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- Tasks: Coordinate weekly calls between volunteers and older members to combat loneliness.
- Company: Join Age UK, a leading charity dedicated to supporting older people.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous leave, and wellbeing days.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in the lives of older people while developing your skills.
- Qualifications: Strong communication skills and a passion for supporting older individuals.
- Other info: Flexible hybrid working model with opportunities for personal growth.
The predicted salary is between 19600 - 26500 £ per year.
Location: Ashburton, England, United Kingdom
Base pay: £23,633 per year, Hybrid, Ashburton, Permanent.
Age UK’s National Telephone Friendship Service is recruiting Friendship Coordinators to join our growing team! Loneliness is a major issue that is now widely recognised in society today, particularly amongst older people. By scheduling weekly calls from our trained volunteers, Age UK’s National Telephone Friendship Service provides older people with a chance to make a new friend from the comfort of their home.
As a Friendship Coordinator, you will play a vital role in coordinating and supporting the thousands of matches between our members and volunteers across the UK. Whether you are answering emails and calls, ensuring safeguarding measures are upheld or supporting members and volunteers through the onboarding processes, you will be helping to ensure this much needed service reaches those who need it most, in a safe and efficient manner.
Utilising your excellent customer service skills, you will be the first port of call to support our volunteers and older members – you will need to be comfortable spending a lot of time on the phone and communicating by email. You will also need to be passionate about supporting older people and have a good understanding of older people’s needs.
This role can either be based at our office in Blackpool or in Ashburton, Devon. We offer a hybrid model of home and office based-working, so you will need to be within a reasonable distance of either the Blackpool or Devon office and be willing to travel there regularly. As a guide, the team currently work from the office once a fortnight but please be aware this could increase in the future.
You will work a 35-hour working week, 5 days out of 7 with start and end times between 8am and 6pm. It will include weekend and bank holiday shifts, which will be arranged on a rota basis.
Must haves
- Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal.
- Confident and friendly telephone manner.
- Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office.
- Ability to manage a busy workload.
Personal Attributes
- A passion for supporting older people.
- A commitment to promoting equality and diversity.
- Being a positive team player.
Great to haves
- Experience of working with older people over the phone.
Skills & Knowledge
- An understanding of older people’s issues.
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues.
What we offer in return
- Competitive salary, 26 days annual leave + bank holidays + annual leave purchase scheme.
- Wellbeing days – 2 paid days per year (pro rata for our part-time colleagues).
- Excellent pension scheme, life assurance, Bupa health cashback plan and EAP.
- Home & Tech – apply to buy any Home & Tech items from ‘Currys’ and ‘IKEA’, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free (subject to affordability).
- You Did It Awards – recognition awards from £100-250.
Age UK is an Equal Opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates, regardless of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital/civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity. Age UK is a Disability Confident Scheme employer.
Due to high numbers of applications received, Age UK reserves the right to limit the overall number of interviews offered, and therefore, it may not always be practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job.
Reasonable adjustments
Disabled job seekers can access reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for reasonable adjustments are considered on a case-by-case basis, in collaboration with the disabled job seeker to best meet their needs, by contacting the Recruitment Team. Disability disclosures will be kept confidential and only shared on a need-to-know basis to support the implementation of adjustments. Disclosures will not be used to inform hiring decisions.
Important notice
Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert at any time. Age UK politely requests no contact from recruitment agencies or media sales. We do not accept speculative CVs from recruitment agencies nor accept the fees associated with them.
Supporting statements and anonymisation
Candidates are expected to provide a supporting statement that explains how they meet the competencies annotated with an ‘A’ in the job description, to assess suitability for the position. Age UK acknowledges and accepts that AI may be used to support the application; we do expect candidates to personalise experience, knowledge and skills and failure to do so, may result in your application being rejected. Please submit a Word version of your CV as it will be anonymised by our recruitment system when you apply for a role. Our system is unable to anonymise supporting statements and heavily formatted CVs. Please remove any personal information including your name before you upload to support our inclusive recruitment process. All equalities monitoring information is also anonymised and not shared with the hiring panel. Your name and address will only be known to us if invited for interview.
Friendship Coordinator in Ashburton employer: Age Uk
Contact Detail:
Age Uk Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Friendship Coordinator in Ashburton
✨Tip Number 1
Get to know the company! Research Age UK and their mission to tackle loneliness among older people. This will help you connect with the interviewers and show your genuine passion for the role.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your communication skills! Since you'll be on the phone a lot, try role-playing with a friend or family member. This will help you feel more confident and ready to engage with both volunteers and older members.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your IT skills! Familiarise yourself with Microsoft Office and any other tools mentioned in the job description. Being tech-savvy will make you stand out as a candidate who can handle the workload efficiently.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you're serious about joining our team at Age UK and making a difference in the lives of older people.
We think you need these skills to ace Friendship Coordinator in Ashburton
Some tips for your application 🫡
Get Personal with Your Supporting Statement: When writing your supporting statement, make sure to really showcase how your experiences align with the competencies listed in the job description. We want to see your passion for supporting older people and how you can bring that to the role!
Keep It Simple and Clear: Make sure your CV and supporting documents are easy to read. Avoid heavy formatting and stick to a clean layout. Remember, we’re looking for clarity, so keep it straightforward and professional!
Show Off Your Communication Skills: Since this role involves a lot of phone and email communication, highlight any relevant experience you have in your application. We want to know how you’ve successfully interacted with others, especially older people, in the past.
Apply Early!: Don’t wait until the last minute to submit your application. We review applications as they come in, so getting yours in early could give you an edge. Plus, it shows us you’re keen and organised!
How to prepare for a job interview at Age Uk
✨Know Your Stuff About Older People
Make sure you brush up on the issues older people face today. Understanding their needs and challenges will show your passion for supporting them, which is crucial for a Friendship Coordinator role.
✨Show Off Your Communication Skills
Since you'll be spending a lot of time on the phone and via email, practice articulating your thoughts clearly. Consider doing mock interviews with friends or family to refine your friendly and confident telephone manner.
✨Demonstrate Your IT Savvy
Familiarise yourself with Microsoft Office and any other relevant software. You might be asked about your experience with these tools, so being able to discuss how you've used them in past roles will give you an edge.
✨Prepare for Scenario Questions
Think about how you would handle various situations that may arise in the role, such as managing a busy workload or ensuring safeguarding measures are upheld. Having specific examples ready will help you stand out during the interview.
