Volunteering at Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service
The Leeds Survivor Led Crisis Service has a commitment to volunteering. We see this as an essential part of our philosophy, in supporting people who have had mental health problems in their recovery. Many of our volunteers have had time out of work, or never worked, due to mental distress. We are proud of the fact that a lot of our paid staff started here as volunteers. Other volunteers have gone on to work elsewhere in the mental health field. We aim to provide people with a positive, supportive and nurturing experience of work. After six months of volunteering here, we provide a reference, to support volunteers in their applications for paid work, or for college courses.
Volunteers work on the Connect Helpline. We ask people to commit to one shift per week, 5.30–8.30pm or 8–11pm. Volunteers answer calls on the helpline and are supervised by a paid shift supervisor, who supports them after each call.
Volunteer training takes place 3–4 times per year. Each course is two Saturdays and four Thursday evenings. Volunteers attend group supervision six weekly and have access to ongoing training.
After six months of volunteering on Connect, volunteers can also work in Dial House. We ask people to commit to a shift a fortnight in the house and to continue on Connect once a fortnight. Volunteers are supported in the house and attend six weekly group supervision for house volunteers.
People who are beginning a career in counselling or social care find volunteering here particularly helpful in providing them with some practical experience to support their study.
