, Safe Food Handling training, First Aid training.
• Assist in maintaining up to date human resource files on all Volunteers.
e.g. developing Volunteer position descriptions, Volunteer agreements and undertake all MOSS required pre volunteer employment checks. i.e police checks, stat dec’s, referee checks.
• Ensure all Volunteers are aware of MOSS Occupational Health and Safety Policy and Procedures, in particular worker safety procedures.
• Encourage volunteers to identify unsafe activities and areas, including ideas for improving safety standards.
• Safely and securely store all monies collected and work with administration team to keep accurate records.
• Develop activities with the Volunteers that support the needs of the tenant group on the estates.
• Work with the Shrivings Day Centre, Housing Support for the Aged and Older Persons High Rise Program to identify and provide support services to older vulnerable tenants onsite.
• Coordinate the Barkly Street Food Bank as a weekly activity of the Volunteer Program.
• Maintain statistical records on number of participants to Food Bank.
• Manage a Volunteer roster of activities and roles.
• Coordinate and support the Volunteer Visiting Program provided to the tenants at Barkly Street.
• Provide support to the participants of the Social Support Groups by assisting to facilitate transport through the Volunteer Program.
• Undertake regular supervision with the Program Manager.
• Provide supervision and debriefing to Volunteers.