(Energy Redress Scheme) Energy Pal Volunteer

(Energy Redress Scheme) Energy Pal Volunteer - Role Description 

About the Refugee and Migrant Centre 

• RMC vision: A society where newcomers feel welcome, valued and live dignified lives. 
• RMC mission: We will act with humanity and compassion – knowing that with the right support and a chance to rebuild their lives, people can go on to thrive and be equal citizens. 

To fulfil our vision and mission, RMC offers advice and guidance in the areas of housing and destitution, training, employment, health and immigration. RMC provides a free drop-in service with face-to-face, holistic advice, support and guidance to clients. 

The Energy Redress Scheme is a project supporting clients during the on-going cost of living crisis. Currently, 1 in 5 households across Birmingham and the Black Country, are living in fuel poverty and we believe that small changes in how we use energy and water, can make a big difference. Equipping clients with these skills can not only save them energy and money, but they may also experience some debt relief, need fewer food vouchers and have improved well-being.   

Volunteering with RMC 

You will be based at our office in Birmingham in a busy environment with a friendly, supportive staff and volunteer team. We are looking for volunteers who are enthusiastic and committed and are able to commit to at least one day per week.  

• You will be offered regular support and supervision with an assigned mentor 
• Have access to bespoke training to be able to support vulnerable tenants 
• You will gain new skills with new arrival communities 
• It provides an opportunity for you to give something back to your local community 
• Build experience and key employment skills for your CV as well as an RMC reference to help with future employment. 

Role Description 

The role of our Energy Pal Volunteer is vital to the success of RMC and this project in particular. The role is face-to-face and involves: 

• Talking to clients about ways to save energy and water 
• Provide clients with information materials around energy and water saving, as well as damp and mould prevention 
• Refer clients to the LEAP (Local Energy Advice Partnership) and Warm Homes West Midlands services as appropriate 
• Support trained staff as they deliver Energy Redress sessions; with the preparation of materials, room set up etc. This will also be done on occasions with family group sessions, where children may also be present; to ensure equal access to information being given, to those who can’t access childcare 
• Attend clients’ homes, with a staff member, if more individualised support is needed around issue in the home 
• Assist staff with the completion of Energy Redress needs assessments and action plans 
• Complete follow up surveys with clients who have benefited from Energy Redress support 
• Update records on our client database system – done in line with GDPR, due to the sensitive nature of the information 
• Representing RMC at external events related to the project 
• General administration support 

Skills required 

We provide a comprehensive induction, on-going training and support to all our volunteers but there are some skills we require you to have before you begin with us, these include: 

• A friendly and approachable personality 
• Enthusiastic and passionate about working with refugees, migrants and asylum seekers 
• Willingness to work as part of a team 
• An understanding and acceptance of equal opportunities 
• Basic computer skills 
• A good level of English speaking, reading and writing  

Speaking a language or languages, in addition to English, is desirable, but not essential. However, we are currently actively recruiting volunteers who can speak Russian, Ukrainian, Romanian, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, Arabic, Amharic, Tigrinya, French, Spanish, Punjabi, Urdu, Bengali, Italian. 

Other information 

Disabled access: Yes 

Insurance: Yes 

Travel Expenses: Yes 

Induction: Yes 

Training: Yes 

Health and Safety Policy: Yes 

Equal Opportunities Policy: Yes 

Application process 

The application process will involve the completion of an application form (link below), an informal face-to-face meeting, reference checks and a DBS.  

If you would like more information on the role, you can find out more and complete your application on our website.