Chats offers a variety of activities to older Tasmanians who are living independently and at risk of isolation. We provide opportunity for older people to connect and build friendship with others and the community. Calls volunteers need to have the ability to commit to volunteering on a regular basis and contribute to the success of Chats program. Each volunteer will be assigned one or more participants to call on a regular basis, and the roster will remain dynamic to allow participants and volunteers to connect with different people. With direction and support from Chats staff, all calls volunteers are required to; • Act within Lifeline prescribed guidelines and policies at all times • Follow the organisation codes of conduct (protect the privacy of the people and the organisation by maintaining confidentiality at all times; act in professional and courteous manner at all times) • Commitment to the values, ethos and objectives of Chats & Lifeline • Complete the relevant training and induction sessions and become actively involved in professional development and to seek feedback on performance • Attend an initial training session (approximately 3 hours) which introduces you to Chats, gives you some important organisational information and clarifies what your role as a volunteer entails

Key Tasks and Responsibilities • Liaise and communicate with relevant Chats staff on a regular basis regarding availability and absences (Give us at least two weeks’ notice if you need to leave Chats for whatever reason it may be) • Commit to a regular social calls shift (staff will discuss this further with each volunteer during the induction. • Provide two-way communication between Chats staff and participants; where possible, inform staff and your participants in advance when you will be unable to make your calls at the regular time • Record call duration for each call and report any concerns to Chats staff; e.g. ‘if a participant does not answer the phone or misses the calls a few times’ or ‘if a participant needs immediate attention for health related issues’ • Complete notes and record relevant information for each call using the Chats Calls database, or if you are unable to access the database, you will need to keep hand written notes and send them through to Chats staff as soon as possible • Attend the regular volunteers’ get together meetings whenever possible Please Note: As each organisation provides different levels/types of insurance, volunteers are reminded to check with the organisation as to the level of coverage for volunteers due to various restrictions to ensure they are covered for the roles they will be undertaking.