Job Advert: Befriending Coordinator at Age UK Islington

Age UK Islington is looking for a Befriending Coordinator to help them recruit and support their befriending volunteers and support the individuals they work with.

About the job

Key Details

• Hours: 2 days (15 hours) per week. Fixed Term 1 Year
• Salary: £12,630 per annum, plus benefits (£31,575 FTE)
• Location/Team: The post holder may be required to work at various locations across Islington and within different team settings, in line with the needs of the service.
• Closing date: Friday 1st August 2025
• Interviews will take place: week commencing 4th August 2025.

Job Description

The befriending service supports the most isolated people in their community by matching them with befriending volunteers who provide a listening ear and companionship. Many of their befriending clients are housebound and isolated.

You will work with the volunteer administrator to help recruit and support our befriending volunteers and support the individuals they work with helping them to improve their wellbeing and to stay as connected with the community as they can.

The aims of befriending service include, but are not limited to:

• decreasing social isolation and/or loneliness
• flexible and capable of escalation/de-escalation to other forms of support as required (both internally within AUKI and externally)
• increasing quality of life and wellbeing
• safe, consistent and highly reliable, generates optimism among users and practitioners.
• providing a positive and trusting relationship
• personalised, is geared towards prevention and early action
• developing self-confidence, emotional growth, and resilience
  

Main purpose of the role

The Befriending Coordinator will have responsibility for ensuring the following:

• developing service policies and procedures
• keeping up to date with relevant legislation
• promoting the service to potential befriended clients, volunteers and referrers
• contribute to own service area and wider organisation communications and promotion.
• recruitment and selection of volunteer befrienders
• volunteers are supported, well engaged, trained, motivated, and committed and that they deliver a professional service to clients.
• processing referrals and assessing the befriended (often in their own homes)
• matching the befriended with befrienders
• provide supervision, coaching, mentoring and practice development support to befrienders
• providing ongoing support to the befriended and reviewing the progress of matches
• supporting befrienders and the befriended at the end of a relationship
• keeping appropriate records
• gathering monitoring data and evaluating the service provided
• reporting to the management committee, funders, referrers and regulatory bodies
• support the Head of Services to develop, sustain and review referral pathways with internal and external services, practitioners and other service leads.

Key Task & Responsibilities

• Provide supervision, coaching, mentoring and practice development support to Befriending volunteers.
• Working closely with service users and referrers in ensuring the process runs smoothly and the work we agree is within the service remit.
• Ensure case notes and other relevant records are entered and updated on the Age UK Database system in line with defined system processes and policies.
• Maintain quality assurance processes as appropriate.
• Contribute to identifying requirements and opportunities for improvements in services effectiveness and efficiencies.
• Monitor and coordinate the day to day operational activities of Befriending service volunteers and ensure practice of the team is monitored and any issues are actioned promptly and efficiently.
• Ensure staff and volunteers are compliant with the AUKI’s Policies and Procedures
• Ensure routine and consistent data is collected on service activities and processes for monitoring and evaluation purposes.
• Produce and provide ad hoc reports, feedback and information to internal management as required.
• Ensure a high reputation amongst users and partner agencies.

Partnership Working

• Research and share knowledge across the organisation of community services beneficial to a range of client needs.
• Ensure understanding of key working relationships in own area and maintain effective partnership/joint working arrangements.
• Ensure understanding of and close working relationships with wider voluntary sector services providing ongoing support.

Performance Management

• Ensure services are delivered to a high standard and in line with organisational and service specific policies.
• Ensure that response times to specific referral types are met.
• Obtain user feedback on perceived quality and effectiveness of services.
• Monitor and act on complaints and feedback related to the service, escalating to the appropriate manager.

Wider Organisational responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with individuals and teams internally in the organisation and with its partners.
• Meet legislative and all relevant regulatory requirements including Health & Safety and Employment.
• Carry out responsibilities for Safeguarding.
• Carry out duties in accordance with Age UK Islington values, principles, policies and procedures.
• Carry out administrative duties in connection with the post.

How to apply

For more information, download the recruitment pack. Applications close on Friday 1 August.