Support line freephone: 0808 2840484 Enquiries: info@csass.org.uk
CSASS is a small charity, with an amazing team of volunteers, both survivors and non-survivors.
As a voluntary organisation, our services are delivered by volunteers, our campaigns carried out by volunteers, and all our work overseen by voluntary trustees. Our volunteer teams are supported, led and enabled by our lovely staff.
Interested? There are loads of ways to get involved.
Here are four easy ways support our campaigns and awareness-raising work . . .
Help us raise awareness about sexual abuse and campaign to challenge attitudes leading to sexual violence. Campaign volunteers plan and carry out campaigns, from organising and promoting the annual Chester Reclaim the Night march, to social media campaigns. Volunteers also hold stalls at public events such as Chester Pride, providing information about support available. We need self-motivated people who are passionate about making change happen, who are in tune with our values, with great ideas, communications skills, time, commitment and the interest or ability to plan powerful, impactful campaigns and activities. We will provide training and information, out-of-pocket expenses, and the chance to join a positive, enthusiastic team and really make a difference. Contact us for an application form or more information, stating your interest in volunteering on campaigns and awareness-raising.
Alongside our Outreach Manager, you will be designing and delivering a wide range of campaigns and activities, aiming to reach survivors who are not currently accessing services.
We are working to reduce and lessen the barriers that some people face in accessing our services. We are listening hard, working in partnership and bringing a creative and curious spirit to devising new ways of communicating and working so we can understand what people need.
Can you help? Are there survivors in your community who aren’t being supported? Or who don’t recognise their experience as abusive? We’re looking for people with an open attitude, a flexible approach, time and commitment to offer, great listening skills and experience – including lived experience – who can help us reach and support some of the more excluded and under-supported survivors in our area. We can offer a flexible volunteering role, depending on what time and skills you are able to offer, induction and on-going training, support and supervision (where needed), out-of-pocket expenses and the opportunity to make a real difference, particularly to a community you may have a personal commitment to. Please email kathryn@csass.org.uk if you have any questions or click here to fill in our application form.
Our first project is working with Deafness Support Network to reach D/deaf survivors/supporters, so we’d especially welcome any D/deaf volunteers, or people with BSL or communication support skills too.
These amazing volunteers provide our core specialist counselling service, delivering sessions to survivors on a weekly basis. Using a range of therapeutic approaches, our counsellors focus on empowering and supporting survivors towards understanding experiences, coping and recovery. We are looking for BACP registered counsellors, either fully qualified or in the last stage of training (if you are looking a placement, you may apply to volunteer with us, as you build up counselling hours). We need people with a genuine interest in our area of work and values, able to offer long-term commitment to delivering high quality counselling to survivors, and also to attending regular support meetings, supervision and on-going training. We can offer regular high quality, free, specialist training, a supportive, knowledgeable team of colleagues, out-of-pocket expenses – including professional supervision – and the opportunity to transform the lives of survivors. Read more about this role here.
“It feels good to know that I have helped someone who desperately needed to talk about their painful experiences”
CSASS counsellor, Nov 2018
If you are interested in volunteering with us as a counsellor or on the supportline, please contact us for more information or an application form, stating which role/s you are interested in.
CSASS is overseen by a dedicated team of voluntary board members, who meet around 8 times a year to scrutinise the work of staff. Trustees are responsible for strategic planning, considering policy and practise, overseeing finances and any risks to the organisation and for generally asking good questions and ensuring CSASS stays focussed on our goals to improve the lives of survivors. For our board to be really effective we need a diversity of viewpoints, skills and experience, including lived experience, and a range of ages, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We are looking for people able to commit to attending all board meetings and some work between meetings too, with an interest in our work and values, who bring relevant experience and/or skills – such as finance, new ideas, strategic thinking, personal experience, campaigns experience, local knowledge or leadership. We can offer the opportunity to influence the future direction of CSASS and ensure it is delivering the very best service possible to survivors, and making a real difference. We can also offer internal and external training, out-of-pocket expenses, great opportunities to gain professional experience and a chance to join an inspiring and passionate team (and cake, we do like cake at a meeting too). If you are interested in finding out more, or for an application form, please contact us stating your interest in the trustee role.
As a women-led organisation, the majority of our board, including the chair, treasurer and secretary, are always women.
We provide induction and specialist training for all volunteers, covering information about CSASS, our values and key policies, and an introduction to sexual violence.
Training is designed to give you the skills to confidently carry out your role. For roles involving direct work with survivors, training will also help you support and listen to people who contact us, and learn about issues such as the impact of sexual violence, trauma and domestic abuse. There are also group and support sessions, and regular reviews. The commitment required at this initial stage of volunteering for CSASS is quite intense, and might involve weekend training as well as evening sessions.
We are a member of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations.
We offer a range of free services including a support line and counselling.
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We are a voluntary organisation of professionals, trustees and volunteers.
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