Job role and agreement

As a Community member, you will be asked to sign the following agreement between you and Lee Abbey London. This Community Member (volunteer) Job Role and agreement tells you what you can expect from Lee Abbey London and what the organisation expects from you. For the avoidance of doubt, this agreement is binding in honour only. It is not intended to be a legally binding contract and it is not intended to create an employer-employee relationship.

The agreement

Download the agreement as a PDF or read it below.

As a voluntary community member you will not receive any remuneration, benefits or other allowances in respect of your charity work with Lee Abbey London, other than board and lodging and an allowance of £47.50 per week for subsistence purposes only.

Your role as a Community member (volunteer) at Lee Abbey London begins on _______________ and is expected to end on _____________________.

Safeguarding Principles

Lee Abbey London takes the safety of everyone within our building and charity very seriously and as an acknowledged Church of England Community, expects that everyone will work within Lee Abbey London and the Church of England’s safeguarding policies. In particular, Lee Abbey London expects anyone who becomes aware of a safeguarding risk or of actual abuse, to immediately report it.

While Lee Abbey London does not provide any regulated activities for children or vulnerable adults, and your role at Lee Abbey London does not include support work with children or vulnerable adults, we expect all community members to have a commitment to:

• Treat individuals with respect;
• Recognise and respect their abilities and potential for development;
• Promote their rights to make their own decisions and choices, unless it is unsafe;
• Ensure their welfare and safety;
• The promotion of social justice, social responsibility and respect for others; and
• Confidentiality, never passing on personal information, except to the person to whom you are responsible, unless there are safeguarding issues of concern (e.g. allegations of abuse). Safeguarding issues of concern must always be reported to the Police or Social Care services and Lee Abbey London’s Designated Safeguarding Person (DSP).

Key Tasks and responsibilities

Your role as a Community Member involves being a voluntary residential member of the Christian Community at Lee Abbey London and engaging in fieldwork in support of Lee Abbey London’s charitable aims of promoting the Christian faith and providing hospitality and support to international students:

• To participate fully in Lee Abbey London’s lifestyle of daily corporate worship, prayer and service – following Lee Abbey’s “rule of life”.
• To serve and support our guests and international students in a way that demonstrates God’s love, and meets and develops their personal, spiritual and social needs, exercising active pastoral concern.
• To serve our guests through practical hospitality and care.
• To look for opportunities to build community amongst all those at Lee Abbey London.
• To participate in Christian outreach, being ready to share the Gospel sensitively, and to share our own story of encountering God.
• To undertake any other work that has been agreed and is seen to be appropriate.

Person specification

• A strong personal faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and active participation in Church life,
• A sense of God’s calling to this residential community lifestyle,
• An ability to work with people sensitively and in accordance with safeguarding principles,
• Confidence in speaking in English and able to share their faith in public,
• A willingness to develop their skills and training.

What Lee Abbey London will provide:

We provide a supportive, inclusive and positive environment that ensures you enjoy your volunteering and that you are treated with respect and courtesy and provided with training. Voluntary community members are an important and valued part of Lee Abbey London. We appreciate your volunteering with us and we will do all we can to make your Lee Abbey London experience an enjoyable and rewarding one.

Induction and training

The organisation will provide you with a thorough induction to its work values and charitable aims, and provide any relevant training required to help you meet the responsibilities of your community member ole. This includes provision of Bible and discipleship training through the Lee Abbey London School of Ministry which is designed to help you grow in your Christian faith and equip you for participation in Lee Abbey London’s outreach.

Supervision and support

The supervision and the support provided to you is designed to:

• explain the standards Lee Abbey London sets for our work and to support you in achieving and maintaining these standards,
• provide a named point of reference for you in the fulfilment of your role, who will meet with you regularly to review and discuss your role as a community member
• help you grow in discipleship as you engage with Lee Abbey’s work and Christian ministry
• enable you to develop positive, constructive working relationships with your colleagues, senior staff and guests.

Health and safety

To provide you with adequate training in support of the organisation’s health and safety policy.

Insurance

To provide adequate insurance cover for you while undertaking charity work that is approved and authorised by us.

Equal opportunities

All Community members are supported in accordance with the organisation’s diversity and equal opportunities policy, a copy of which is provided to you.

Concerns

If you have any concerns or issues during the course of your work with us, the leadership team will seek to resolve these. You should initially raise such concerns with your team leader, HR manager or designated safeguarding person.

Volunteer agreement

You agree to:

• Participate fully in Lee Abbey London’s lifestyle of worship, prayer and service, including following the Lee Abbey “rule of life”.
• perform your volunteering, service and Christian outreach work to the best of your ability
• meet time commitments
• work to agreed standards
• follow Lee Abbey’s policies and procedures, including Lee Abbey’s values and standards of behaviour, safeguarding policy, health and safety policy and diversity and equal opportunities policy;
• maintain the confidentiality of the organisation’s information, and that of its guests
• give reasonable notice to the HR Manager should you wish to leave Lee Abbey London earlier than your agreed departure date so that timely recruitment arrangements can be made.

Acknowledgement

You acknowledge receipt of this agreement and agree to participate fully in Lee Abbey London’s work and ministry to international students and to comply with all the organisation’s operating procedures and the standards required of you during the course of carrying out your work with us.

You also agree to maintain the confidentiality of all Lee Abbey London’s information, and that of its guests, both during and after the termination of your voluntary community member role.