Support Line Volunteer (Triage)

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Our challenge
Our Support and Information team offer a wide range of inclusive and accessible services to support those diagnosed with a brain tumour and their families.

One of our most critical services is our Support and Information Line, which is open between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. This service offers a place for people affected by a brain tumour diagnosis, to ask questions or raise concerns about a diagnosis, and how to support a loved one. We continue to see an increase in people accessing these services, and strive to work in smarter ways to manage this increase

How can you help?
We are looking for volunteers to help us to run the Support Line more efficiently, by answering calls and asking some key questions to ensure the caller is transferred/triaged to the most appropriate support for them. This is an opportunity to be on the frontline of our support services and to play a vital role, in ensuring those that we support get the best service possible.

• Answer incoming calls to the Support Line with empathy and understanding
• Ask specific questions to understand the caller’s support needs and transfer to the appropriate teams
• Accurately record information about the call onto our secure database
• Assist the support team in specific project areas where appropriate
• Engage in peer supervision to ensure your wellbeing needs are met

We’re looking for...

• Experience or confidence in answering calls and speaking on the phone
• Strong IT and computer skills, ideally experience of using databases
• Ability to demonstrate a high degree of empathy and resilience
• Active listening and strong communication skills
• Ability to separate own experiences from others, offering support and signposting in a non judgemental way
• Confidence to work autonomously and as part of a team
• Organisation and reliability
• Demonstrable understanding of confidential working

How much of my time would you like?
To ensure we have volunteer cover for the full Support Line opening hours, we are looking for volunteers to commit to a minimum of one 4-hour morning or afternoon shift. The available times that we currently have are:
1pm-5pm Monday
9am-1pm Tuesday
1pm-5pm Tuesday
9am - 1pm Thursday

Due to the continuous training involved, we would ask that volunteers commit to a minimum of six months spent volunteering with us.

How will I be trained and supported?

• You will receive a full online induction to The Brain Tumour Charity and your role here, as well as in-house training on the use of our database and phone system.
• You will receive weekly supervision after each shift and ongoing support through online webinars, emails and telephone calls, from a dedicated staff contact.
• You’ll have the opportunity to keep in touch and gain support from other volunteers in the same role.
• You can also receive regular updates, if you’d like them ,through our Volunteers E-Newsletter.
• What can I gain from volunteering with you?
• Developing your existing skills as well as learning new ones
• Experience of working within a busy charity Support team
• The satisfaction of knowing that you’re making a valuable contribution to the lives of those affected by brain tumours
• The opportunity to expand the role in future, by taking on additional training
  
  

Practical considerations
You will receive a full induction to The Brain Tumour Charity and any specific training for the role, as well as ongoing direction from a team member within the Support team.

Incoming support call numbers may vary, so some shifts may be quieter than others. We’ve created a number of different activities that you can get involved in between calls, if you would like.

This role has the opportunity for development to other areas of the support team; guidance and training will be provided for this.

We carry out reference checks for all individuals who will be volunteering with us on a regular basis. Volunteers will also be required to complete some internal data protection and disclosure documentation before commencing the role. Volunteers must be over 18.

Where will I be based?
This is a remote role where you can volunteer from home. You will have regular contact with our Support and Information team who look out for each other while facing tough challenges along the way. We nurture an inspiring, connected and positive team environment.

The application process
To apply, please submit an up-to-date CV, along with a covering letter to the following email address: volunteering@thebraintumourcharity.org. In your covering letter, please share a little about your motivation for wanting to be a Support Line Volunteer and any skills you feel are relevant to the role.

We particularly encourage applications from those who are significantly underrepresented in our sector, including individuals from Black and Minority ethnic communities.