Session Support Volunteer - Role Description

Role title

Session Support Volunteer

Accountable to

Youth Team Session Lead

Based at

Esteem office, Old School House, Shoreham-by-sea, BN43 6PA

Commitment

We will connect our volunteers with a regular weekly or bi-monthly session, and ask them to  commit to covering it for at least six months. See our full list of regular sessions below.

Contract

Voluntary (expenses to be pre-agreed) 

Start date

Following induction, DBS check and references

About Esteem

Esteem is a youth charity built by and for young adults aged 14 to 26, offering group activities and one-to-one support in Shoreham-by-Sea. In our space, any young adult can find their people, take on real responsibility, and discover what they are capable of.

About the role

Session Support Volunteers join the team at a regular Esteem session and help it run well. You will always work alongside Esteem staff, who lead each session, and you will support them and follow their direction. Over time, you will become a familiar, friendly face that young adults know they can count on.

What you will do

• Join the team brief before each session and the debrief afterwards

• Welcome young adults and help create a relaxed, friendly atmosphere

• Take part in activities alongside young adults and support them to get involved

• Help with practical tasks such as setting up and packing down

• Share anything that concerns you with the session lead, and report safeguarding concerns in line with Esteem's policy

• Follow Esteem's policies, procedures and risk assessments

What we are looking for

• Responsive: you notice what is happening in the room and adapt, taking direction from the session lead

• Calm and approachable: young adults feel at ease around you

• Strengths-based: you notice what young adults are good at and help them build on it

• Reflective: you think about how sessions went, including your own part, and welcome feedback

• Reliable and communicative: you attend consistently and let the session lead know in good time if you cannot make it

Experience of working with young adults is welcome but not required.

Sessions to cover

We will link our volunteers to a regular weekly or bi-monthly session, and ask them to  commit to covering it for at least six months. 

Our regular sessions include: 

• Drop-In (Ages 18 - 26) Monday’s 5.30pm - 8.30pm

• Esteem Team (Ages 18-26) Every Monday 3:30-5:30pm

• Esteem Team (Ages 14-17) Every Tuesday 4:00-5:30pm

• WYDW? (What you doing Wednesday?) - (Ages 14 - 17) Wednesday’s 4pm - 6.30pm

• Drop-In (Ages 18 - 26) Wednesday’s 6pm - 8.30pm

• Crunch Time - (Ages 14 - 17) Fridays 3.30pm - 5.30pm

• Creative Club - (Ages 14-17) Every other Thursday 4.30-7.30pm

Plus around 30 minutes before and after for the team brief and debrief. We ask volunteers to attend the same session regularly for at least six months.

There may also be opportunities to help out at other sessions on an ad hoc basis. Alongside our regular sessions these include our Holiday Activities and Food Programme, “Learn To” Physical Activities Programme, and Young Men's or Young Women’s groups. 

What you will get

• Induction and training, including safeguarding and Esteem's youth-led approach

• Ongoing support from the staff team through regular briefs and debriefs

• Hands-on experience of youth work in a participatory, youth-led charity

• The chance to be part of a supportive, values-driven team

Before you start

Successful applicants must undertake an Enhanced Disclosure via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and provide two satisfactory references.

To apply

For an informal chat, contact Andy at andy.nall-cain@esteem.org.uk or call 07395 313876.