TO KICK off the new year a charity has encouraged people to sign up as volunteers and support their new project.

Onside is looking to recruit volunteers to visit people in residential care and uphold the person’s rights acting in their best interests.

Onside, which works across Worcestershire, is looking for people to take on the role of a relevant persons representative (RPR). Volunteers as an RPR are safeguarding the rights of vulnerable people who don’t have the mental capacity to consent to care or treatment.

This involves visiting people with dementia, learning disabilities, and individuals assessed to have a lack of capacity to consent to living in a residential care. As an RPR the volunteer would be visiting a person just once every 6-8 weeks for no more than 1 hour. Volunteering would be local to where the volunteer lives.

Free RPR training would be given to carry out the role. Onside have a specialist Mental Health Capacity Advocacy team to support volunteers along with a dedicated Volunteer Team.

Onside’s volunteer manager, Claire Watkins, said “Our volunteers give their time, their passion and enthusiasm, this is a great time to volunteer in this new and exciting role.”

“This particular role is very worthwhile and extremely rewarding.”

Volunteers are ordinary people of all ages and backgrounds they just need to be good listeners and have some time to give.

Onside also has opportunities for all their advocacy projects along with a mentoring and group mentoring, café and book shops.

If you can picture yourself in the role of an Onside volunteer please call Claire Watkins - Volunteer Manager on 01905 27525 or email claire.watkins@onside-advocacy.org.uk to find out more

Onside improves the lives of over 3000 vulnerable adults every year in Worcestershire and Herefordshire. They provide free services to support adults facing disadvantage through mental and physical ill health, learning disabilities and old age, eg. depression, autism, learning difficulties.

Onside was established in 1993 stemming from a belief that everyone has the right to be a valued human being and to be treated in a just and fair manner.