How will volunteering benefit me?

Volunteering with Westbank means you will be helping to make a difference to the lives of those living in your local communities. Whatever role you do, whether that is directly with our communities, helping to raise awareness of our work, or in a back office role, you will have an impact on people’s lives.  You will also become part of a friendly, passionate, and committed team who want to improve the quality of life, and health and wellbeing, of people across Devon.

In addition to the rewarding experience of making a difference, you’ll have the opportunity to share your existing skills and knowledge with others, or to develop new ones. We’ll ensure you feel like a valued member of our team and have opportunities to connect with other volunteers.

How do I become a volunteer?

We're thrilled that you're thinking about joining us! You can find more details about our roles on our website here - Volunteer Roles. If you'd like to reach out directly for more information, our volunteering team is available at [email protected] or by calling 01392 824752. If you're interested in applying, click here to visit our volunteering opportunities page 

Following this, we'll schedule a meeting (either in person, online or by phone) to get to know you better and for you to learn more about us, ensuring that whatever volunteering you do is a good match for you.

Will I receive any training to do my role?

Yes! We want to ensure all our volunteers feel equipped and confident in their roles, so will give you access to a day’s induction training session for you to understand our organisation and processes better. We will also ask you to complete some essential online learning in topics such as safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion and data protection, as well as role specific training for some positions. 1-2-1 support and computer access can be provided to anyone who needs this.

All volunteers, whatever department they volunteer in, will have a main contact for any questions they have/support they need. There will be further opportunities to access additional face-to-face training in topics such as falls prevention, energy advice and first aid according to your role.

How much time do I need to give each week?

That's entirely up to you. We understand everyone has different schedules, and our goal is to accommodate your existing commitments. Our roles offer great flexibility, whether you are available for a few hours here and there or prefer dedicating specific days each week to volunteering. Feel free to reach out to us to chat about what works best for you.

Will I need a DBS to volunteer?

A DBS check provides information about a volunteer’s criminal history at that point in time. Some of our roles – especially those working directly with vulnerable adults or children – will require an enhanced disclosure check, which will contain details of both spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands, and warnings. For more information please visit the Disclosure and Barring Service. The checks are dependent on your role and having a positive DBS result doesn't automatically exclude you from volunteering. We review each person on a case-by-case basis.

Will I get paid expenses?

Yes! We want volunteering with us to be accessible to everyone, so you can claim any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses you incur while carrying out your role.

I have a health condition, impairment or disability. Am I still able to volunteer?

We are really keen to ensure that our opportunities are as inclusive as possible, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds. We will try to adapt our roles to make them accessible for you and where this isn’t possible will look to find an alternative that suits you. Please let us know during the application process if there are any adjustments we could make to support you.