Volunteer

Yes absolutely

Whilst we welcome people who are formally CPR trained as volunteers, it isn't a requirement to be a volunteer instructor with Little LifeSavers.

Learning our simple model and agreeing to teach it exactly as it is laid out is all that is required.

Formal CPR training provides far more than our simple bystander skills model and isn't needed. It's our aim to reach as many children as we can with our simple skill set, and so we need to recruit as many volunteer instructors as possible throughout the UK. Providing formal CPR training is neither feasible nor necessary when the model we teach is so simple.

We have considered the needs of our volunteers very carefully and want everyone to feel valued and supported when delivering our sessions. Watching the training videos is the first step to seeing how simple our skillset is. One you have been through the DBS check procedure and have read and signed our volunteer paperwork, you will have access to the following:

• The training videos to watch and refer back to.
• A written script of the session to refer to.
• A quiz to test your knowledge and a certificate.
• Standard answers to FAQ’s the children may ask.
• An account on our automated booking system.
• Direct access and support by our medically trained founder

Along with these steps, the schools are asked to have the capability to show the “Introduction and Skillset Demonstration” video before the session and each volunteer only teaches a single skill per session-recapping the safe steps and demonstrating the skill. This helps reduce how much information and knowledge is required to teach.

The short, easy answer to this is as often as you can. This is because it means that we can teach more children; and it is good practice for you as a volunteer instructor, especially if you have just started with us.

Ideally we would ask for all our volunteer instructors to be available for one day, or a half day, once a month. We only teach during the school day and in term-time. The volunteer training videos are permanantly available for you to refresh your knowledge anytime.

We have an online booking system that will coordinate your geographic location, travel distance and the dates you can offer teaching, with every other volunteer near to you.

This means that when dates and travel radius overlap for three volunteers, a date is marked as “available” on the system.

A school located in that radius can then go ahead and book. For an enquiring school, the booking system shows when volunteers who are geographically near to them can come and teach.

So availability of volunteers in Aberdeen, will not be shown to a school looking to book a session in Kent for example.

If there is no marked availability, schools can use the “request a session” facility, and geographically relevant volunteers will receive an email asking if they can be available for a specific date.

In the past, sessions were organised by a single volunteer emailing or messaging their local volunteer pool, and asking for availability on certain dates.

We found this method of organising the sessions very laborious and time consuming, so have moved to a centralised and automated system. Schools can simply see dates that are available and choose.

We have a duty of care to safeguard both the children and communities we serve, as well as our volunteers to the best of our abilities.

To fulfil this, each of our volunteers must undertake an enhanced DBS check. If you have one already AND are already a subscriber to CRB online, you can simply grant us access to your ‘update service’ and there is nothing to pay. If you are not, we will ask you to have new check and subscribe.

Whilst there is no fee from the DBS for checks for volunteers, we have to use an umbrella body to do our checks. As an organisation we do not, yet, undertake enough checks per annum to be able to do this ourselves. So we ask you to pay the administration fee please.

This helps us to ensure that new volunteers go on to commit to teaching, rather than volunteering simply to obtain a free DBS check without any service to Little LifeSavers. We have an obligation also to those who fundraise and donate money to us, to ensure that we spend those funds on the work of the charity.

So it is important that we safeguard against this happening. The donation for the DBS check can be entered on a tax return as a charitable donation.

Yes absolutely. If you believe as we do, that learning and practicing basic bystander rescue techniques is important, then you can volunteer.

We have considered the needs of our volunteers very carefully and want everyone to feel valued and supported when delivering our sessions. Watching the training videos is the first step to seeing how simple our skillset is. One you have been through the DBS check procedure and have read and signed our volunteer paperwork, you will have access to the following:

• The training videos to watch and refer back to.
• A live zoom training session with our medically qualified trustees.
• A written script of the session to refer to.
• A quiz to test your knowledge and a certificate.
• Standard answers to FAQ’s the children may ask.
• An account on our automated booking system.

Along with these steps, the schools are asked to show the “Introduction and Skillset Demonstration” video before the session, and the Recap" video at the end. You will only teach a single skill to the rotating groups of students which minimises the amount of information you need to feel confident with, and because it's a script- it's like learning lines for a play.