Confidant Persons listen to, support and advise members when they want to disclose confidential matters, such as bullying, discrimination, transgressive behaviour, (sexual) intimidation, aggression or violence. A Confidant Person offers a safe space and listens to the member and helps the member explore their needs and possible next steps ahead. At all times, the member makes their own decision as to the next steps they want to take. Confidant persons are independent and do not contact anyone involved, nor pass judgement. They solely create space for the member’s emotions in case the member just wants to tell their story, and the member can receive support in figuring out what to do next if they feel that the need arises. Moreover, the role of the confidant person could also be required by the organisation itself to educate and inform on topics such as prevention, inappropriate behaviour, or other consultations.
Role description
Volt Europa should at least have two Confidant Persons. Therefore, we are looking for at least one more. Ideally, the goal will be to explore the possibility of bringing together a pool of confident persons from different chapters and backgrounds to facilitate the processing of cases.
The Confidant Persons have the following competences:
Offering a listening ear;
Referring members to the correct integrity entity;
Advising the member(s) on the steps they can take;
Reporting complaints with regards to behaviour as set out in the General Reporting Procedure, should the member wish to stay anonymous
Producing a report every two years to be collected by the Ombudsperson.
Practical information
Term length: No official term length is mentioned in the integrity syllabus. The appointment will be for one year with the possibility to extend.
Availability: Our estimation for now is less than 5 hours per week.
Remuneration: This is an unpaid position.
More information about the confidant persons can be found in the Integrity Syllabus.
What we look for
Suitable candidates:
Are empathetic and have active listening skills;
Are independent;
Have integrity and the ability to maintain confidentiality at all times;
Have awareness of and sensitivity to the multicultural and diverse environment in which Volt Europa operates;
English proficiency, and additional languages are preferred;
Professional training is appreciated;
Have knowledge of the working of the organisation;
Have experience with supporting others in challenging work situations - not a requirement but highly regarded.
As a Confidant Person, it is imperative that you can exercise your role as neutrally and impartially as possible, without any conflicts of interest. Please disclose if you hold any other positions within the organisation; this may be relevant for the evaluation of your application in this context.
Application Process
Please send the documents and information below to [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]:
CV
One reference within Volt and one reference outside of Volt
Motivation letter (max 500 words) or motivation video (max 2 minutes) where you answer the following questions (they can be answered individually or combined):
Why do you want to be one of our Confidant Persons?
Do you have any sort of experience? Explain if you held a similar position in the past or describe a situation in which you had to take on a confidant role (this is not a requirement but a good asset).
Which skills or knowledge do you possess that can be useful for the position?
Do you have the flexibility to dedicate time to fulfill the responsibilities of this role? As mentioned above, we currently cannot tell the amount of hours per week this will take, although experience from similar positions indicates that it tends to be <5h.
Please note: We encourage everyone to apply, even if all the criteria or application requirements are not met.
There is no application deadline, applications are reviewed on a rolling basis
The European Board and GSO will evaluate your application if your profile seems to fit with the position, you will be invited to an interview. The Board will ultimately decide who will be appointed.