Volunteering and Placement Opportunities
Volunteering Opportunities at Care Co-ops
Care Co-ops is always keen to recruit volunteers, who provide support to different parts of the service. Volunteers receive structured support to develop their skills and personal growth.
Life Opportunities Service: Volunteers provide support in the groups that are offered to adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems, from our main base at the Westergate Business Centre, as well as at other venues within the local community. The activities in groups vary, including a range of creative mediums, information technology and educational support.
Women’s Drop-in Service: The drop-in groups provide a safe, therapeutic space for women within the community to meet other women, get information about other services and participate in peer support. Care Co-ops is looking for volunteers who are able to assist in the running of the groups.
For further information about volunteering within the Care Co-ops Life Opportunities Service or on the Women’s Drop-in Project, please contact the Life Opportunities Team on 01273 685300, or e-mail los@careco-ops.org.uk .
Community Farm: The Care Co-ops Community Farm is a gardening project based on a plot of land at Stanmer Park, situated just north of Brighton. The project provides opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and mental health problems to undertake a range of gardening and horticultural activities, under close supervision from trained supervisors. The Community Farm would like to recruit volunteers to assist the supervisors in the running of the groups and development of the gardening activities.
For further information about volunteering on the Community Farm Project, please contact Jenny Bell, the Community Farm Team Leader on 01273 696153, or e-mail communityfarm@careco-ops.org.uk .
Additionally, Care Co-ops provides opportunities for adults with mental health problems who are wishing to return to active work. Placements can be for up to a year, depending on the individual needs and circumstances. Opportunities include being able to work on the Care Co-ops Catering Project in the preparation of food and dealing with customers, working in an administration placement at Care Co-ops' main office and doing a placement at the Care Co-ops Community Farm. For further information on these opportunities and how to access them, please visit our Employment and Training section or call on 01273 685300, or e-mail employmentandtraining@careco-ops.org.uk .
Social Work Placements
Care Co-ops provides opportunities for undergraduates from Social Work courses to undertake their vocational placement with the organisation. Placements range from 80 day through to 120 day placements, depending the student's requirements and circumstances.
While on placement, students can expect to undertake a range of tasks, with opportunities to work in the Life Opportunities Service, the Housing Service and at the Community Farm.
Each student will have a Placement Supervisor and a Practice Teacher allocated to them who they will meet with regularly throughout the placement's duration. Students will work on assignments over the course of their placement and meet with service users in respect of some of the assignments they are completing. Some of the universities who have previously supported Care Co-ops' student placement scheme include the University of Sussex, University of Brighton, Bromley College, Chichester College and the University of Portsmouth.
If you are a student interested in doing a social work placement at Care Co-ops, or you are a Placements Officer at a university that runs a Social Work course and are interested in providing a placement student for Care Co-ops, please call Joe Ashdown, Care Co-ops' Administrator on 01273 685300.