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Older People

Mentor

  • SSAFA - The Armed Forces Charity
  • VO96246

Description

The SSAFA Mentoring service provides long-term, one-to-one, face-to-face support during transition and for up to two years post discharge to all members of our armed forces. By supporting, guiding and signposting individuals we can ensure a successful transition is achieved. Our volunteer mentors are an integral part of the team supporting the service user into civilian life often helping them to understand and navigate their new environment.

A SSAFA Mentor is an individual who commits the time to build a professional relationship with a service leaver or their family through a challenging period of time. Providing support and guidance along the way. Mentoring is natural skill that we all have, the ability to listen and empathise as well as question and challenge in an environment that sees rewards at different levels.

Leaving the Armed Forces can a difficult and stressful time for serving personnel: to ensure the SSAFA mentoring team can continue to offer face to face mentors to those in transition it is important to encourage and recruit new mentors to the team.

Mentors provide weekly meetings within a 50 mile radius of their home address and will:

Assist the client to establish realistic goals and work towards achieving them.
Act as a sounding board when the client wants to discuss decisions and ideas.
Challenge opportunities, problems, personal strengths and weaknesses.
Signpost to other organisations and sources of knowledge.
Seek opportunities to help the client practice and develop key skills for the future.
Pass on know-how and essential thinking patterns and attitudes.
Generate workable solutions together in a mutually respectful way.
Motivate, advise and support whilst empowering the service leaver to make their own decisions and take responsibility for their own actions and development.
Maintain regular contact with your Regional Mentoring Coordinator and provide accurate meeting records after every meeting via a secure email system.

What can you gain from this volunteering role?
Support people in your community with a military background using your patience, time and life experience
Support and friendship from the Mentoring team and fellow mentors
Experience, training and skills that you can highlight on your CV and in job interviews
Better physical and mental health – studies show that volunteers live longer and experience lower levels of stress and depression!

Key role responsibilities
Meet with their client for an hour each week for a period of up to but not limited to12 months.
Support the client and SSAFA ensure they receive any necessary support from SSAFA or external organisations.
Complete (mandatory) accurate records of all contact made with the client, by using the SSAFA Email system
Maintain regular contact with their Regional Mentoring Coordinator
Agree to any supervision deemed necessary.
Attend mandatory Network/Refresher training every three years
Uphold the aims and values of SSAFA and comply with all current policies; confidentiality, impartiality and equal opportunities.
To be reliable and fulfil any time commitment made to a client
DBS Check will be required.
IT literacy.

Organisation aims and objectives

SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity is a trusted source of support for serving personnel, veterans and their families in their time of need. Our teams of trained volunteers and employees provide practical, emotional and financial assistance to the Armed Forces community enabling them to thrive.

Availability

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening

Restrictions

Travel details: Based from home with some travel to meetings but mainly online and over teams.
Minimum age: 21

Support

Expenses paid: Yes
Expenses details: We cover all travel, accommodation for training if required and subsistence. Car travel at 45 p per mile.

Last updated 5 days ago

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