About Focus Ireland: Challenging homelessness. Changing lives.
Focus Ireland works with people who are homeless or at risk of losing their homes across Ireland. We are driven by the fundamental belief that homelessness is wrong. Wrong because it is a failure of society that creates victims out of ordinary people and robs them of their potential. Wrong because it can be prevented, it can be solved but is allowed to continue and in doing so, undermines society. Focus Ireland’s strategy outlines that the real solutions to this crisis lie in preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place and ensuring that they have helped to stay in their home once they have found one.
What's Involved
Focus Ireland’s Coffee Shop in Eustace Street in Temple Bar is open week days from 10.30am - 3.30pm and weekends11.30am – 3.30pm, providing quality, and affordable meals for homeless adults, families and children, in a safe and warm environment. Over 35,000 hot meals were served in 2017.
In addition to the day service we are now also running an evening service dedicated to families. The service offers respite from the streets while families await confirmation of emergency accommodation for that night. The service offers dinner for the families, homework/activities help for the children and an advice and information service dedicated to working with these families.
The role of the volunteer will involve supporting the Coffee Shop Project Worker staff to attend to our customers who need priority support. It will also involve working on the floor and interacting with customers in the Coffee Shop – creating a welcoming and safe environment.
Strong>Duties & Responsibilities:
1. To undertake an active role on the Coffee Shop floor with the support and supervision of the full time staff members, monitoring behaviour, interacting with customers and ensuring the busy flow of the Coffee Shop service is maintained.
2. To be responsible for informing full time staff members of any activity or behavior that should be noted or reported.
3. Ensure to be kept informed of relevant updates in the service by and linking in with the Volunteer Supervisor.
4. Work within the framework of the overall objectives of Focus Ireland.
5. To engage in supervision sessions on a regular basis with the Volunteer Supervisor.
6. To participate in relevant training and development courses as agreed with your Volunteer Supervisor.
7. To be vigilant to any Health, Safety and Welfare risks in the workplace and bring any concerns to the attention of your line manager or Health & Safety Representative.
8. To undertake such other duties as might be reasonably assigned from time to time in consultation with the Volunteer Supervisor.
Time Commitment:
Six months
Four hours between 5pm and 9pm.
One day per week between Monday to Friday. flexible to suit the volunteer
What's required for this position
The successful candidate would possess the following
• Third level qualification in the Social Care or Social Science area or some experience volunteering or doing a placement with marginalised or vulnerable people.
• Commitment to providing the highest level of service to our customers.
• Respect for others regardless of race, sex, age, disability, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristic.
• Good awareness of health and safety procedures.
- Community Development/ Social work
- Hospitality/ Befriending
- Personable Skills
- Phone Support/ Information Giver
- Youth/ Childcare
Level of English required for this role:
Intermediate English
Times and commitment required for this role
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
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| Morning |
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| Afternoon |
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| Evening | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | | |
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Minimum time commitment: 6 months
Hours required: 4hrs Weekly
Other Details
Location of volunteering opportunity:
Focus Ireland Coffee Shop,
14A Eustace St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 R594
Screening details for this role:
- Garda Vetting
- Informal Interviews
- References
- Application Form
Volunteers will be provided with the following supports:
- Support/ advice/ recognition
- Supervision
- Initial induction and training
- Ongoing training opportunities
Age restrictions:
Over 18
Is this opportunity suitable for groups/teams of volunteers?
No
