Volunteer role description
| Role title: | Telephone Buddy |
| Responsible to: | Transformation Director |
| Location: | Home based |
| Time commitment: | Flexible – volunteers make calls on an “as and when” basis to people who have contacted the helpline. |
Why we want you
Having a urinary diversion can be daunting, so our trained volunteers provide reassuring, confidential one to one support, usually by telephone.
Do you have a urinary diversion? Do you think you can provide friendly, empathetic telephone support to people who are seeking guidance, reassurance, or companionship related to life with a urinary diversion? You will contribute real value to others by drawing on your lived experience to help them feel better informed, less anxious and better able to face the future.
What the role involves
- Respond to helpline calls as agreed with the Transformation Director, providing support on an ad hoc basis.
- Share your personal experience of having a urostomy, including the journey that led to it, in a sensitive and supportive way. But remember that each individual’s experience is different.
- Respect boundaries: volunteers do not give medical, financial, or legal advice.
- Offer active listening and reassurance to callers.
- Maintain confidentiality and respect the caller’s privacy.
- Keep a simple record of calls (date, general topics discussed) for monitoring and safeguarding purposes. Email these, after the call, to the Transformation Director.
- Report any concerns regarding the wellbeing or safety of a caller to the Transformation Director.
- Attend occasional supervision or check-in sessions with the Transformation Director as needed.
- Attend volunteer engagement sessions and training, as required.
The skills you’ll need
Essential
- Comfortable discussing your own urinary diversion and journey in a positive and supportive way.
- Good communication skills and empathy, particularly over the phone.
- Active listening: able to listen and respond thoughtfully without judgement.
- Reliability: willing to make calls when able, understanding this is an ad hoc commitment.
- Discretion and confidentiality.
- Emotional resilience and awareness of personal limits; knows when to seek support from the Transformation Director.
Desirable
- Previous experience volunteering in a befriending, helpline, or peer support role.
- Familiarity with the experiences of people living with urostomies or other medical conditions.
- Awareness of safeguarding issues and procedures.
What are the benefits to you?
- Have a rewarding experience making a difference to people at different stages of their urostomy journey
- Receive an induction, relevant training and the support you need to carry out your role
- Use your communication and people skills
Support provided by the Urostomy Association
- Induction and training covering listening skills, boundaries, safeguarding, and sharing personal experiences appropriately.
- Ongoing guidance and support from the Transformation Director and during volunteer engagement sessions.
- Guidance on boundaries and handling challenging conversations.
- Resources or signposting to additional services for callers.
- Optional reimbursement of agreed out-of-pocket expenses.