Volunteer FAQs
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with Spurgeons in a Prison Visitor's Centre. We hope the below will answer all of your queries, if however they don't please contact us and we will be happy to help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a minimum no of hours that you require a volunteer to do?
We generally ask for volunteers to give about 8 hours a month of their time. A shift varies between 2 and 4 hours depending on the role and the prison as each prison operates differently and has different opening hours. We ask you on the application form to indicate your availability. You will find information on the Spurgeons' website on the opening hours for each prison and for each prison Visitor's Centre.
How long am I required to volunteer for?
We ask for a minimum commitment of six months. This is due to the time it takes to recruit, induct and train volunteers and we are keen to have a stable and consistent service for the benefit of the families that we work with.
I don’t have any previous experience of working with children and families should I still apply?
Each of the job roles has a job description with a personal specification at the back which outlines the essential and desirable criteria for volunteer roles. Please have a look at this and decide whether you have the right personal qualities for the role as this is sometimes more important than experience.
How long will it take before I get an interview? How long will it take before I can begin volunteering if successful at interview?
The process can take a few months to complete. If you meet the requirements for the post, you will usually be offered an interview within a few weeks of us receiving your application. We will always let you know whether you have been successful or not usually via email. If successful at interview, we will need to obtain your references and your CRB clearance before you can begin volunteering and this can sometimes take several weeks to complete as it is outside of our control. In addition, all of the roles require security clearance via the prison procedures and this also can take a long time to complete and varies from prison to prison.
What will the interview process entail?
You will have a short written test of about 10 minutes which is basically to check that you can write in comprehensible English as the roles require some minimal written tasks. The interview itself consists of about 10 questions to probe your background and motivation for wishing to volunteer. We also ask that you bring in your ID documents with you to interview so that a CRB application can be completed.
What support or training will I receive?
All volunteers are given a thorough induction session on their first day of volunteering and will shadow a worker for their first few shifts. All volunteers must also attend a Spurgeons half day induction workshop which will hopefully take place before volunteers start in their role or if not, within a month of it. There will shortly be a Volunteer Development Coordinator who will be available to offer individual and group support at regular intervals.
I am keen to talk about my faith with prisoners and their families. Is it okay for me to bring in religious material for distribution?
We welcome people from all faiths as volunteers. However, we do not allow volunteers to initiate conversations about religion or to distribute religious materials of any kind so as not to alienate or offend families who are not religious or of another religion.
I am a student and I would like to have a placement with Spurgeons in a prison, is this possible?
Yes we welcome students from relevant courses for our service and we already have links with certain Universities and Colleges and offer placement. We especially welcome student social workers and undergraduates studying in other fields such as Forensic Psychology or Criminology. However, we would not be able to tailor the role specifically to meet the requirements of a particular course e.g. counselling/therapy and we can only provide minimal opportunity for clinical observations.
Will I be paid travel expenses?
Yes we pay reasonable travel expenses to and from a shift at a prison.
Will I get to meet or work with prisoners?
No, Spurgeons contract is to work with and support prisoners families via the three roles advertised on our website. The play worker and catering roles may have some brief conversation with prisoners in the course of their roles in the prison but this is not the focus of the work. The family support worker remains in the Visitors Centre, does not go into the prison and will have no contact with prisoners at all.