Volunteer Health and Safety Assistant

Role Title: Volunteer Health and Safety Assistant

Location: Hybrid. Work from home with visits to sites in Hatfield, Welwyn Garden City and Letchworth

Commitment: Part-time, flexible (approx. 10 - 20 hours per month). This role may require more involvement at the beginning leading to less hours as systems are embedded

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

About the Charity

Resolve is a small local charity who helps people dealing with alcohol/ drug misuse or homelessness on their journey to recovery. With honest, non-judgemental support we provide a safe space for personal growth, helping and challenging individuals thrive and improve their lives.

Our services are located in Hertfordshire in the borough of Welwyn Hatfield and the district of North Herts. We have a paid staff team of 13 and around 5 volunteers. We also have 6 contracted, self-employed counsellors and IT support.

Our Drug and Alcohol misuse service helps people who really want to help themselves reach abstinence. Treatment combines dedicated group work, individual keywork and professional counselling. We also run Restart, our homeless and rough sleeper team. Restart provides year-round support and housing solutions for rough sleepers and those at immediate risk of homelessness.

Our drug and alcohol treatment service runs from our own premises in Letchworth and a shared space in a community church in Welwyn Garden City. Our homeless and rough sleeper project manages 3 Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)with 14 tenants in Hatfield.

We receive contracted HR and Health & Safety support from Citation, who provide us with contracts, handbooks, policies, expert advice and access to their CRM system. With Citation’s assistance, we have recently implemented a new Health & Safety policy and handbook and carried out a series of reviews and inspections. We are now in the process of completing the actions arising from these assessments.

Role Purpose

The Volunteer Assistant will provide essential Health and Safety support to the CEO. They will help to implement Health and Safety policies, procedures and any issues arising from assessments. This role is ideal for a highly organised, proactive individual who has previous experience in Health and Safety and is looking to make a meaningful contribution to a local charity.

Key Responsibilities

• Assist in implementing the charity’s Health & Safety policies and procedures.
• Support risk assessments for premises, events and activities, ensuring appropriate controls are in place.
• Help the CEO action issues raised through Health and Safety / risk assessments.
• Assist in maintaining up-to-date safety records and documentation including a schedule of regular reviews and assessments.
• Advise on compliance with relevant UK Health & Safety legislation and best practices.
• Assist the CEO with any internal Health and Safety queries.

Person Specification

·      Previous experience in a Health & Safety-related role.

·      Experience conducting risk assessments and implementing Health and Safety actions arising from reviews.

·      Excellent understanding of UK Health & Safety law and responsibilities.

·      Good verbal and written communication skills.

·      Proficient with Microsoft Office / client management systems. Ability to use IT to monitor and record.

·      Self-motivated, organised, reliable and able to work independently with direction.

·      A genuine interest in the work of Resolve.

What We Offer

• A meaningful volunteer opportunity with the chance to make a real difference to the wellbeing of our team and the communities we serve.
• Flexible working arrangements.
• A chance to work closely with charity leadership and gain insight into the running of the charity.
• Reference and recognition for your contribution.
• Reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses (where applicable).

Support & Training

• Full induction covering the charity’s policies and procedures.
• Ongoing training and development opportunities related to Health and Safety.
• CEO to provide guidance and support.

Role Boundaries

• This is a voluntary role and does not constitute an employment contract.
• Volunteers are not expected to take on statutory legal responsibilities but will provide advice and support to the charity’s management team.