Malta

3276

Data de início: 01-05-2014

Data de fim: 30-04-2015

Vagas: 1

Duração: 12 mes(es)

Data limite de candidatura: 15-08-2013

Financiamento: Candidatura

Subsídio mensal (Dinheiro de bolso): 95 €

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Resumo: The project involves assistance within the Disability Services which are educational, therapeutic and recreational. These services are offered to persons with a disability, both physical and intellectual disabilities, through the programmes. The services include: pottery sessions, life skills, therapeutic horse riding, arts and crafts, multi sensory therapy, computer sessions with assistive technology, human animal interaction, swimming sessions, animal park visits and adventure area. On a more limited basis, we may also sometimes require volunteers in our intellectual disabilities sector, working with adults and children with a wide range of intellectual disabilities, including autism, down syndrome, developmental disorders, learning difficulties and brain injury. The project also involves assistance within the fund raising events, administrative work within the various departments.

Perfil: - What is the profile of volunteer candidates?
Volunteers who have some knowledge in a particular area or training related to the activities we do is something which we would appreciate. These might include:
Knowledge or experience to work with horses or just a willingness to be around them and other animals, Some IT skills, Some clerical skills, Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, child care or experience with persons with a disability or special needs and a willingness to be around children.

Something which transpires from this list is that even if the volunteer is not particularly skilled in any particular area, a basic willingness to work and be around people is enough to get a valid experience in voluntary work and be useful to the operations of Inspire.
Even when language is an issue (i.e. when English is not well spoken), especially with children, experience has shown us that volunteers who are driven to succeed manage to perform and achieve results. Experience in fundraising, organising events and other administrative skills is also an asset.

How will the volunteer(s) be selected among the candidates and how will the openness and transparency of the recruitment process be ensured?
- All applicants are to send in a CV and Motivation letter to the EVS coordinator as a start, either by them or the sending organisation. Depending on the number of vacancies required to be filled, a selection is short listed according to the qualities, skills, experiences and interests of the volunteers and contacted to check availability. From the shortlisted candidates, CVs are carefully read through again this time together with the Manager of the respective Project Coordinator. Although volunteers are not expected to replace a staff member or match that standard, the more their aims and goals listed in the motivation letter resemble the goals of our project, the higher the chances of selection.

How are the volunteers' profile and interests matched with the activity?
Volunteers' profile are matched according to their personality, experience and willingness to be around children and adults with a disability. Skilled volunteers are given priority due to the fact that our orgnisation works with vulnerable people, hence a level of training or experience is necessary to avoid the shock and complications when the project starts. Ethical values are very important to our organisation therefore students need to be equipped to face certain situations on a dialy basis.

Tarefas: - what you can offer to volunteers in terms of Service and learning opportunities,
Through the project, volunteers will have a very good background of the way services are given to persons with a disability, both physical and intellectual. They will learn about the various way s in which therapy is given, in a specific environment and setting which relaxes the client/ service user. They will learn about the various disabilities and the way to work with these, to compliment our mission of improving the quality of life and encouraging independence. The above are learning outcomes related to the field in which the organisation works in, however there are other outcomes related to the individual, mainly, making decisions, taking responsibility, reporting and assessing clients, working in a team, reaching deadlines, ethical issues, etc The volunteers will definitely improve their English since Malta is a dual speaking country, mainly, English and Maltese, while they will learn more about the lifestyle and system of a typical Mediterranean island. All volunteers are given the opportunity to follow a course in English for Foreigners so that they can improve their communication skills as well as their writing skills. Should the volunteer be interested and there are the adequate remaining financial resources, lessons in Maltese can also be provided. It is also important to note that since Inspire hosts volunteers from different countries, this gives a great opportunity to EVS volunteers to learn to appreciate the intercultural dimension of the EVS project.
The EVS volunteers will be provided with a mentor. The mentor is a mediator between the organisation and the volunteers. We believe that the mentor can be another means of support to the volunteer, encouraging the volunteer in the mutual process of refection during the EVS experience

- what will be the role of EVS volunteers in the Host Organisation,
The roles and tasks of the EVS volunteers at Inspire are various and not necessarily carried out at the same time, but each volunteer helps in the many areas of Inspire depending on the areas of need and the areas they feel competent in working. Fund raising events take a lot of time and preparation and a considerable amount of human power on the days of the events, thus volunteers are a big asset. This includes telephone operators, administration work, contact with people etc. The animal park and the horse-riding sections are also areas that always need a constant flow of assistance. We offer horse riding therapy as well as animal interaction. A volunteer who loves animals would have an opportunity to experience the ways in which children improve their communication skills through animal interaction. Some volunteers also work with the children with a disability who attend the winter and summer programmes and assists the teachers and therapists who deliver the various pottery, ICT, life skills, art and craft sessions as well as therapy in our multi sensory theatres. Volunteers will have the opportunity to come up with their own initiatives regarding any project held at Inspire and then discuss the proposal with the person in charge of the actual department. Volunteers would be given the necessary training depending on the tasks assigned. Inspire has a professional qualified staff able to train volunteers. Working at Inspire, volunteers gain experiences in dealing with people of varying abilities and how a joint effort can make the difference in the life of a person even if for a brief moment.

- the activities in which the volunteers could be involved and the activities the volunteers could create in your organisation. Please give examples of typical activities for the volunteers.
The following are various activities which the EVS volunteer takes part in:
1) Assistance within the Horse riding therapy sessions given out for free to children and adults with physical or intellectual disability. Their task is to help the Therapist with various activities mainly - as a side walker to children on the horse receiving therapy, clean and wash horses, medicate and maintain healthy animals, mucking in and help train horses. Assistance within the pottery sessions where therapy through clay is applied. Volunteers assist ceramist or occupational therapist to do various activities, mainly - monitor and assess children, control environment, be creative and present options for children to express themselves and create a mould. Make sure that child is receiving adequate attention balanced out with freedom, of behaviour, expression and creation. Most of all show love to the person receiving therapy. Assistance with the arts and crafts (similar to the above ) The volunteer is encouraged to adapt her/his own way of dealing with situations even if they seem difficult. To communicate with child and his/her respective carer. It is important that volunteer respects the culture and the system used in the country and always refers to the therapist or coordinator if problems arise. The Volunteer can also propose her/his own ways of motivating child.

2) Assistance within the Human Animal Interaction where the volunteer needs to be comfortable with various animals used for this therapy, mainly trained goats, rabbits, ferrets, monkeys etc. The volunteer would be in charge of training some animals for future therapy since animals need to be trained at a young age. The EVS volunteer who loves animal is expected to use the animal (upon the assistance and guidance of the Disability Manager) as means for the child to communicate. Mostly used for intellectual disability , human animal interaction has many aspects and application, hence the volunteer may also use any previous experience in the field. Training and assistance is provided by the animal carer.

3) Assistance within the Multi sensory theatres. The STAR Multi Sensory Theatres are unique in Malta and in Europe, in the way they operate. Since it requires training and experience, this is given at the beginning of the activity. This is run by Qualified Occupational therapists and they are responsible for assessing children when they first request help and therapy. Even though not fully qualified or not having previous experience in this therapy, the EVS volunteer will be given the chance to explore, learn and implement therapy to children who each have their own facilitator.

4) Assistance within the ICT Lab with assistive technology where users with a disability request training and assistance to use assistive technology, other than the standard equipment normally used in a computer lab. The lab is run by a qualified IT experienced person while the EVS volunteer may learn IT, how to use certain equipment and most importantly assist the service user to over come the obstacles which his/her disability imposes. Assistance within the Hydrotherapy pool. The EVS volunteer may assist the sports coordinator and the various instructors to assist persons with a disability do rehabilitation or therapy within the 32 degrees standard size indoor pool. The heated pool is fully equipped and accessible for persons with any disability. The pool is constantly guarded by qualified Life guards.

5) Assistance within the Educational services, working with people with intellectual disabilities, brain injury, autism, down syndrome and the like. All our staff are qualified and experienced, so the volunteers will be given the necessary training and guidance to work effectively with our clients.

Horário:
Proposed Timetable:
Monday 8.00 - 14.00 | Therapeutic Horse riding
Tuesday 8.30 - 14.30 | Arts + Crafts
Wednesday 8.30 - 14.30 | Human Animal Interaction
Thursday 10.00 - 16.00 | Therapeutic Horse riding
Friday 15.00 - 21.00 | Multi-sensory therapy
Saturday Off
Sunday Off

Documentação: Cv e Carta de Motivação em Inglês