To provide advice and information to family members, friends, prisoners and professionals by responding to incoming telephone calls. You will respond to queries by providing direct information, signposting to other relevant organisations and making referrals to Pact colleagues as well as other family support services such as Barnardos, Spurgeons and Nepacs.  Below are a few examples of calls received on the helpline:

Trying to find out which prison someone has been sent to
Concerns regarding the wellbeing of a prisoner
How to keep in contact with someone in prison
How to send money to someone in prison
What to do after someone has been arrested
What support is available to someone after release from prison
Time commitment & location

This role is being offered remotely, so you will need to have access to a laptop/computer, a smart phone and an internet connection. A quiet working environment is also required.

Time commitment:

We expect volunteers to commit to working a minimum of one shift per week, for a period of at least 6 months.

The helpline is open 7 days a week, 9am-8pm Monday-Friday and 10am-3pm on weekends. The shifts we have available are as follows:

Monday – Friday: 9am-1pm,1pm-5pm or 5pm-8pm

Weekends: 10am-3pm

(If you wish to work multiple shifts, please let us know)

What you will be doing

Answering daily telephone calls, providing information and guidance
Escalating any urgent/imminent safeguarding calls with the prison
Making referrals and signposting to Pact colleagues and other external organisations
Updating an Excel spreadsheet logging all calls taken
Communicating with other colleagues on shift as well as Shift Supervisors
The type of person we are looking for

Experience

Skills / Abilities

Attitudes

Working on a helpline or experience of talking to people on the phone in a professional capacity

Working in a team

Handling sensitive data

Listening

Empathy

Determination

Teamwork

Verbal & written

communication skills

Good I.T. literacy

Empathy

Non-judgemental

Can-do attitude

Flexible

Genuine desire to help people

What we offer

Training

You will be required to undertake our Safeguarding and Professional Boundaries training online, as well as attending our role-specific Helpline training via Zoom. You will also have access to various other training modules on our new eLearning platform.

Checks

This role is subject to: 2 satisfactory references

Support and Supervision

We will provide a full induction and regular supervision to support you in the role.

Benefits to you

Make a huge difference to prisoners and families
Gain valuable experience and a strong awareness of the Criminal Justice System
Gain practical skills and experience
Develop skills and enhance your CV for future employment / volunteering opportunities
Join a great team of supportive, respectful and caring individuals
Next steps

To apply for this role, please visit the following link: http://bttr.im/0pfqq

For any questions about the role please email: david.bruccoleri@prisonadvice.org.uk

For more information about Pact please see the following link: https://www.prisonadvice.org.uk/