Job summary
Join Our Team as a Volunteer Experience Team Officer
Make a difference and support those who give their time to help others.
Are you passionate about people and community? Do you believe in the power of volunteering to change lives, including your own? We're looking for a Volunteer Experience Team Officer to help shape an outstanding, inclusive, and rewarding experience for our amazing volunteers.
We're looking for someone who is organised, approachable, and passionate about supporting others. Whether you're experienced in volunteer management or looking to grow in a people-focused role with transferable skills, we'd love to hear from you.
This role will be based across both of our main hospice sites, as well as supporting our charity shops spread across Essex. Therefore, applicants should have a full UK driving licence and access to a vehicle for business purposes. Although this is predominantly a Monday to Friday role, there will also be a requirement to occasionally support volunteering events during the weekends, evenings, and bank holidays.
We regret that Havens Hospices is unable to offer any sponsorship opportunities.
Candidates should have the right to work in the UK on a full time basis.
Main duties of the job
In this role, you'll be thefirst point of contact for all things volunteering, you'll play a key role in supporting and developing our diverse community of volunteers across our clinical services, charity shops, and office teams. Every day, you'll help people feel welcome, valued, and supported on their volunteer journey, from first enquiry to ongoing involvement.
You will also support and:
- Work closely with our Volunteer Experience Team Manager, Head of Organisational Development & People, and volunteer co-ordinators
- Help ensure volunteers feel engaged, recognised, and empowered in their roles with the charity
- Contribute to making our charity a great place to give time
- Lead on the end-to-end recruitment process for all volunteers, including drafting adverts, shortlisting, initial interviews, vetting checks, and onboarding coordination.
- Coordinate interviews between prospective volunteers and Managers/Mentors.
- Facilitate induction sessions for new volunteers, ensuring all have the training, tools, and support needed to get started confidently.
Why join us?
You'll be part of a supportive, purpose-driven team working to create a truly positive volunteering experience, one that's as impactful for the volunteers as it is for the people and communities we serve.
About us
At Havens Hospices, we care for children, young people and adults with complex or incurable conditions. Our specialist Care Teams can support them and their family living throughout illness, death and bereavement in the comfort of their own home and through our hospice services, Fair Havens and Little Havens.
Working at Havens Hospices allows you to give the gift of time to patients and families, creating memories. Although you may not be giving direct care to our patients, your contribution will have an immediate effect on our care services.
In return for your expertise and passion, you will receive a competitive salary package, and most of all, by making the most of every day you work at Havens Hospices you'll be helping us continue 'Making every day count' for those who need us most.
At Havens Hospices we are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of our employees and patients and expect all colleagues to share this commitment.
We value diversity and welcome applications from all sections of the community.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead on the end-to-end recruitment process for all volunteers, including drafting adverts, shortlisting, initial interviews, vetting checks, and onboarding coordination.
- Coordinate interviews between prospective volunteers and Managers/Mentors.
- Facilitate induction sessions for new volunteers, ensuring all have the training, tools, and support needed to get started confidently.
- Provide ongoing support to volunteers across the charity to ensure they feel welcomed, recognised, and valued.
- Develop and implement regular communication with volunteers and line managers, offering guidance and resolving any issues as they arise.
- Support the creation and delivery of volunteer engagement and recognition activities, including forums, surveys, and celebration events.
- Coordinate development opportunities for volunteers, including access to further training, role shadowing, and upskilling.
- Maintain relevant records in the Learning Management System (LMS), ensuring all training records are up to date and compliance data is accurate.
- Work closely with Marketing and Communications to produce a volunteer newsletter on a monthly basis (paper versions for those not on IT), updating them about events and activities in the Hospice and the wider community.
- Update the volunteer management system news page on a regular basis with articles and stories of interest to the Hospice and retail volunteers
- Keep the Long Service records up to date and send out letters, badges and certificates quarterly to celebrate the volunteers achievement and update the volunteer management system accordingly.
- Lead on the recruitment, onboarding, and development of Volunteer Experience Team Assistants (volunteers who support the day-to-day work of the Volunteering Team).
- Ensure they receive appropriate training, supervision, and ongoing support.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date volunteer records using the charitys volunteer management system (Assemble).
- Monitor and record completion of all volunteers mandatory training, supporting volunteers to remain compliant.
- As well as Volunteer Experience Team Administrators, support and provide monthly data reports and dashboards relating to volunteer activity and compliance to the Head of OD & People.
- Ensure GDPR, Regulator (e.g. Care Quality Commission) and confidentiality standards are upheld in all volunteer record keeping.
- Maintain shared team resources including standard operating procedures, inboxes, trackers, templates and calendars.
- Provide project support to the Volunteer Experience Team Manager and the Head of OD & People, including researching, testing, and evaluating changes to processes and systems.
- Contribute to continuous improvement activity across the Volunteer Experience Team.
- Monitor, analyse and report on volunteer numbers, retention, recruitment activity, and training compliance across all service areas.
- Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports for internal and external stakeholders (e.g., SLT, Board committees).
- Provide evidence and updates for inspection, quality assurance or audit activities relating to volunteer involvement.
- Actively engage in learning and development opportunities for personal growth, and to continuously enhance volunteering practices, leading with innovation and adapting to evolving volunteering and work landscapes.
- Maintain own continuing professional development and liaise/network with other volunteering practitioners on a regular basis.
- Embrace learning opportunities to improve effectiveness of the role and seek to improve personal performance, contribution, knowledge and skills.
Job description
Job responsibilities
- Lead on the end-to-end recruitment process for all volunteers, including drafting adverts, shortlisting, initial interviews, vetting checks, and onboarding coordination.
- Coordinate interviews between prospective volunteers and Managers/Mentors.
- Facilitate induction sessions for new volunteers, ensuring all have the training, tools, and support needed to get started confidently.
- Provide ongoing support to volunteers across the charity to ensure they feel welcomed, recognised, and valued.
- Develop and implement regular communication with volunteers and line managers, offering guidance and resolving any issues as they arise.
- Support the creation and delivery of volunteer engagement and recognition activities, including forums, surveys, and celebration events.
- Coordinate development opportunities for volunteers, including access to further training, role shadowing, and upskilling.
- Maintain relevant records in the Learning Management System (LMS), ensuring all training records are up to date and compliance data is accurate.
- Work closely with Marketing and Communications to produce a volunteer newsletter on a monthly basis (paper versions for those not on IT), updating them about events and activities in the Hospice and the wider community.
- Update the volunteer management system news page on a regular basis with articles and stories of interest to the Hospice and retail volunteers
- Keep the Long Service records up to date and send out letters, badges and certificates quarterly to celebrate the volunteers achievement and update the volunteer management system accordingly.
- Lead on the recruitment, onboarding, and development of Volunteer Experience Team Assistants (volunteers who support the day-to-day work of the Volunteering Team).
- Ensure they receive appropriate training, supervision, and ongoing support.
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date volunteer records using the charitys volunteer management system (Assemble).
- Monitor and record completion of all volunteers mandatory training, supporting volunteers to remain compliant.
- As well as Volunteer Experience Team Administrators, support and provide monthly data reports and dashboards relating to volunteer activity and compliance to the Head of OD & People.
- Ensure GDPR, Regulator (e.g. Care Quality Commission) and confidentiality standards are upheld in all volunteer record keeping.
- Maintain shared team resources including standard operating procedures, inboxes, trackers, templates and calendars.
- Provide project support to the Volunteer Experience Team Manager and the Head of OD & People, including researching, testing, and evaluating changes to processes and systems.
- Contribute to continuous improvement activity across the Volunteer Experience Team.
- Monitor, analyse and report on volunteer numbers, retention, recruitment activity, and training compliance across all service areas.
- Assist in the preparation of quarterly and annual reports for internal and external stakeholders (e.g., SLT, Board committees).
- Provide evidence and updates for inspection, quality assurance or audit activities relating to volunteer involvement.
- Actively engage in learning and development opportunities for personal growth, and to continuously enhance volunteering practices, leading with innovation and adapting to evolving volunteering and work landscapes.
- Maintain own continuing professional development and liaise/network with other volunteering practitioners on a regular basis.
- Embrace learning opportunities to improve effectiveness of the role and seek to improve personal performance, contribution, knowledge and skills.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE or equivalent in Maths & English, or demonstrable good standard of literacy and numeracy skills
- Demonstrable appropriate level of experience and evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role.
- Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle for business purposes
Desirable
- First degree, professional qualification or studying towards one
General Experience
Essential
- Experience in an office coordination or senior admin role
- Experience handling first-level employee or manager queries
- Experience maintaining systems and handling sensitive data professionally
- Experience in recruitment and onboarding, or similar role.
Desirable
- Experience in volunteer management, including recruitment, support, and retention.
- Experience using volunteer management and/or learning management systems.
- Experience working in a healthcare or not-for-profit environment
- Safer recruitment trained
Job Related Skills
Essential
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), databases, other relevant software and systems, and the internet to an intermediate level
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to update and maintain records, databases, and other systems accurately and efficiently.
- Interviewing skills
Desirable
- Knowledge of best practices in volunteer management.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
- GCSE or equivalent in Maths & English, or demonstrable good standard of literacy and numeracy skills
- Demonstrable appropriate level of experience and evidence of continuing professional development relevant to the role.
- Full UK driving licence and access to own vehicle for business purposes
Desirable
- First degree, professional qualification or studying towards one
General Experience
Essential
- Experience in an office coordination or senior admin role
- Experience handling first-level employee or manager queries
- Experience maintaining systems and handling sensitive data professionally
- Experience in recruitment and onboarding, or similar role.
Desirable
- Experience in volunteer management, including recruitment, support, and retention.
- Experience using volunteer management and/or learning management systems.
- Experience working in a healthcare or not-for-profit environment
- Safer recruitment trained
Job Related Skills
Essential
- Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks.
- Ability to use Microsoft Office (including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), databases, other relevant software and systems, and the internet to an intermediate level
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to update and maintain records, databases, and other systems accurately and efficiently.
- Interviewing skills
Desirable
- Knowledge of best practices in volunteer management.
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
