BECOMING A TSG HELPLINE VOLUNTEER

Desperately seeking Helpline Volunteers ….

The TSG Helpline is a confidential freephone advisory service which provides much needed and valuable support to the TSG's members on a variety of issues which amongst other things include finding a training contract, problems with debt and obtaining time to count. Whilst the Helpline is not able to take individual cases forward or issue any legal advice it does give general guidance to callers and provide references to other bodies such as ACAS, publications and websites.

The Helpline Service is invaluable to both the TSG and its members and the service provided is only as good as it's volunteers who are all trainees or newly qualified solicitors. As a result the volunteers are crucial to the continued success of the Helpline. The Helpline is open from 9am to 8pm on Mondays to Fridays and Volunteers are able to choose whether to take calls during the day or in the evening.

We run a training weekend before volunteers start taking calls and additional support and training will be provided to all volunteers on both a regular and "as needed" basis by both myself and the other volunteers. All volunteers are part of a group e-mail system whereby they exchange information, talk to each other about difficult calls they have experienced, and generally support each other. Each volunteer is given a comprehensive information pack with advice sheets on issues which have been identified through previous calls and they also have important contact details to refer callers to the most appropriate point.

To qualify as a Helpline volunteer you must:

1. Fall within the TSG membership, which means that you must be either:
o a student studying an exempting law degree, the CPE, or the LPC;
o a paralegal or post-graduate, who completed the LPC no more than two years ago;
o a trainee solicitor; or
o a newly qualified solicitor, who is not yet one year qualified.
2. Have previous volunteering experience (this is preferable but not essential).
3. Be prepared to give one year's commitment to the Helpline.
4. Be committed to the TSG Helpline and agree to deal with calls as required and to complete call case sheets on a regular basis.
5. Have prior permission from your firm to become a Helpline volunteer, especially if you will be receiving calls during working hours, and you will need to confirm that they are willing to support you for a year.
6. Be available to attend the compulsory training weekend which is scheduled to take place on the 17th and 18th of February 2007. The location varies from year to year but all travel and accommodation expenses are paid for by the TSG.

 
Anyone interested in becoming a Helpline Volunteer for March 2007 should send a brief statement stating why they want to become a volunteer (no more than 1,000 words) to Yvonne Treacy, the TSG Liaison Officer at info@tsg.org .
The deadline for applying is Friday the 26th of January 2007. As places are limited, we will accept volunteers on a first come first serve basis.

We look forward to being flooded with responses!

TSG helpline volunteers are recruited in December / January of each year. An article is usually published in the autumn or winter issue of tsgLIFE magazine which gives an idea of what being a TSG helpline volunteer entails and inviting those interested to come forward. It is also possible to register at anytime by emailing info@tsg.org and ask to go on the waiting list (see below).

As explained below all new helpline volunteers attend a training weekend where they learn the skills they will require when taking helpline calls. This is held in February of each year, with the changeover in volunteers taking place in March.

Helpline volunteers are required to commit to the helpline for one year, however a small proportion often decide to stay on for another year. This is useful in providing some continuity amongst the volunteers and is also a reliable resource in terms of information and further advice.

Training Weekend

Volunteers receive an intensive weekend of training where they attend talks by members of the Law Society's Legal Education and Training Team and acquire in depth knowledge of the monitoring rules, the work of the monitoring unit, and the way that trainees can take action against their firms if necessary.

In addition the volunteers have workshops given by groups such as the Samaritans or LawCare where they are taught how to deal with emotional callers, how to draw information from first time callers and how to effectively communicate in order to give advice over the phone.

The weekend is very interactive and ensures that new helpline volunteers are equipped with the skills they will need to work on the helpline. It also allows the volunteers to get to know each other better, and a night out is arranged on the Saturday which always proves to be a lot of fun!

Support

All volunteers are part of a group e-mail system whereby they exchange information, talk to each other about difficult calls they have experienced, and generally support each other. Each volunteer is given a comprehensive information pack with advice sheets on issues which have been identified through previous calls and they also have important contact details to refer callers to the most appropriate point.

Eligibility criteria for becoming a TSG helpline volunteer

To qualify as a helpline volunteer you must:

1. Fall within the TSG membership, which means that you must be either:
   • a student studying an exempting law degree, the CPE, or the LPC;
   • a paralegal or post-graduate, who completed the LPC no more than two years ago;
   • a trainee solicitor; or
   • a newly qualified solicitor, who is not yet one year qualified.
2. Have previous volunteering experience (this is preferable but not essential).
3. Be prepared to give one year's commitment to the helpline.
4. Be committed to the TSG helpline and agree to deal with calls as required and to complete call case sheets on a regular basis.
5. Have prior permission from your firm to become a helpline volunteer, especially if you will be receiving calls during working hours, and you will need to confirm that they are willing to support you for a year.
6. Be available to attend a compulsory training weekend, which is usually held in February of each year. The location varies from year to year but all travel and accommodation expenses are paid for by the TSG.

How to apply

The TSG is always on the look-out for new volunteers and if you are interested in becoming a helpline volunteer for March 2007 then please contact The Law Society's Liaison Officer at info@tsg.org. Your name will be put on a waiting list and you will be contacted by email in December or January. Please note that places are limited and are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Personal experiences as a TSG helpline volunteer (Vidula Patiar, Education Officer)

"I have been a TSG helpline volunteer since March 2003. Working on the helpline is a rewarding experience and I would certainly recommend it to anyone who wants to help their peers. I have recently qualified and feel lucky to have received good quality training with no horrific experiences to recount. Unfortunately the picture is not so rosy for all trainees.

I have taken calls on a variety of issues ranging from straight-forward procedural question relating to transferring a training contract or qualifying as a solicitor, to more involved calls where the caller is being mistreated or bullied at work and is extremely distressed. Trainees can be unhappy at work for a number of reasons and sometimes they just want to know that they are not suffering alone. I am usually able to help out by providing practical advice to the caller, but in some cases it can be frustrating if I am unable to provide an immediate solution to the problem.

It is often difficult for callers to that first step of picking up the phone and giving the TSG helpline a call, but as volunteers we are always here to listen. Working as TSG volunteer allows you to support other trainees and understand the problems they are facing. By giving them just a little of your time you really can make a big difference."