Volunteer as a Community Support Worker
Doncare provides emergency relief for the most vulnerable in our community. We are a community-based service that helps those in immediate need or crisis. We assist people by providing information, referrals, emergency relief, food and financial assistance.
Community Support Workers interview people seeking support to identify and assess their needs and provide targeted support.
Successful candidates will complete the Community Support Workers Course which is delivered by CisVic to Doncare’s volunteers to equip them with knowledge and skills to:
- work with people experiencing personal and financial hardship,
- assess the diverse and multi-faceted needs of people accessing these essential services; and
- determine the appropriate response required to meet those needs.
CSW’s provide:
- crisis intervention
- holistic assessments
- information, referrals and advocacy
- support including a listening ear, emergency relief and practical support like filling in forms
Duties and responsibilities:
- Deliver appropriate assistance to clients.
- Provide assistance in a confidential and impartial manner.
- Maintain and respect a clients right to privacy and self-determination.
- Follow directions, consult with others and work with a team.
- Engage in training to maintain up-to-date knowledge and skills.
Qualities of a CSW:
- Good listener and communicator.
- Empathetic and compassionate.
- Desire to make a positive difference.
- Open to diversity and respectful of others values and way of life.
- Willingness to learn.
- Commitment to the role of CSW.
CSW’s volunteer on a rostered basis at agreed times; ie one morning or afternoon per week. Read the CSW Position description
About the Community Support Workers Course
To ensure that volunteers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to carry out the duties of a Community Support Worker, CISVic provides a course that is a nationally acclaimed unit of competency that sits within the Community Services training package. The course is delivered via a web-based training portal and weekly online traiing sessions.
Once you have been successful in your application and decide to volunteer at Doncare, we enrol you in the course.
Some volunteers may qualify for Recognition of Prior Learning. Read more information about this process and whether you qualify.
To complete the course, learners will need basic English and some computer literacy skills. (Basic computer skills include performing word processing tasks, downloading and uploading documents and using emails).