In 2023 alone, our dedicated casework volunteers have supported over 3,200 members of the RAF community with specific and individual welfare needs.

From the point at which we first have contact with someone that needs our help, our casework volunteers, led by a RAF Association casework officer, will be there every step of the way to ensure that we can provide support.

Whether it’s help finding financial assistance, someone to talk to, help with accessing independent living adaptations, or a more individual problem – together we can find a solution.

Volunteer today to help us ensure we can be there for the RAF community in their time of need.

Support every step of the way

Our volunteers are at the heart of our service. They provide crucial support to members of the RAF community in their time of need.

If you can offer some of your time, no matter how little that may be, you can make a huge difference to someone’s life.

Volunteering is a great way to use your skills, give something back and feel rewarded by the positive impact you have made on the RAF community.

All training will be provided so you will be well prepared to take on the volunteer role. You will also have a designated casework officer who will be on hand should you have any queries or need advice.

AIM Qualification

As a casework volunteer, you will be given full and extensive training to equip you with the knowledge and skills to undertake the role and support beneficiaries.

Upon completion of your training, you will achieve a Level 2 Information and Advice qualification accredited through the AIM Qualification and Assessment Group.

For more about the casework volunteering and training, download the Role Profile:

“When something like this happens, you need a lifeline. And that’s where the association came in and helped me.”

When former RAF technician Matt struggled to find the right support when he suffered a stroke aged 44, the RAF Association stepped in to help him get his independence back.

With the support of a casework volunteer, the RAF association was able to secure funding from the RAF benevolent fund to adapt Matt’s bathroom so that he could maintain his dignity.

FAQs

As a casework volunteer, you will be matched with members of the RAF community (beneficiaries) who may need our support. You will then be responsible for contacting those beneficiaries to assess where support is needed, to ask questions and gather information, and to submit verbal and written reports to your Regional casework officer.

You will then work together to ensure a successful outcome for the beneficiary.

There are many ways you could support a member of the RAF community that needs our help. These include:

  • Contacting potential beneficiaries, listening to the concerns, assessing their needs and explaining anything that might feel difficult or overwhelming
  • Keeping the beneficiary updates with any developments in the support they will receive, either by phone or email.
  • Completing forms to establish any financial assistance the beneficiary might need.
  • Supporting the beneficiary in researching and finding additional sources of help.
  • Recording requests for assistance via a digital form to enable the sourcing of funding.
  • Recording conversations, visits, and maintaining good records of activities, recommendations, and actions.

You will be given full training in order to equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to undertake the role.

Initial training will consist of:

  • Four online training videos, which can be watched in your own time, and tutor-led Zoom sessions over two-days during which you will compile a portfolio of evidence.
  • A case study to complete after the Zoom sessions ready for the next day and an online question paper.
  • On successfully completing the portfolio, and training, you will achieve a Level 2 Information and Advice qualification accredited through the AIM Qualification and Assessment Group.
  • Volunteers may also have the opportunity to shadow an existing caseworker volunteer

Following successful competition of your initial training, further training will consist of either:

  • A one day refresher training course for casework volunteers every three years.
  • Continuing Professional Development, throughout the year, either online or through locally run courses related to the casework volunteer role.

A DBS renewal check will also need to take place.

We ask that our casework volunteers commit to two and a half days of initial training, with one day refresher training to take place every three years.

Cases vary in the time that is needed to complete them. Conversations with beneficiaries can take around one to two hours, and the subsequent forms, reports and follow up depends on the complexity of the case.

As one of our casework volunteers, you will be supported every step of the way by a dedicated casework officer who will be able to provide you with advice and answer any questions you might have.

If you have any further questions about becoming a casework volunteer, please contact us at [email protected]

Supported by

Sign up to volunteer

Thank you for your interest in becoming a volunteer with the RAF Association; we really appreciate your support.

Please complete the volunteer enquiry form below with your details, and a member of the team will be in touch with further.

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