- Volunteer Handbook: The Volunteer Handbook contains useful contact numbers, tips and guidance on specific topics that you might find useful throughout your volunteering role with Independent Age. If you are a Community Volunteer or Visitor Volunteer, you can find the relevant information in our Community Volunteer's Handbook. If you are a Telephone Group Facilitator or Telephone Volunteer, you can find the relevant information in our Telephone Facilitator Handbook. If you volunteer in another role, you can find the relevant information in our Volunteers' Handbook.
- Training slides: The training slides are a helpful reminder of everything you learnt during the induction training for your volunteering role.
- If you're a Community Volunteer, Visitor Volunteer or Telephone Volunteer, you can find the relevant information in our Level 1 Training slides.
- If you’re a Telephone Group Facilitator, you can find the information you need in our Telephone Facilitator Volunteer Training.
- If you do any other volunteering role, you can view the Level 2 Training slides.
- Telephone Volunteers - Positive Conversations: Sometimes it can be difficult to have a good phone conversation with the older person you are matched with, especially if they are experiencing a lapse in memory, dementia or a mild cognitive impairment, and when your friendship is over the phone. The Digital & Phone Services team have put together some useful hints and tips to nurture a positive conversation.
- Telephone Volunteers: We’ve made a list of six fun games that you can play over the phone with the older person you support. Some may be familiar, some may not, but you can refer back to them if you ever want to do something different with your phone calls.
- Expenses: Independent Age reimburse volunteers for reasonable expenses associated with their volunteering role. To find out more about expenses, you can read our Volunteer Expenses Policy and Procedures. If you would like to claim reasonable expenses, please download, complete our Volunteer Expenses Form and follow the guidance on the form to return it to your Independent Age contact. If it is your first time claiming expenses, you will also need to complete and return to us this BACS form.
- Data Protection: As an Independent Age volunteer, you might have access to personal or special category data while undertaking your role, and Independent Age will also keep some personal details about you on our database(s). To find out more about Data Protection and how to keep data safe as a volunteer, read our guidance on Data Protection. To learn about how we collect and store your information, visit Your Personal Information sheet.
- Coping with bereavement in your volunteering: In your volunteering role at Independent Age, you might become very close to the older person you support. If that person dies, it may be difficult to come to terms with. Our Volunteer Bereavement Support guide aims to help you think about how you're feeling and how to access support.
Dementia Awareness: If you would like to learn more about dementia and how to support those affected by dementia, consider becoming a Dementia Friend. You can find out more about Dementia Friends, an Alzheimer’s Society initiative by visiting Dementia Friends website.
Information and advice on helping someone you’re worried about: For information on how to help someone that you’re worried about, have a look at our information and advice pages. Remember to always contact your Independent Age contact if you're concerned about the wellbeing of an older person that you are supporting as a volunteer. If you feel it’s urgent and need to speak to someone at the weekend or in the evening, you can always call the out of hours safeguarding number on 020 7605 4455, from 5pm – 9pm on weekdays and 9am – 9pm on weekends.
Information Champions: If you’re an Information Champion and looking to order guides or let us know how your volunteering is going, you can find everything you need here.
Find out how to order our information guides and resources, and where to distribute our information.
If you have questions about the volunteering role, try our Frequently Asked Questions or email us at InfoChampVolunteer@independentage.org and we’ll be happy to help.
If you'd like to give us an update on your volunteering activity, please complete the Activity Sheet and email it to InfoChampVolunteer@independentage.org.
If you’d like an identification letter to take with you while you’re out in the community – to explain who you are and what you’re doing – email us at InfoChampVolunteer@independentage.org.
All Information Champions receive a bi-monthly bulletin with updates relevant to their role. Read previous bulletins.
Training to help improve your digital skills: Hi Digital, developed by Vodafone Foundation UK, is a free online resource to help you improve your digital skills. Perhaps you’ve rarely been online, or perhaps you have some experience but haven’t had the confidence to explore all the possibilities of the digital world. Hi Digital includes step-by-step courses on a variety of simple digital topics. You can complete the courses by yourself or with a family member or friend, working at your own pace and choosing the lessons best suited to you. The platform is also suitable for those looking to help an older person get more confident online. For more information and to start the course please visit our webpage Hi Digital – Bridging the digital divide.