Home visiting - role description

Overview

Home Visitors visit beneficiaries in their home all over Great Britain. The role of the Home Visitor is essential in ensuring that all applications for assistance are provided with a personal response and that the full needs of the applicant are assessed.

The role of the Home Visitor

• To provide a friendly face from Pharmacist Support
• To assist with the application process and encourage applicants to think widely about their needs
• To listen to the concerns of the applicant/beneficiary and to look at all of the needs that the person has (not just financial)
• To help the applicant/beneficiary by providing useful contacts for signposting (in consultation with the Pharmacist Support office staff where necessary)
• To ensure, through the use of checklists, that the applicant / beneficiary has produced any necessary documentation in support of their application (bank statements, for example)
• To write a short report of the visit, including possible recommendations of help, that can be attached to the applicant’s / beneficiary’s case file
• To discuss the case with the Case Officer to enable a sound decision to be taken as to the level of assistance to be provided by Pharmacist Support.

Skills and Experience Required

• Good communication and interpersonal skills, in particular, listening skills
• Good problem-solving skills
• Empathetic nature
• Awareness of own judgements and attitudes and importance of suspending these when visiting a client
• Commitment and willingness to abide by confidentiality, safety and other necessary policies and procedures
• Car user and willingness to drive a maximum of 50 miles to visit a client.

Commitment

We understand that you are all busy people! We do, however, require a minimum commitment from volunteers to ensure that they keep up-to-date and receive the appropriate level of support and training.

We ask that all volunteers are available to undertake a minimum of 3 visits a year. We also ask that volunteers attend two training / update sessions per year (usually of 2-3 hours duration).

Application Form