Volunteer Activities Assistant (Banbury)

Our volunteer Activities Assistants play a vital role in ensuring our residents get the most out of life. All of our homes run activity programmes doing everything from bingo to film nights, sing-a-longs to baking, memory cafes to ‘virtual cruising’. Our Activity Assistants help make the magic happen.

The phrase ‘use it or lose it’ is very true so we ensure every home has a varied mix of activities for mind and body to join in with during the week.

Our Activities Assistants are part of our Activities Team, supporting the Activities Co-ordinator to get people involved. You’ll be helping to set up for activities, bringing people to the activity from their rooms and chatting to them to get their ideas for future adventures. Some people need a little encouragement to join in or support to get the most from an activity and that’s where our Activity Assistants step up and shine.

You’ll build up relationships with people so ideally, we’d like a regular, longer term commitment of a couple of hours a week. Days and times are flexible; talk to us and we’ll see what suits us both

ROLE BOUNDARIES Our volunteers don't get involved in personal care. Below are the role boundaries for this role:

• All volunteers over 16 years old will require DBS clearance (Criminal Records check) and the Trust will cover the cost. • Volunteers aged between 14 and 16 years old can’t go into residents’ rooms on their own. • There are certain things only carers can do. Volunteers can’t provide personal care for residents. This involves help with dressing, visiting the toilet or eating. • Volunteers can’t support residents in moving, rising or sitting or move residents in wheelchairs until they have completed mandatory moving and handling and wheelchair training. • Volunteers must not hoist a resident. • Volunteers should not attempt to give first aid unless qualified to do so. • Volunteers can’t transport residents in their own car. • Volunteers should not give or accept gifts to or from residents, relatives or employees. All gifts offered should be declared to the Home Manager. • Our communications team are responsible for all our media postings. Volunteers should not contact or speak to the media unless asked to by their manager nor should they post anything on social networking sites. • Volunteers should ask their manager before making any decision outside the scope of their role that could affect OSJCT, residents, employees or other volunteers. • Volunteers are not expected to handle complaints or safeguarding issues. They should talk to their manager in the first instance.