Types of Volunteering

There are many ways that you can be involved in all the diverse aspects of Viewpoint.

We try to be as inclusive as possible, here are just a few ways, from volunteering tasks that only take a few hours every year to more expensive volunteering that will require weekly volunteering input. Below are just a few ways, they are categorised by volunteering type, time input level, and prerequisites please be advised that the disclosures and barring screening is so that we can deliver services in a safe and transparent way, people who have previous convictions and risk factors are not prevented from volunteering, we just provide those individuals with a safe support
structure and playing so we can utilise everyone's experience and contribute to an environment of learning and Growth.

Types of volunteering:

1. Providing feedback through the annual survey.

The annual survey contributes to the way we work as an organisation, how weengage with you, and how we can utilise all the skills, knowledge and experience that you have in Recovery Services at the point of delivery.

Time input level: 3 or 4 hours once a year
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years

2. Providing feedback through the Service User forums

This is where we meet up and discuss issues of the day in recovery services. There are forums that occur every 4 months throughout the year in every quadrant of Hertfordshire. The issues we discussed our varied and are all health recovery focused.

Time input level: 3 or 4 hours every three months
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years

3. Becoming a guest speaker at the various types of training events

Viewpoint offer various training from confidence building to mental health firstaid training. There is a very diverse range of short one or two day courses that we offer and your role is to be a guest facilitator and help the lead worker deliver workshops that occur throughout the training day, this work eventually leads to you being a lead worker and Co facilitate as the program rotates with new volunteers.

Time input level: anything from 3 to 10 days per year.
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years, you will require a disclosures and barring screening.

4. Becoming a guest speaker at nurse mental health training

One specific element of our projects provides training for trainee nurses at the University of Hertfordshire with feedback from individuals who have received recovery services. This increases knowledge understanding and empathy within the recovery workforce that leads to better delivery of frontline services with nurses who who have learnt from people with lived experiences.

Time input level: Anything from 2 to 6 days per year
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years, you will require a disclosures and barring screening.

5. Volunteering at our offices 

There are many administration and and information and technology orientated tasks that lead to the smooth running of our services. By volunteering in this way you'll become part of our workforce and you gain a current work reference, you gain confidence, you have access to training, and you contribute to the smooth running of viewpoint.

Time input level: anything from 1 to 2 days 52 weeks a year.
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years, you will require a disclosures and barring screening.

6. Attendance at the annual general meeting

This meeting is held once a year and Showcases the work that viewpoint have have delivered over the last 12-months it also looks to the future and what we will be providing for the next year participation in this event increases the knowledge of individuals and also provides us with direct feedback.

Time input level: 3 or 4 hours once a year
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years

7. Becoming a Viewpoint Trustee

You will be involved in the day-to-day operational running of viewpoint and you will participate in 4 meetings throughout the year that are trustee meetings and 6 meetings throughout the year that are subgroup trustee meetings. Part of the subgroup work will require you to go and conduct various pieces of work that you can do from home. This may be research and exploration of issues knowledge and current work practices throughout the care sector the subgroup meetings then feed into the knowledge base and decision-making of the trustee meetings. It allows us to discuss in a very knowledgeable and targeted way agenda items within the trustee meeting agendas.

Time input level: 10 to 20 days every year
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years

8. Video diary, Points of View and Case Study

We have video and filming equipment and a videographer that will assist you to make a small video that will be published on our YouTube channel. There is no filming experience needed and every video contributes to service user and or recovery workforce knowledge and understanding of lived experiences.

Time input level: 1 to 20 days every year
Prerequisites: contact with Frontline recovery services within the last 2 years

Support benefits
1. For every event you are involved in we reimburse your travel expenses this allows you to meet the cost of volunteering
2. Where you are training provider or guest speaker at nurse training we pay £10 per hour for the work you deliver
3. There are circumstances where your volunteering is over 4 hours and there is a £5 lunch expenses allowance
4. We provide all stationery and information technology tools depending on the role.