Robin House Kitchen Volunteer

The aim of this role is to work within a team to produce meals for children, families and visitors to the hospice. The hospices give families respite and a break from their day to day caring responsibilities. Having a fresh, home –cooked meal can make a big difference to a family’s stay, helping them to relax and enjoy a good meal without having to worry about the preparation and washing up!

What activities will I be involved in?

• Food preparation (chopping vegetables, salad, fruit and grating cheese)
• Making sandwiches and preparing tea and coffee for hospice events
• Setting tables for meal times
• Serving meals
• Clearing the table after meals
• Stacking and emptying the dishwasher

What skills and abilities will I need to have?

• A willingness and ability to stand for extended periods of time
• An ability to represent CHAS enthusiastically and appropriately
• An ability to relate to people of all ages
• Adhere to rules around GDPR and a strong understanding of confidentiality
• Good communication skills

How much time should I offer?

You can volunteer on any day of the week, in the morning, afternoon or evening. Shifts range from 2.5 to 4.5 hours and can be weekly, fortnightly or monthly. This can be discussed with the Head Cook and the Hospice Volunteering Development Manager.

Where is the opportunity based?

This opportunity is currently available in Robin House in Balloch.

What ongoing learning/support/guidance will I receive?

It’s important to us that you feel happy, safe and confident in your role. As a CHAS volunteer you will be invited to complete a short core learning package that is tailored to your role prior to your first day.

Additionally, once you have started volunteering, we will also let you know about upcoming training dates that will be relevant to your role. Further Child Protection training (either online or face to face, approximately 3 hours in length) is mandatory for this role, to be completed within the first year of volunteering with us. There will also be opportunities to attend additional training such as Fire Evacuation (if you are based within a hospice).

Your Volunteer Manager will provide ongoing support and guidance to you in your role. We have also partnered with the Skills Network to offer all our volunteers the chance to develop new skills and explore further learning opportunities.

What are the benefits to me?

• Learning new skills
• Getting more involved and making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition.
• Adding to your cv
• Meeting new people
• Having fun!

What are the benefits to the children and families supported by CHAS?

• Children and families will receive a homely welcome and home-cooked food which will help them to relax and feel at home in the hospice.
• Families supported by CHAS are often under a lot of strain so having meals cooked for them is a real treat and gives them a break from what can be a daily chore.

What else should I know?

This role is for those aged 16 or older and requires a membership of the PVG scheme (children only). There is a simple form to complete and we will assist you with this. You may already have a PVG form – if so you will only need to complete an update form. The process won’t cost you anything and having a criminal record will not automatically exclude you from volunteering. We will assess each applicant on an individual basis.

We will pay your out of pocket expenses in line with the CHAS volunteer expenses policy.

CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers free from discrimination and prejudice. Ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation improves the quality of care we provide, helps us reach more families and children, and maximises a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise.

We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability. We can provide more information about your eligibility to volunteer and any reasonable adjustments we can put in place to ensure your volunteering experience is a positive one.

What's the next step?

If you would like additional information about the role please call 01577 866065 or email volunteering@chas.org.uk. If you’re interested in the role you can apply online