CREST Waltham Forest administers a disability day-care service which spans the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It provides a day once a week where people experiencing significant disability or dementia, referred by healthcare professionals and Social Workers, are able to access a range of activities designed to promote healthy living and to support them to remain in their own homes.
The Volunteer Escort has the important responsibility to ensure that the client gets safely to and from the centre, and to be a reassuring and welcoming “face” of CREST.
Primary Duties
- To be in possession of the client list and to direct the driver on route.
- To aid and assist our elderly service users from their homes on to community transport, ensuring their property is secure, doors are firmly shut and locked and that the service users are in possession of their keys (this may involve physical assistance such as pushing wheelchairs, helping with walking frames, or offering physical support). It may also involve accompanying/supporting them when on the tail-lift.
- Ensure service users are helped into their seats and safely secured (generally with a seatbelt although wheelchairs will need to be clamped)
- Escorting service users off the bus and safely into the venue
- Repeating this process for the return journey home.
- Escorting the service user to their door, giving help to unlock if necessary and waiting until the service user is safely indoors and the door closed.
- Ensuring best practise is adhered to at all times such as contacting either the Disability Project Administrator or Project Leader immediately if a service user fails to answer their door upon collection
- To notify the Project Leader/Project Administrator immediately of any significant incidents (eg falls etc)
- To attend training as and when required and be able /prepared to commit to at least one day a week for a six-month period
Personal Skills
- Effective verbal communication.
- Excellent listening skills.
- Ability to act on own initiative if necessary.
- A flexible approach in assisting service users.
- Understand and be able to maintain confidentiality.
- Punctuality, reliability and dependability.
- Understanding issues faced by service users and to be empathic to their needs.
- All of those working with vulnerable people through CREST will be subject to an enhanced CRB check.