Volunteer Driver (Rachel House - Kinross)

We strive to remove barriers for families to do so, particularly offering transport for those who do not have their own means of travelling.

Having a team of volunteer drivers that can take families to and from the hospice for their stay, allows them the opportunity to stay with us and not have to worry about their travel arrangements. This service (supported by staff) gives CHAS the opportunity to offer more families without transport a stay in our hospices.

If you love driving and would like to use your existing skills for a great cause, this is the role for you.

In order to drive a CHAS vehicle you need to be 25 or over (this is for insurance reasons).

What you will be doing

• Driving a CHAS minibus to; allow families to go on outings; to bring families and/ or children to stay in our hospices; and to take families home from our hospices.
• Attend at the hospice to collect vehicle and then travel to agreed location. Return vehicle and keys after the journey.
• On occasion to transport or collect goods, equipment, key visitors or staff

The skills you need

• An enjoyment of and enthusiasm for driving
• Calm and considerate driving skills
• A full, clean driving licence
• Adhere to rules around GDPR and a strong understanding of confidentiality
• An outgoing and friendly personality
• Patience, empathy and understanding
• An ability to represent CHAS enthusiastically and appropriately
• An ability to relate to people of all ages
• Good communication skills
• Experience of driving a minibus or larger vehicles is advantageous but not essential (MiDAS training will be provided).

What's in it for you

• A flexible role to fit around your life
• Meeting new people and being part of a team
• Making a real difference to the families of children with a life-shortening condition
• Utilising existing skills within a new environment
• Learning new skills, developing your experience

How much time should I offer?

You can volunteer on any day of the week. Drives can take place in the morning, afternoon or evening across the full week. As CHAS is a national charity supporting families across Scotland, requests for drives are usually between 1 to 4 hours in duration. The Transport Manager will determine what is an appropriate drive length/duration for volunteers and what should be covered by the staff team. Additionally, for longer drives, two volunteers may be asked to support and packed lunches can be provided.

This is a responsive service and there can be busier/quieter periods depending upon the needs of the families we support. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the frequency in which we will receive requests for this service.

What ongoing learning/support/guidance will I receive?

It’s important to us that you feel happy, safe and confident during your time with us. As a CHAS volunteer you will be invited to complete a short core learning package that is tailored to your role.

Your Volunteer Manager will provide ongoing support and guidance to you. We have also partnered with the Skills Network to offer all our volunteers the chance to develop new skills and explore further learning opportunities.

We have an Assistance Programme provided by Health Hero to support our volunteers with all aspects of their lives, whether that is at work or at home. This is confidential and free of charge.

What else should I know?

We will pay your out of pocket expenses in line with the CHAS volunteer expenses policy.

CHAS is committed to providing a quality volunteering experience to all volunteers, free from discrimination and prejudice. Ensuring that CHAS is an equal, diverse, and inclusive organisation improves the quality of care we provide, helps us reach more families and children, and maximises a wide variety of knowledge, experience and expertise.

We welcome volunteer applications from those who are refugees, asylum seekers, benefit claimants and those with a disability. We can provide more information about your eligibility to volunteer and any reasonable adjustments we can put in place to ensure your volunteering experience is a positive one.

Disclaimer

This role requires membership of the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme (children only). There is a simple form to complete and we will assist you with this. You may already be a member of the scheme – if so you will only need to complete an update form. The process won’t cost you anything and having a criminal record will not automatically exclude you from volunteering. We will assess each applicant on an individual basis. Further Child Protection training (either online or face to face, approximately 3 hours in length) is mandatory for this role, to be completed within the first year of volunteering with us.