depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
EUROPEAN VOLUNTARY
SERVICE (EVS)
DUBLIN
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
WHO ARE WE?
Depaul supports vulnerable people who
are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
We work from low threshold principles
to provide accommodation and key
services to people who are often
multiply excluded from other services.
Our services span community and
outreach, vulnerable families, harm
reduction accommodation services and
criminal justice and mental health
services.
Depaul believes homelessness has no place.
We offer homeless and disadvantaged people
the opportunity to fulfil their potential and
move towards an independent and positive
future.
VISION: Everyone has a place to call
home and a stake in their community.
Depaul is part of a wider International Group
structure Depaul International, with other
subsidiaries in the UK, Ukraine, Slovakia, USA
and France.
Depaul shares close links with other members
of the Vincentian Family and in the
establishment of Depaul in Dublin in 2002, the
Society of St Vincent de Paul, the Daughters
of Charity and the Vincentian Fathers were
our founding partners. However, its staff and
its service users are drawn from all walks of
life – other faiths or no faith at all. It is nonjudgmental in the same way that Vincent de
Paul was non-judgmental. The focus is on
innovation and action.
WHERE ARE WE?
Depaul is located in both the Republic of
Ireland and Northern Ireland. Our host
projects are situated in Dublin and Belfast.
Dublin is the main city of the Republic of
Ireland and is large student and cultural city.
Dublin offers something for everyone, with a
diverse population of many cultures. Dublin
has a large population of students.
Dublin has its own large international airport
with numerous cheap flights to the UK &
Europe, provided by Aer Lingus
(www.aerlingus.com) and Ryanair
(www.ryanair.com) amongst others and has a
good transport system, including local buses
and trains.
WHY DO WE NEED
VOLUNTEERS?
In our projects we see volunteers as an
important aspect of our mission. This includes
both part time volunteers who commit a few
hours per week, student placements and full
time volunteers from Ireland and the EVS
program. The idea of adding an EVS
component to the various projects can be
described as being at the roots of the
Vincentian ethos, which the project operates
under. Volunteers are an essential part of our
work and none of the projects of Depaul
would be the same without them. Nonetheless
the projects are designed in a way, based on
a fully paid and qualified staff team, so that
volunteers can fulfill additional activities.
WHAT IS IT WE DO?
Depaul manages projects for homeless and
disadvantaged people in both Belfast and
Dublin.
Volunteer Opportunities, Dublin, ROI
EVS Codes
Orchid House
2015-1-IE01-KA110-008735
Tús Nua
2015-1-IE01-KA110-008738
Peter’s Place
2015-1-IE01-KA110-008736
Back Lane Hostel2015-1-IE01-KA110-008734
Sundial House 2015-1-IE01-KA110-008737
Depaul Dublin Co-ordinating Code
2011-IE-14 (pending new code)
Depaul NI Volunteer Opportunities, Belfast,
UK EVS Codes
 Stella Maris: 2013-GB-154
 Homeless Family Services: 2013-GB-153
 Depaul NI - Co-ordinating code: 2013-GB-152
Please note: Depaul NI has a different application go
to www.depaulireland.org/volunteering/evs/ for info.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
HOW DO
VOLUNTEERS HELP?

Volunteers greatly enhance the service
that we can provide for our service
users.

They bring a huge intercultural
dimension to the lives of our service
users.

Volunteer work is centered around
worthwhile activities.

Volunteers participate in activities with
the service users that staff sometimes
do not have the time to do.

Volunteer activities are part of our
holistic approach to supporting service
users.
WHAT DO
VOLUNTEERS DO?
The most important thing our volunteers do is
build good supportive relationships with our
service users. EVS volunteers have been
involved in many different activities, the aim
of which is to boost the skills and self-esteem
of our service users. For example:
 Art, crafts or music workshops
 Life Skills classes like basic literacy &
numeracy, computers, cookery, job skills
 Games and Quizzes
 Film Night, Keep Fit Class, Cultural
Awareness, Family Activities
 Organising seasonal events (Valentine’s
Day, Halloween, Christmas etc)
 Helping the overall organization with
events
Project staff encourage volunteers to take
initiative in arranging such activities if they
feel comfortable to do so. Volunteers are
encouraged to consult with the staff and
service users to plan, budget and identify
what activities would be suitable. Staff can
support their work and carry out necessary
risk assessments.
Meeting young people from other European
countries can generate an
interest in other aspects of life formerly
unknown to our service users and work
against perceptions prejudice and xenophobia
they may hold.
Including an EVS element to the projects is
exciting as the volunteers will be working with
individuals who may have had no contact with
life outside of Dublin. We hope EVS will bring
a cultural dimension to the project, which
offers these individuals, a small taste of what
life is like outside their home-town, including
different languages, food, cultures and ideas.
Building Relationships with Service
Users
Some of our service users are quite selfsufficient whilst others can be living quite
chaotic lives and appear apathetic towards
engaging in activities. Volunteers must be
aware that it this is normal in our Services and
it takes time to build rapport with our service
users and patience to discover what approach
will be suitable.
The volunteer role does NOT include the
following:
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Covering or substituting a paid staff role
Over night shifts
Key-working (personal support)
Counselling / therapy roles
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
BENEFITS TO THE
VOLUNTEER
It can be a very enriching experience for the
volunteers themselves as well as for the
service users staying in the various projects.
The volunteer may come in contact with a
side of modern day life they may not have
encountered previously.
In the past volunteers have been involved in
other aspects of Depaul’s work, that they
were interested in. Volunteers have also been
involved in research, marketing, fundraising
and helping with events. We very much value
the unique skills and talents that volunteers
bring to the organisation and try, where
possible, to utilise these skills and talents to
the benefit of the organisation.
 Service users can be
difficult to engage:
- Our service users can be alcohol
and/or drug dependant and can be
under the influence
-Our service users can have varying
mental health issues
-Our service users can have daily
personal commitments and or selfcontained flats
PRACTICAL INFO
Volunteers will be offered a single room in a
house close to the host activity. This will be,
shared with other volunteers, but we strive to
give each young person the opportunity to
have their own room.
Volunteers will gain a broad range of
experience extremely beneficial to their future
life and personal development. These
include:
Volunteers will be given specific information
about their particular living arrangements,
before deciding whether to accept the offer of
a place with Depaul. The house is fully
furnished and equipped with bedding, pots
and pans, sheets, etc.
 Good communication skills
 Ability to respond appropriately to
challenging situations
 An understanding of providing professional
support for vulnerable people
 An understanding of issues surrounding
homelessness
 Harm Reduction & Low Threshold working
practices
 Experience of a holistic style of working
Volunteers will be provided with a weekly
pocket money allowance in Euros. If the
project has catering facilities they may eat
their meals there. Volunteers will prepare
their own meals in their house, in a kitchen
shared with other volunteers. The allowance
will be paid weekly and Volunteers will be
given support to obtain an Irish bank account
so that direct deposits can be arranged.
WHAT ARE THE
CHALLENGES?
 Understanding the Irish accent and local
way of speaking
 Service user apathy
 Service user physical and/or mental
health issues
 The chaotic lifestyles of the service user
and the impact on the Service
Volunteers will also be given time off to
investigate Ireland and visit volunteers based
in other projects. Annual leave entitlements
accrue at the same rate as other project team
members (i.e. EVS volunteers get
approximately 2 days of annual leave for
every month volunteered, and also are
entitled to take Bank Holidays).
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
VOLUNTEER
SUPPORT &
DEVELOPMENT
Volunteer Mentor & Supervisor
The volunteer will have a placement
supervisor and Mentor.
Responsibilities
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Furthermore every volunteer receives onarrival training and mid-way training, which
aims to prepare them for their placements
and their stay in Dublin or Belfast, this
training also contains a strong cultural
perspective in order to provide volunteers with
some background of cultural differences and
similarities between Ireland and their home
country.
All volunteers are responsible for ensuring
that they acquire the correct visa required to
travel and live in Dublin. It is also essential
that their passport is valid for the duration of
the placement. The volunteer may seek
assistance from the sending organisation, or
coordinating organisation in order to prepare
these documents.
We recognise the need for variation in the
working life of the volunteer while away from
home. For this reason we aim to give
volunteers a choice of other placements in
Depaul projects.
The variety of placements available to the
volunteer will give them a diverse insight into
the myriad of social problems facing homeless
people as well as making their time with us
more interesting and varied.
It will help the volunteer to discover and
develop different skills and interests they
possess.
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Induct them to the activity or task
Provide support for the volunteer while
working alongside them
Keep in contact with Volunteer
Monitor progress and discuss any
issues arising
Ensure that the practical arrangements
in the placement are adequate
Ensure that the volunteer is receiving
appropriate training
Ensure that the volunteer is never
working independently without support
Ensure that the volunteer has a good
balance between intercultural learning
opportunity and voluntary placement
work.
Arrival
Volunteers who are placed with us also enjoy
an intercultural experience. Volunteers are
generally on induction for the first two weeks
of the project. During this time they
participate in a tour of the host city they are
placed in with the volunteer mentor of the
project. They are also given the opportunity to
visit sites of historical and cultural significance
with the service users of the project they are
working in. During volunteers’ time with us,
our experience has been that volunteers learn
a lot about the culture and country that they
are living in. We celebrate Irish festivals with
volunteers and encourage them to try local
specialties of the area.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Depaul does have a Lone
Working policy. Their safety is paramount
and emphasis is always placed on keeping
staff and volunteers safe.
For the first few weeks of the project,
volunteers will be required to shadow project
workers. This will be a supportive mechanism
to ensure that volunteers become familiar
with the building policies and procedures as
well as ensuring that they are supported and
safe in the early induction phase.
We provide a structured induction programme
for each volunteer. This induction helps
develop volunteers skills for working with
homeless people and also imparts knowledge
like Health and Safety, handling challenging
situations, Professional Boundaries,
Confidentiality etc. Depaul also has an
ongoing training programme which covers
areas such as drugs and alcohol awareness,
managing and preventing crisis etc. All
volunteers will have access to this training
programme.
Volunteers learn about issues relating to
homelessness in general, they also learn
about equal opportunities and about the
culture and society of Ireland.
After induction the volunteers will be involved
in getting to know service users and
organising activities. Volunteers will also play
a role in briefing and debriefing sessions at
the beginning and end of every shift in which
health and safety issues are handed over from
one team to another.
Health and Safety
Depaul take the Health and Safety of each
volunteer particularly seriously. The building
has been specifically designed with the health
and safety of both staff and service users in
mind. There are cameras throughout as well
as clearly marked and accessible fire exits.
Volunteers will not be required to work on
their own. The building is always staffed by
other staff members. Volunteers add value by
providing activities but are not expected to
work in isolation however
Language & Culture
In many areas the volunteer will be involved
in intercultural learning at the same time as
they are volunteering on their activity.
Intercultural learning is inseparable from most
activities in the project as all concerned
parties (i.e. the volunteers, the service users
as well as staff) will be confronted with
aspects from different cultures and different
cultural values than their own. It will also
equip the volunteers with life and
communication skills that will enrich their
personal life as well as professional career.
Some activities will offer more opportunity for
intercultural learning experience than others
that will be more demanding and less
educational. This is one of the reasons we
have opted for a variety of activities. The
Volunteer Co-coordinator has an overall view
of the entire volunteering experience, and will
ensure that these activities are appropriately
balanced.
The volunteers working hours could be
mornings, afternoons or evenings on
weekdays or weekends, but they will also be
given time off to investigate Ireland and visit
volunteers based in other projects.
Language Support
Depaul will follow Erasmus+ guidelines for
specific language support. All volunteers will
be registered with the on-line linguistic tool.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Project Activities
Volunteers are advised not to expect too
much from service users in relation to their
activities at first. Getting to know our service
users and building a good relationship with
them is essential. Our service users can be
suffering from addiction, trauma, poor
physical and mental health and low selfesteem. Volunteers need to be motivated and
be inspiring to service users who may be
apathetic or simply do not know what
interests them. We hope that by bringing
some interests and skills of their own,
volunteers will wish to share and develop an
idea or project.
Initially the volunteer’s time will be spent
getting orientated to their new home as well
as training and induction. Afterwards the
volunteer will be offered the opportunity to
develop a project which is of particular
interest to them. We will support the
volunteer in developing this, but will allow
them to take the lead in it, thereby improving
their organisational and development skills.
Volunteers are given the opportunity to
diversify their project. Primarily the volunteer
will spend their working week at activities
related to their host Project. However, we
may support Volunteers to organize joint
projects that can be delivered in other Depaul
projects. Volunteers are also expected to help
with wider Depaul events, fundraising /
awareness raising activities, Volunteer and
EVS promotions etc.
A typical week could look something like this:
Morning
Socialising with the
service users in the
host project. Playing
pool or chatting.
Accompanying a
service user to the
local shops.
Working at another
Depaul project with
another EVS
volunteer on a
cultural project.
Free
Friday
Morning Breakfast
Club
Saturday
Sunday
Day Off
Day Off
Afternoon
Preparation of the art
and crafts materials
followed by workshop
(7 hour day)
Attendance at Team
meeting & working with
service users on health
promotion project.
(7 hour day)
Free
Evening
Free
Meeting with staff &
volunteers to prepare
for a trip to a local park
with service users.
Cooking Session – life
skills support for adults
(7 hour day)
Free
Free
Music
Night
(6 hour
day)
Free
Quiz Night
(6 hour
day)
REPUBLIC OF
IRELAND PROJECT
ENVIRONMENTS
ORCHID HOUSE
Orchid house provides emergency
accommodation for men and women who
have entrenched alcohol issues, complex
support needs and a history of extended
periods of street homelessness in Dublin.
This 24/7 service offers alcohol management
support onsite.
Services offered:
-Private accommodation
-One-to-one professional support
-Practical and holistic assistance
-Harm reduction addiction support
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
-Referral, advocacy and case management
-Independent living skills development
-Volunteer-led activities
-Resettlement support
Orchid house works within a principle of 'harm
reduction' which means that we work with
service users at their level to provide the best
possible interventions for them. Because of
the needs of the service users the project is a
“wet hostel” (where service users can
consume their own alcohol on site) It provides
accommodation to 23 street-homeless men
and women over the age of 18. The project
especially aims to cater for people with a long
history of alcohol misuse and as a result of
this have been discriminated from most other
projects in the city. Some service users
presenting are drug dependent and some
drug and alcohol dependent and due to the
emergency nature of the project there can be
a frequency of service users coming to and
leaving the project. Most of our service users
would have spent a long time on the streets
before arriving at our project. Therefore the
support provided for our service users have to
be very basic (i.e. a secure place to stay,
three meals a day and a friendly
environment).
The project is staffed by a team of 13 project
workers and three managers. In Orchid House
we see volunteers as an important aspect of
our mission There are part time volunteers,
student placements as well as 1 EVS
Volunteer at the project. The project is
designed in a way, based on a fully paid and
qualified staff team, so that volunteers can
fulfill additional activities.
Orchid House
Volunteer Tasks
Spending time to talk and get to know the
service users and to prepare activities with
service users such as:
 Life skills: literacy, health awareness,
hygiene, relaxation
 Arts & Crafts: Painting, mosaics, crafts
 Cookery: Breakfast clubs/baking
 Photography, creative projects
 Gardening: We have a roof garden
 Accompany service users on trips
outside the project / Befriending
 Social activities – film, games, quizzes
 Volunteers own project – build on your
own personal skills & interests
 Working with Sundial EVS volunteer to
create joint activities e.g. Trips, pool
etc.
Orchid House Volunteer
Essential Skills
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Very patient and have the ability to inspire
and motivate a challenging client group
Empathic and non-judgmental
Ability to use initiative and be flexible and
open to new situations
Interested in, and a basic understanding
of the issues around homelessness
Willing to work with people who are on
the margins of society
A good level of written and spoken English
Service users may be living chaotic lives and it
can be a challenge for volunteers to engage
them in activities.
Depaul celebrates even the smallest of
achievement and volunteers should be
patient when working with this client
group who can be challenging and
apathetic due to low self-esteem and
any alcohol/drug /mental health and/or
health related problems.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
TUS NUA (only female volunteers)
Tus Nua is a specialised accommodation
service for women with complex needs who
are leaving prison. It provides a structured
environment which supports women to
reintegrate into society, rebuild relationships,
develop independent living skills and minimise
the risk of re-offending.
Services offered:
-Private quality short term accommodation
-One-to-one professional support
-Practical and holistic assistance
-Harm reduction addiction support
-Referral, advocacy and case management
-Independent living skills development
-Volunteer-led activities
-Resettlement support
Tus Nua accommodates 15 women for 6
months. Each of these women has just been
released from the Dochas Prison prior to her
arrival at the project and has been identified
as homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
During the service users stay the staff and
volunteers will assist in helping to move on to
more suitable longer-term accommodation.
The project will provide the time and space
during which service users can address the
problems that led to their housing crisis and
prison sentence and to gain practical skills
that will help them once they have left the
project.
As all the service users are female and many
may have had a history of suffering from
domestic violence we would preferably choose
female volunteers for this project.
Part of the volunteer task will be to motivate
and support the service users, encourage
them and participate together in social
activities. Through this interaction they will be
of great assistance to the project and its
service users in supporting the latter to
become reintegrated into the community.
Tús Nua Volunteer Tasks
Spending time to talk and get to know the
service users and to prepare activities with
service users such as:
 Life skills: literacy, health awareness,
beauty & hairdressing, relaxation
 Arts & Crafts: Painting, crafts, jewelry
making
 Cookery: Communal meals/baking
 Photography, creative projects
 Gardening: We have 1 large garden
 Accompany service users on trips
outside the project / Befriending
 Social activities – film, games, quizzes
 Volunteers own project – build on your
own personal skills & interests
Service users may be living chaotic lives and it
can be a challenge for volunteers to engage
them in activities. Depaul celebrates even the
smallest of achievement and volunteers
should be patient when working with this
client group who can be challenging and
apathetic due to low self-esteem and any
alcohol/drug /mental health and/or health
related problems.
Tus Nua Service users’ have their own
self-contained flats in the building so it
can be difficult to get them to socialize
and participate in activities within the
Project. There are only a maximum of 6
service users in the project and they can
have daily appointments and schedules.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Tus Nua Volunteer Essential
Skills
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Very patient and have the ability to inspire
and motivate a challenging small client
group
Empathic and non-judgmental
Ability to use initiative and be flexible and
open to new situations
Interested in, and a basic understanding
of the issues around homelessness
Willing to work with women who are on
the margins of society
A good level of written and spoken English
PETER’S PLACE
Peter’s Place provides a welcoming high
quality 24 hour Supported Temporary
Accommodation service to young men and
women between the ages of 18 and 35 who
are homeless, using a Low Threshold, Case
Management and Harm Reduction approach
to enable positive, lasting change and
progression out of homelessness. Over a 6
month structured programme, service user
personal
growth,
development
and
empowerment are encouraged through a
person centred approach which encourages a
journey of change for each individual.
Staff uses motivational interviewing
techniques and empathic listening in keywork
and support planning, and solution-focused
risk management to work with individuals
where they are at, and to develop realistic and
achievable goal-setting. This is supplemented
with Life Skills work to promote independentliving skills with a strong focus on
resettlement and move-on.
The model of work is underpinned under the
following headings
1. Person-Centred, Low Threshold
Approach
2. Quality Accommodation Provision
3. Progression, Change, Resettlement:
Needs Assessment, Support Planning
and Risk Management
4. Service-User Involvement & Ownership
Peter’s Place is a 35 bed hostel providing
accommodation and support to 35 homeless
men and women each night. It targets those
who may be in active addiction (drugs and/or
alcohol) and can have mental health issues.
We work with them to support them in
reducing their usage and accessing other
services in order that they may be treated for
their addiction.
At Peter’s Place 1 EVS volunteer will work
alongside and be part of a team of full time
staff and part time volunteers and student
placements. The team will work together to
provide a safe environment and the best
possible service to the young street homeless
service users.
By hosting volunteers we hope to open new
possibilities for the project and its service
users. The project staff is often busy with
providing the basic service required (e.g.
preparing meals, ensuring health and safety
etc.), however, the volunteers are free to
focus on additional activities which will benefit
the service users.
Peter’s Place Tasks
Spending time to talk and get to know the
service users and to prepare activities with
service users such as:
 Life skills: literacy, numeracy, health
awareness, hygiene, relaxation
 To engage service users in meaningful
occupation activities such as
budgeting, literacy, numeracy,
computers, etc
 Arts & Crafts: Painting, mosaics, crafts
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
BACK LANE HOSTEL
Back Lane provides emergency and long term
accommodation for 60 men with complex
support needs who are experiencing
homelessness. It offers a 24/7 professional
support service
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Cookery: Breakfast clubs/baking
Photography, creative projects
Accompany service users on trips
outside the project / Befriending
Social activities – film, games, quizzes
Volunteers own project – build on your
own personal skills & interests
Peter’s Place Volunteer
Essential Skills
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

Very patient and have the ability to inspire
and motivate a challenging client group
Empathic and non-judgmental
Ability to use initiative and be flexible and
open to new situations
Interested in, and a basic understanding
of the issues around homelessness
Willing to work with people who are on
the margins of society and can see their
potential as well as the support they need.
A good level of written and spoken English
Service users may be living chaotic lives
and it can be a challenge for volunteers
to engage them in activities. Depaul
celebrates even the smallest of
achievement and volunteers should be
patient when working with this client
group who can be challenging and
apathetic due to low self-esteem and
any alcohol/drug /mental health and/or
health related problems.
Services offered:
Services offered:
-Private accommodation
-One-to-one professional support
-Practical and holistic assistance
-Harm reduction addiction support
-Referral, advocacy and case management
-Independent living skills development
-Volunteer-led activities
-Resettlement support
Back Lane is an STA (supported temporary
accommodation) to 42 men on a 6 month
basis and long term accommodation
(accommodation for life) to 18 service users
over the age of 18. This service accepts
people with drug, alcohol and mental health
issues.
The EVS volunteer will work alongside, and be
part of a large team of full time staff and
numerous part time volunteers and student
placements. This will add to the basic service
the staff can provide for service users.
The service has essentially two sides. Long
term (generally older service users) and short
term (generally younger service users). The
task of the volunteer would be to engage
these groups individually or in small groups,
to undertake some social activities.
This can include activities in the project itself
or also away from the project. In all such
activities Volunteers will be supervised either
by their supervisor or by project staff.
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Back Lane Tasks
Spending time to talk and get to know the
service users and to prepare activities with
service users such as:
 Life skills: literacy, health awareness,
hygiene, relaxation
 Arts & Crafts: Painting, mosaics, crafts
 Cookery: basic baking classes
 Photography, creative projects
 Gardening: We have 1 large roof
garden
 Accompany service users on trips
outside the project / Befriending
 Social activities – film, games, quizzes,
pool, bingo
 Volunteers own project – build on your
own personal skills & interests
Back Lane Volunteer
Essential Skills






Very patient and have the ability to inspire
and motivate a challenging client group
Empathic and non-judgmental
Ability to use initiative and be flexible and
open to new situations
Interested in, and a basic understanding
of the issues around homelessness
Willing to work with people who are on
the margins of society
A good level of written and spoken English
Service users may be living chaotic lives
and it can be a challenge for volunteers
to engage them in activities. Depaul
celebrates even the smallest of
achievement and volunteers should be
patient when working with this client
group who can be challenging and
apathetic due to low self-esteem and
any alcohol/drug /mental health and/or
health related problems.
SUNDIAL HOUSE
complex support needs and
provides structured alcohol management
support onsite
Services offered:
-Private quality accommodation
-One-to-one professional support
-Practical and holistic assistance
-Harm reduction addiction support
-Support for nursing and care needs
-Advocacy and case management
-Referral, advocacy and case management
-Volunteer-led activities
-Life skills development programme
The Long term Housing project
(accommodation for life) at Sundial House
provides Low threshold housing for people
who have experienced extended periods of
street homelessness and have entrenched
alcohol use issues. The aim is to provide a
holistic harm reduction response to the
presenting needs of those housed. The project
supports a continuum of care approach and
has been purpose built to ensure high quality
accommodation.
The project accommodates 30 people, men
and women, singles and couples in spacious
en suite accommodation, there are both single
and twin rooms. (26 long-term beds and 3
rooms with enhanced care facilities) The
project is staffed on a 24/7 basis.
All service users are appointed a key worker
to ensure they can access all the services they
require and receive the appropriate support.
A care plan is developed between the service
users and worker, which is monitored and
reviewed. The care plan covers life skills,
budgeting, drink harm reduction, detox access
and health and mental health support. There
is an onsite nurse as many of our residents
are presenting with acute health needs due to
their entrenched alcohol use.
Sundial House is a specialized long term
accommodation service for vulnerable men,
women and couples who have entrenched
alcohol use issues, and a history of extended
periods of rough sleeping and long term
homelessness. This key low threshold service
in Dublin works with people who have
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org
DEPAUL
VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
Sundial House Volunteer
Tasks
Spending time to talk and get to know the
service users and to prepare activities with
service users such as:
 Life skills: literacy, health awareness,
hygiene, meditation, yoga
 Arts & Crafts: Painting, mosaics, crafts
 Cookery: Breakfast clubs/baking
classes
 Photography, creative projects
 Gardening: We have 1 large garden
 Accompany service users on trips
outside the project Befriending
 Social activities – film, games, quizzes,
pool, bingo
 Volunteers own project – build on your
own personal skills & interests
Sundial House Volunteer
Essential Skills






Very patient and have the ability to inspire
and motivate a challenging client group
Empathic and non-judgmental
Ability to use initiative and be flexible and
open to new situations
Interested in, and a basic understanding
of the issues around homelessness
Willing to work with people who are on
the margins of society
A good level of written and spoken English
Service users may be living chaotic lives
and it can be a challenge for volunteers
to engage them in activities. Depaul
celebrates even the smallest of
achievement and volunteers should be
patient when working with this client
group who can be challenging and
apathetic due to low self-esteem and
any alcohol/drug /mental health and/or
health related problems.
HOW TO APPLY FOR A
DEPAUL EVS PROJECT
We select volunteers according to Erasmus+
guidelines. We look for volunteer candidates
aged between 18 and 30 years and who are
legally residing in a Programme Country or in
a Partner Country. We seek a balance of
varied ages, genders and
nationalities amongst our EVS volunteers.
Note: We do not accept applications from
applicants under 18
The 5 Vacant EVS placements in the 5 host
projects are advertised on the European
Commission website and the Youth Networks
website.
In order to fairly assess each candidate’s
suitability for each project, we ask each
candidate to complete Depaul EVS Application
which asks for the following information:
1. A volunteers motivation for applying to do EVS
2. A volunteers motivation for applying to the
project
3. The volunteers general understanding of the
factors that lead people to become homeless
with reference to the particular client group of
the project
4. The challenges that the volunteer anticipates
when working in our projects
5. The skills and abilities a volunteer feels they
will bring to the project
6. Their expectations of the role of an EVS
volunteer within the host project?
Volunteers are also required to produce
2 work/study related references, a
relevant police clearance certificate from
the country that they are travelling from
and information relating to their medical
history. A good level of spoken English is
required as much of our work requires the
ability to communicate and build relationships
with our service users.
Availability & Deadline
Volunteer Application deadline:
Wednesday 6th January 2016
Interviews:
Week beginning 13th January 2016
Grant Application Deadline:
Tuesday 2nd February 2016
Volunteer Activity dates:
4th Sept 2016- 4th Sept 2017
Contact Lisa Byrne, Volunteer Co-
ordinator at [email protected]
Volunteer Programme
Rendu Apartments, North William Street, Dublin 1
+ 353 1 8745374
[email protected]
www.depaulireland.org