Volunteering is at the very heart of Action in Mind. We have a longstanding tradition of recruiting, training and supporting volunteers in different roles across the charity.

It is our ambition to ensure that everyone who donates their free time to us feels trusted and valued. It is important to us that volunteers have a positive volunteering experience and ultimately feel proud to be part of Action in Mind.

Our volunteers give their time to a number of our client-facing services within the charity including Adult Befriending and the Hub Centre. We also have volunteers who support our corporate team by donating their time as administrators, fundraisers and by joining our Board of Trustees.

Please get in touch if you are interested in volunteering with Action in Mind.

Volunteering Case Study

“I started volunteering with Action in Mind when I was a student, as a way to gain more experience with a service delivering mental health support. It’s something that we were encouraged to do as part of our course and I know that for several other psychology students it was a very useful step on their path to careers in the field. In my case, I’m (slightly) older now and work in a different field – to be honest, the main reason that I’m still volunteering is that I enjoy it. I’ve worked with quite a few groups during my time at Action in Mind and (although it can be a bit daunting at first), they normally have a really supportive atmosphere. Even when a service user is having a difficult day, it’s always nice to see the support they get from the rest of the group. The groups are admirably honest about the challenges that they face, as well as the positives they take from being involved in the groups. Also, sometimes the office has biscuits.”

Alasdair, Support Volunteer (The Hub)

Current Volunteering Opportunities at Action in Mind

Befrienders

Our befrienders will work 1-to-1 with their befriendee to develop and maintain a reliable, open, honest and trusting relationship. Befrienders will also plan and manage (with the befriendee) befriending activities that aim to improve wellbeing and help the befriendee achieve their goals. This role requires the befriender to work unsupervised, using their initiative to reflect on individual befriending practice, recognise limitations and seek additional support/advice when needed.

Training and additional support will be provided.

Peer Support Volunteers

Our hub volunteers will provide person-centred support and build relationships with group service users to facilitate engagement. This role also requires the hub volunteer to propose group activities, intending to build upon or develop new service user interests. These activities may include: cinema trips, gardening, walks, or day trips. The hub volunteers will also play an active role in improving the service users’ self-confidence and motivation.

Training and additional support will be provided.

Fundraisers

In this role, the volunteer will work with the AiM fundraising committee, planning, promoting and coordinating the running of charity fundraisers with the intention of raising funds for Action in Mind. Events could include: charity runs, bake sales, fayres etc.

Administration

In this role, the volunteer will support our Administrator with filing, telephone calls, welcome people into the building.

Trustees for our Board of Directors

Have you an interest in mental health, and would you consider becoming a trustee?

We are looking to recruit professional people who have skills and experience in the following areas:

  • Finance/Fundraising
  • Setting up a social enterprise or trading company
  • Marketing
  • Service management.

Information about Volunteering

What you can expect from Action in Mind:

  • We will provide a thorough induction on the work of Action in Mind, including its vision, mission and values and all related policies, in particular Health and Safety at Work and Lone Worker policies.
  • In-service training is provided on your chosen volunteering activity by the volunteer supervisor, as well as regular support and supervision.
  • We will provide you with a volunteer supervisor who will offer you regular support throughout your volunteering experience with us
  • We will provide you with a copy of the Volunteer Handbook which sets out the standards and expectations we have of volunteers, but also what you should expect from us.
  • We will reimburse you for your travel and other authorised expenses carried out in relation to your voluntary work.  All expenses must be claimed on the appropriate forms and submitted, with receipts, to your volunteer supervisor by the 1st of each month, in line with our Volunteer Expenses Policy.
  • We provide insurance cover for volunteers for voluntary work, approved and authorised by us.  Volunteers using their own vehicles to transport clients must provide evidence of a valid driving licence and business use insurance.
  • We welcome feedback on your volunteering experience as we are always seeking to learn from and improve our services, whether to clients or volunteers.
  • If you should experience any problems or difficulties while volunteering with us, or in the event of an unresolved problem, you should speak with your volunteer supervisor, in the first instance, or raise the matter directly with the Executive Director.
  • We will keep you informed of any changes in our volunteer requirements, as well as new developments within Action in Mind.

What we expect from our volunteers

  • We expect volunteers to commit to our charitable objectives and to abide by our values in all activities.
  • We trust you to perform your volunteering role and key responsibilities, as outlined
in your role description, to the best of your ability and to attend on-going training, as required by Action in Mind.
  • We require you to keep yourself regularly informed about our policies and procedures relating to clients supported by us, whether you work with individuals or in groups.  These can be found on the Volunteer Drive or emailed out to you.
  • We require you to act in the best interests of clients supported by us and to work in a manner that is empowering and motivating and which enable clients to achieve their personal outcomes.
  • We require you to meet reporting requirements, as set out in your job role, and to maintain regular contact with your volunteer supervisor, informing them if your contact details change.  Should your personal circumstances change and, where these may affect you volunteering with us, you need to let us know as soon as possible so that alternative arrangements can be made for clients.
  • You must ensure that confidential information regarding the charity and of our clients is maintained at all times.
  • We aim to provide support and supervision on a 6-8 weekly basis with your volunteer supervisor, with an initial six monthly review for new-starts and annual review thereafter.
  • There is no time limit to how long you can volunteer with Action in Mind.  Volunteers can engage in different activities simultaneously or change roles after discussion with their volunteer supervisor.

We have for many years provided opportunities for people who have a lived experience of mental ill-health to volunteer in varying roles. These roles have included peer supported befriending, supporting the development of the internet café or generally supporting clients in the Hub Centre.

Where we have developed local and national projects, such as the Working Well with Mental Health project and Self-Directed Support for Mental Health Service Users, peer support volunteers have played a significant role in encouraging other service users to participate in all the activities, including making presentations to large public audiences and contributing in group discussions.

We hold two main volunteer recruitment drives per year, one during Spring and one during Autumn. These are primarily geared towards recruiting new support volunteers for our Adult Befriending service and the Hub Centre, but we welcome interest throughout the year from anyone who is considering volunteering in any role within the charity.

To volunteer within our support services we require volunteers to be aged 18+, and to be able to make a commitment of at least 12 months in order to provide continuity of support for our service users.

Volunteering offers a good basis of experience for people interested in working in health and social care. Some volunteers have gone on to study medicine or postgraduate psychology degrees and to work in social and residential care

There are a number of steps that all interested parties are invited to take when they make an enquiry about volunteering with us. These include:

  • Telephone or email enquiry – People expressing an interest in volunteering within the Befriending or Hub Services are provided information about our current recruitment timeline, and provided with a copy of our application pack.
  • Informal Interview – Upon completion of the application pack, individuals are then invited to attend an informal interview. This will be conducted by two members of staff who manage the volunteer delivered services. Responses are recorded in writing to assist with our selection decisions.
  • Notification – We notify all volunteer applicants of the outcome of their interview.
  • Successful applicants – Are invited to take part in the next training course, references are sought and any individuals who are not PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) Scheme members will be required to apply (we can help with this). If already a member of the PVG scheme we will request an updated record.

Action in Mind has a policy of disclosure checking all staff and volunteers, including the board of trustees, when engaging with any of our activities, whether or not they directly involve children or protected adults.

This means that staff and volunteers, working directly in what the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 refers to as Regulated Work with Children or Protected Adults are required to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG Scheme). Regulated work is the term used by the PVG Act to define the type of work which barred individuals must not do.

For staff and volunteers not directly working with children or protected adults, we require an Enhanced Disclosure.

The core volunteer training is mandatory for all new volunteers planning to work in the Befriending or Hub services.

The training programme is delivered over one full day, and some pre-learning is provided beforehand to the training does not exceed this timeframe. This is followed by an induction to the specific service that the individual wishes to volunteer in.

Volunteers are also mandated to complete adult and child protection training which is made available to us on a periodic basis. There may also be opportunities to undertake ASIST training and Scottish Mental Health First Aid.

It aims to:

  • prepare people for becoming a befriender or service volunteer at Action in Mind
  • to give opportunity for prospective volunteers to meet each other and get to know the service managers for Befriending and the Hub Centre services
    provide staff with an opportunity to assess each applicant’s suitability for Befriending and the Hub Centre
  • recruit and place people in the best suited service, by mutual agreement.

It includes:

  • an exploration of befrienders/volunteers motivations, expectations, hopes and uncertainties
  • attitudes and values – prejudices and discrimination/equal opportunities/stigma & discrimination
  • mental health awareness/local services
  • safeguarding (adults, children and young people)
  • confidentiality
  • communication and listening skills
  • helpful relationships
  • boundaries
  • relationship beginnings and endings
  • personal development/self-reflection
  • roles and responsibilities
  • volunteer support & supervision
  • policies and procedures e.g. Confidentiality, Health & Safety, Lone Working, Emergency Procedures, Complaints/Grievance Policy, Travel & Expenses, etc.
  • All volunteers receive copies of the Volunteer Charter and the Volunteer Handbook.

Volunteers are provided with regular support meetings with their service manager. Each session is between 30-45 minutes.

These sessions provide dedicated time to discuss and monitor volunteer activities and it is the volunteer’s opportunity to raise any concerns they may have, or discuss where they feel they might need more support or additional training.

Support is also available from AiM outwith these meetings and befrienders are issued with Emergency ‘Out of Hours’ Contact Numbers, should emergency support be required outside office hours.

Volunteer Social Events

Our experience of volunteer management shows us how important it is to our volunteers to meet each other at social events. It’s an opportunity to share their volunteering experiences and to make new friends.

We are pleased to offer references for current and previous volunteers, who are pursuing higher education or employment opportunities. We do however require a minimum of six months continuous volunteering to qualify for a reference.

The Volunteer handbook is designed to offer general guidance on our volunteer programmes and what you can expect from Action in Mind. It contains supplementary information about specific volunteering opportunities, setting out job roles and tasks but also some ‘essentials’ for volunteers to think about.

The Volunteer Handbook can be downloaded from our Resources page.

Do you have an interest or skill that you can share with others?

A couple of hours a week is all that is needed.

Many of our clients, either in a group or with a befriender, would love the opportunity to try new things, or perhaps regain things that they used to do but don’t have anyone to do this with.

“I enjoy volunteering because helping people gives me a lot of satisfaction and I get to know lots of nice people. I feel I make a difference when I am able to help them with their problems.”

“I enjoy volunteering because helping people gives me a lot of satisfaction and I get to know lots of nice people. I feel I make a difference when I am able to help them with their problems.”

Marie – Peer Support Volunteer and Adult Befriender

Volunteer With Us