Befriending and Hospital Visiting Officer

We are looking for a compassionate and organised individual to join our Social Engagement Service as a Befriending and Hospital Visiting Officer for people living with mental illness.

This is a varied and rewarding role supporting two key services:

Befriending Programme - a 1:1 volunteer befriending service that supports people experiencing loneliness and mental health challenges to build meaningful connections and increase independence.

Hospital Visiting Service - providing social and emotional support to Jewish patients in mental health settings, helping them stay connected to their community during hospital stays.

You will play a central role in coordinating support, building relationships, and ensuring both services run safely and effectively.

This role is working an average of 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

We operate a rolling recruitment process, and suitable candidates will be invited to interview as applications are received.

What You'll Be Doing

Befriending Service duties (approx. 4 days/week):

Manage and support a caseload of volunteer-client matches
Monitor and record interactions, ensuring safe and effective relationships
Recruit, train, and support volunteers
Carry out client assessments and support individuals to access additional services
Facilitate new matches and support ongoing engagement

Hospital Visiting Service duties (approx. 1 day/week):

Coordinate hospital visits for patients
Liaise with volunteers, patients, and Chaplaincy teams
Visit patients in mental health settings
Support and supervise hospital visiting volunteers
Maintain accurate records and reporting

The post holder will focus on befriending approximately four days a week, and one day a week on hospital visiting, spread out across the five-day working week.

Across both services:

Identify and respond to safeguarding concerns
Build partnerships with hospitals, community organisations, and internal teams
Promote the services and contribute to service development
Maintain accurate records and contribute to reports and case studies

Confident working with volunteers and building strong relationships
Knowledgeable about safeguarding, confidentiality, and risk management
Comfortable supporting individuals with mental health needs
Highly organised, with strong IT and administrative skills
A strong communicator with excellent interpersonal skills
Emotionally resilient, flexible, and collaborative
Experienced in working in a service delivery or support role

Desirable (but not essential):

Experience in the mental health or charity sector
Understanding of the Jewish community and its practices
Experience working in partnership with other organisations
Lived experience of mental health challenges

Why Join Us?

This is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in people's lives-supporting individuals experiencing loneliness and mental health challenges to build connections, confidence, and independence.

You'll be part of a supportive team, working within a respected organisation with strong community links and a commitment to high-quality care and volunteering.