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- Tasks: Coordinate and support matches between members and volunteers, ensuring a safe and efficient service.
- Company: Join a dedicated team making a difference for older people across the UK.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, 26 days leave, hybrid work options, and various perks.
- Why this job: Make a real impact while developing your communication skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Excellent communication skills, IT proficiency, and a passion for supporting older people required.
- Other info: Work from Blackpool or Ashburton with flexible hours and occasional weekend shifts.
The predicted salary is between 28800 - 43200 £ per year.
Age UK\’s Telephone Friendship Service is recruiting for Friendship Coordinators to join our growing team!
Loneliness is a major issue that is a widely recognised issue 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 – so you\’ll need to be comfortable spending a lot of time on the phone and communicating by email. You\’ll also need to be passionate about supporting older people and have a good understanding of older people\’s needs.
Work location
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.
Working hours
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.
In your Supporting Statement, please include examples of how you meet the Must Have criteria below.
We are looking to recruit highly motivated individuals to join our friendly and supportive Friendship team – if this sounds like you, please apply for immediate consideration.
About the role
Please note: before joining the National Services team at Age UK, we want to be open that the organisation is in a period of change. Age UK works as a network of over 100 independent partners, with national services delivered by the charity and local services delivered by partners across the UK. Our new strategy means more services will be delivered locally in future, although we think our National Services will continue to play an important role. You would be joining a team that is evolving and changing to develop new ways of supporting older people, and we want you to have this context as you consider your application.
Last date for applications
Thursday 22nd January 2026.
Must haves
The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process:
Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P
Skills and knowledge
- Excellent communication skills – both written and verbal. A, I, T
- Confident and friendly telephone manner. A, I
- Excellent IT skills including Microsoft Office. A, I, T
- Ability to manage a busy workload. A, I
Personal Attributes
- A passion for supporting older people. A, I
- A commitment to promoting equality and diversity. A
- Being a positive team player. A, I
Great to haves
The below competencies will be assessed at the indicated stage of the recruitment process:
Application = A, Interview = I, Test = T, Presentation = P
Experience
- Experience supporting volunteers. A, I
- Experience of working with older people over the phone. A, I
Skills & Knowledge
- An understanding of older people’s issues. A, I
- Knowledge of safeguarding issues. A, I
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
- Car Benefit scheme, Cycle to Work scheme
- Home & Tech – apply to buy any Home & Tech items from \’Currys\’ & \’IKEA\’, up to £1000, and spread the cost over 12 months, interest free. (subject to affordability)
- Blue Light Card scheme
- You Did It Awards – recognition awards from £100-250.
Additional Information
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 could you 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.
Equal opportunities & Disability Confident Scheme
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.
Age UK is committed to safeguarding adults at risk, and children, from abuse and neglect. We expect everyone who works with us to share this commitment.
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.
For a full list of benefits please click here
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Friendship Coordinator employer: Age Uk
Contact Detail:
Age Uk Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Friendship Coordinator
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarise yourself with the specific needs and challenges faced by older people. This will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your genuine passion for supporting this demographic, which is crucial for the Friendship Coordinator role.
✨Tip Number 2
Practice your communication skills, especially over the phone. Since you'll be the first point of contact for volunteers and members, being confident and friendly on calls is essential. Consider role-playing scenarios with friends or family to build your comfort level.
✨Tip Number 3
Get acquainted with safeguarding issues relevant to working with older people. Understanding these protocols will show your commitment to ensuring a safe environment for all involved, which is a key aspect of the role.
✨Tip Number 4
Highlight any previous experience you have in supporting volunteers or working with older individuals. Even if it's informal, sharing these experiences can set you apart and demonstrate your capability to manage the responsibilities of the Friendship Coordinator position.
We think you need these skills to ace Friendship Coordinator
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Supporting Statement: Make sure to specifically address the Must Have criteria in your Supporting Statement. Use clear examples from your past experiences that demonstrate your excellent communication skills, passion for supporting older people, and ability to manage a busy workload.
Highlight Relevant Experience: If you have experience working with older people or supporting volunteers, be sure to include this in your application. Mention any relevant roles or responsibilities that showcase your understanding of older people's issues and safeguarding measures.
Showcase IT Skills: Since the role requires excellent IT skills, particularly with Microsoft Office, mention any specific software you are proficient in. If you have used these tools in previous jobs, provide examples of how they helped you manage tasks effectively.
Demonstrate Team Spirit: As a Friendship Coordinator, being a positive team player is essential. Include examples of how you've worked collaboratively in past roles, highlighting your commitment to promoting equality and diversity within a team setting.
How to prepare for a job interview at Age Uk
✨Showcase Your Communication Skills
As a Friendship Coordinator, excellent communication is key. Prepare to demonstrate your verbal and written skills by discussing past experiences where you effectively communicated with others, especially in challenging situations.
✨Express Your Passion for Supporting Older People
Make sure to convey your genuine passion for helping older individuals. Share personal stories or experiences that highlight your commitment to this cause, as it will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Highlight Your IT Proficiency
Since the role requires good IT skills, be ready to discuss your experience with Microsoft Office and any other relevant software. You might even want to mention specific tasks you've accomplished using these tools.
✨Demonstrate Your Ability to Manage Workloads
The role involves managing a busy workload, so prepare examples of how you've successfully prioritised tasks in previous jobs. Discuss any strategies you use to stay organised and efficient under pressure.
