Short-term (2 to 4 weeks) "work with disabled" project in United Kingdom

This is a playscheme run by Rollercoasters, a charity which was established to provide support for families with children aged four to eighteen years, who have learning and physical disabilities. Its aim is to provide high quality holiday playschemes, and to create leisure and social opportunities for children with various disabilities. Some children also have medical conditions e.g. epilepsy, asthma and orthopaedic conditions. Some have sensory impairment and all the children need a high level of individual care and support. A small number of children have degenerative or life threatening conditions. All of them are wheelchair users.

You should have a positive view of children with a disability, be able to recognise their individuality and to participate as friends. Any experience you have already gained in working with children or adults with disabilities will be useful. Experience or ideas for play and creative activities, demonstrating and involving children in the activity are important. The children will need a high level of physical assistance including feeding, washing and changing. Good communication skills, persistence, patience to listen, interpret and respond to a child with limited speech, hearing and movement is very important. At first you may find the experience emotionally, creatively and physically demanding. You will be given comprehensive training at the start of the project in caring for the children and will receive support from the staff. You will accompany the children on trips.- to a swimming pool, to a farm, ice skating, the cinema, a theme park, a team railway. Activities include arts and crafts, cooking, hydrotherapy, a plastic ball-pool, music workshop, sensory rooms and other workshops. Everyone is expected to take a full part in the practical daily work of cooking and cleaning as well as in all the decision making for the group.

The accommodation will be at will be at the 300 year old Quaker (Friends) Meeting House in Stourbridge town, 25 kms west of Birmingham (Central England).

Birmingham airport, Stourbridge Town train station and Birmingham Digbeth bus station are the closest for arrivals and departures.

A police check translated to English and a motivation letter are needed for working with children in the UK. Please send it in advance together with the Volunteer Exchange Form.