Time commitment: Must be available on Mondays and/or Fridays, and able to commit to at least one visit per month

ESSENTIAL:
● Available on Mondays and/or Fridays
● Access to email and phone
● Punctual
● Good communication skills - both using IT and in-person
● Reliable
● Adaptable
● Professional
● Good teamworking skills
● Committed to ongoing training and development
● Willing to undertake a DBS check

DESIRABLE:
● Driver
● Knowledge of mental health needs
● Experience working with children, young people and/or vulnerable adults
● Animal welfare knowledge

DETAILS OF DUTIES:
● Communicate promptly with the volunteer coordinator and lead therapists
● Work as a team with the lead therapist and other volunteers
● Support clients to interact with the animals
● Be friendly, empathetic and attentive to clients’ needs
● Notify staff as soon as possible if you cannot attend
● Adhere to all Noah’s A.R.T. policies and procedures at all times
● Understand that you represent Noah’s A.R.T. when volunteering, and behave respectfully, professionally and courteously to clients, carers, Noah’s A.R.T. staff and other volunteers at all times
● Take reasonable care to avoid injury to yourself or others and report any accident or injury immediately
● Take safeguarding seriously and report any concerns to staff
● Understand that you must not disclose to a third party any confidential information you obtain whilst volunteering which is not available to the public
● Maintain animal welfare standards during sessions
● Understand the selection of animals for therapy work and suitability of animals with different clients
● Promote the safety of the animals during sessions, including allowing them to have choice to interact or retreat
● Handle the animals confidently as needed
● Recognise the signs of stress in the animals and understand how to reduce stress
● Recognise signs of illness or injury in the animals
● Be aware of behaviour changes in the animals and report this to Noah’s ART staff
● Report any incidents such as nipping, biting to self or participants etc.

BENEFITS TO VOLUNTEERS:
Gain experience of animal-assisted interventions
● Gain experience working with a wide range of people with differing mental health needs
● Training in animal welfare
● Gain skills required for working within a team – communication, advocacy, decision making
● Opportunities to meet others who care about animals
● Opportunity to support others
● Opportunities to progress into other volunteer roles
● Improve self-esteem and confidence