Volunteer Development Worker

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• Job Title: Development Worker

Duration: Minimum 6 Months, Ideally 12 Months

During the past 6 years Peru Children's Charity in partnership with the communities built 18 community dining rooms/family support centres. These centres were initially set up as facilities to provide breakfast and lunch for the poorest families and later they began to develop as family resource centres.

Facilities Provided Include:

• Nurseries where mothers could leave their children, while they worked part time or full time.
• Classes in adult education are also provided in some centres
• Others have after school clubs where kids can stay while parents are working as there is no one at home to care for them
• Craft classes are run in some centres which can potentially lead to 'Micro Businesses'

The volunteer will be required to continue to develop and expand these facilities in partnership with each community, according to their needs and with resources made available by 'Peru Children's Charity' and government agencies in Lima.

Volunteer Duties will include:

• Develop relationships with families and their significant others in each centre
• Work in partnership with Peru Children's Charity and the staff team in Lima ensuring policies and procedures are followed and best practice is used at all times
• Gather baseline data on the needs and capacities of all communities and to draw up and review plans to ensure each centre's needs are met as far as practical
• Maintain records and reports including plans on activities, family visits and any specific 'Needs' of the children in the community
• Draw up a work schedule and a timetable for each centre
• Regular meetings with those carrying out the work and documenting same
• Liase with senior management regarding progress of the work in each centre, to share information and to get support from management

Volunteer Profile

Qualifications and or work experience required.

• A Social Science / Community Development background is required.
• A basic knowledge of spanish is essential, a course can be provided if necessary. For important appointments or meetings an interperator can be arranged.

Work experience in some of the following areas is essential;

• Previous experience of working with voluntary communities
• Experience of working with families
• Report writing and completing records and care plans
• Reviewing and evaluating care plans
• Initiating and participating in frequent community meetings
• Ability to work in a loosely constructed environment

The Candidate must also be very community centered and driven to ensure that the communities with the greatest 'needs' are supported, where practical.

There will also be support available from co workers in Lima and in Ireland. This support will take place via email or skype.

Placement Location:

The Therapy Centre is located in Las Lomas de Carabayllo, a shanty town in the north of Lima, about 15 miles from the city centre. The area has a population of 50,000 and is poorly serviced, no running water or sewerage and part of the area has no electricity.

The houses are mainly constructed of mud bricks with plastic or galvanised roofs. Some are just huts built of plastic and bamboo weave sheets. A small number of houses are built with concrete and bricks.

There are some small shops serving the area and a recently constructed health centre.

There is a thriving town, Puenta Piedra about 5 miles from Las Lomas with a shopping centre and other modern facilities.

The population generally are very appreciative of the work being undertaken by Peru Children's Charity. It is a very friendly area to work in, and the locals really appreciate the Charity's ethos of working in partnership.

Accomodation:

The volunteer would have the option to reside in the area with a local family or in Puenta Piedra where they could rent a self contained flat and commute by bus. The charity will source the accomodation.