Salary: £23,648 (£25,863 fte)
Tenure: Permanent
Location: V21 Sbectrwm, Bwlch Rd, Fairwater, Cardiff
Hours: Part-time, 32 hours per week
Start Date: ASAP
Annual Leave: 35 days including bank holidays pro-rated to hours worked.
Age Connects Cardiff & the Vale is looking for a Volunteer and Information Officer to support a small collaborative team of three whilst leading, developing and empowering a team of office-based volunteers who deliver the day-to-day administration, call handling and signposting for our core and community services.
We are looking for an individual with experience of recruiting, inducting, training and supervising office volunteers. You will also need experience of Rota management as well as using databases and software to a high standard.
If you are approachable and a good team player with the understanding of the needs of older people, awareness of safeguarding and an understanding of the role volunteers play in delivering community services we would love to hear from you.
JOB PURPOSE:
This role sits within the Community Support Project, a small and collaborative team of three: the Volunteer & Information Officer will lead the office-based volunteer team, the Project Coordinator, who manages long-term client–volunteer relationships; and the Volunteer Recruitment & Development Officer, who recruits and prepares volunteers for the service. You will also be responsible for dealing with enquiries, both internally and externally.
The Volunteer & Information Officer will lead, develop and empower a team of office-based volunteers who deliver day-to-day administration, call handling and signposting for our core services, including the Community Support Service, Nail Cutting Service and Good Neighbours Scheme. You will also work closely with colleagues across the wider charity to ensure enquiries are handled consistently and that volunteers are confident supporting a range of services.
As the organisation evolves, this role will increasingly act as a key first point of contact for the wider charity, ensuring that every caller receives a safe, high-quality and compassionate response. You will adapt processes, volunteer training and front-of-house systems to meet changing Client needs, organisational priorities and service developments.
You will have the autonomy to refine systems, strengthen volunteer capability, and shape how the front-of-house function operates as services develop, change or shift over time.
This job description outlines the key performance indicators of, and output required from the Volunteer Information Officer. It is not a definitive list and the role may well change and evolve over time.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Volunteer Team Leadership & Development
*Recruit, induct, train and supervise a minimum of four office volunteers (one per day), with the ambition to increase this number where appropriate.
*Build volunteer confidence in using digital tools including Volunteero, Jane App, email and multiple databases.
*Delegate at least 50% of routine administrative and call-handling tasks to volunteers, enabling them to grow in confidence and capability.
JOB DESCRIPTION
First Point of Contact – Call Handling & Enquiry Management
*Act as the primary contact for enquiries across Community Support, Nail Cutting and Good Neighbours, with the expectation that the range of services may change over time.
*Triage calls, gather essential information and signpost appropriately.
*Identify emerging themes in client need or service pressure and adapt processes or volunteer training accordingly.
Service Coordination & Administration
*Support coordination and administration across multiple services, with flexibility to incorporate new programmes or adjust to changes in existing ones.
*Maintain accurate waiting lists, client records and service logs across several databases.
*Maintain and update community resource lists (cleaners, gardeners, local activities, etc.) to support effective signposting.
Quality Assurance, Monitoring & Case Management
*Maintain up-to-date knowledge of all Age Connects services, including new or changing areas.
*Collect case studies, feedback and monitoring data to support evaluation and service improvement.
Governance, Safety & Compliance
*Ensure volunteers follow safeguarding, confidentiality and data protection requirements.
*Maintain accurate and confidential records for audit and reporting purposes.
Other Duties
*Adapt to evolving service needs, organisational priorities and changes in client demand — whether services expand, contract or shift focus.
*Undertake any other reasonable tasks as required by the Service Manager.
*Contribute ideas and insights to help shape the future development of the charity’s first-point-of-contact function.
PERSON SPECIFICATION
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following skills, experience and personal qualities. Shortlisting will be based on how well applicants meet these criteria.
ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES
*Experience of working in a customer-facing, reception, call-handling or frontline support role.
*Experience of working with volunteers, service users or community groups.
*Experience of managing sensitive or complex enquiries with professionalism and empathy.
*Experience of delivering administration in a busy, multi-service environment.
*Confident using digital tools including email, databases and online platforms, with the ability to learn new systems quickly.
APPLICATION PROCESS
There is no closing date for applications. Applications will be shortlisted on receipt of completed application form.
The application form must be fully completed as they form part of the shortlisting process.
Initial interview via Teams or Zoom.
You will be asked to provide proof of the Right to Work in the UK before the interview takes place.
If successful at first interview you will be asked to attend a second interview which will take place at V21 Sbectrwm, Bwlch Rd, Fairwater, Cardiff, CF5 3EF.