ASLAN
Best Practice Guide: Passage
Day Centre
This guide is to help ASLAN
team leaders & deputies in providing a consistent and ever-improving
quality of service: Both to those who come in as clients on Saturday mornings
and to the Passage staff. It is divided into 3 Sections as follows:
1) Preparing for the Saturday morning
2) Duties for the Saturday morning
3) Follow-through actions
Team leaders or deputies
email or call their volunteers at the start of the week of their duty to remind
them to come. There should be a minimum of 4 people including either a team
leader/deputy ready from 9am until midday, in order for the main part of the
centre to be open. It is suggested that Team leaders ensure they have a minimum
of 6 volunteers confirmed and aim to have up to 10 available (1 of whom has
done the Food Hygiene training) to ensure a top quality session. (See: 2 - 8.55
- 9.00 a.m. - below)
Team leaders or ‘a delegated
team member’ check they have the next-week’s Clubhouse invites and £20 to pay
for the fruit, plus details of any ASLAN notices to be passed on to volunteers.
Team leaders and/or
deputies/volunteers say prayers in the days leading up to the Saturday, for the
safe arrival and guidance/protection of all volunteers, full-time Passage staff
(FTPS) & ‘clients’, and for a blessed session with a good atmosphere.
2. Duties for
the Saturday morning:
Team leaders, deputies and
volunteers arrive at 8.30 a.m.
8.30 - 8.45 a.m.: Check that there are enough sandwiches prepared to
last at least the first hour or so. There are usually both pre-packed and
home-made sandwiches ready for use. Try to have a mixture available from the
start to suit all preferences. Switch the hot water on and prepare the
Tea/Coffee pots. (1 large pot of tea with sugar, tea no sugar, white coffee
& a small one for black coffee) FTPS sometimes do this.
FTPS normally set-up the
tables & chairs in the main part of the Passage.
8.45 a.m.: Team leaders and volunteers meet in the staff room
for 5 minutes to:
a) Make any introductions for new volunteers as necessary
b) Announcements (both from ASLAN & The Passage if
there are any)
c) Planning (i.e. organising who will do each main job -
front serving, runner, refilling coffee & tea pots, making sandwiches, preparing
hot food, giving out invites)
d) Say a brief prayer (as per 1) above)
e) Remind volunteers not to leave valuables in the staff
area. (They can keep them in the
kitchen cupboards)
f) Check that 1 of the team present has done the Food
Hygiene Training
8.55 – 9.00 a.m.: Finish making tea & coffee, and do final
preparations for opening at 9 a.m.
9.00 a.m. - midday: Clients come in, use the facilities and have
refreshments from volunteers at the serving counter. The key areas for teams to
address each week are:
a) Fruit: Once the initial rush has died down and depending on
how much fruit has been given to the Passage, one or two of the volunteers go
and spend up to £20 either at the Fruit Stall at the end of Carlisle Place or
at Sainsbury’s. They buy fruit that can be cut up in the Passage & eaten on
the spot, to help ensure there’s some for everyone and that it doesn’t end up
causing litter (and thus complaints) in the streets outside. The receipt should be kept, and sent to the
Treasurer to reclaim. (3c below)
b) Frequently Asked
Questions: If any of the guests
ask about medical attention, the Passage’s mail/parcel receiving service,
advice on housing, jobs etc, refer them to the FTPS. There is an ASLAN
information sheet that can be given out by volunteers, with Phone/Address of
centres/helplines and support organisations.
c) ASLAN Entertainment
Events: Team leaders, deputies,
or ‘a delegated team member’ (normally someone who has been to 1 or more
entertainment events, thus understanding what the invite is for) give out the
invites and note down the names of those invited, both on the invitation, and
on a list. Specify that guests must have the invite with them on arrival, and
point out the map, which gives them directions.
d) Volunteer/Task
rotation: Team leaders/deputies should be sensitive to allowing
volunteers to have coffee breaks & a change of role during the morning.
This is a chance to share the key jobs, and give people new experiences,
observe individual strengths, and spot opportunities for encouraging leadership
and greater involvement in ASLAN. To encourage volunteers to meet/talk with
guests, a practical way is to ask them to collect up the empties/rubbish in a
bag or with a tray during the service. Always keep at least 1 male volunteer at
the front counter, for security purposes.
e) Food/Drink per
person/special requests: As a
rule of thumb, it’s suggested that each client gets 1 set of sandwiches and 1
Tea/Coffee each time, and that if they want more, to join the queue and bring
their cup for a refill. If asked, it sometimes helps just to explain (gently)
that we have to try and make sure there is enough for everyone throughout the
whole morning. This also refers to filling up bottles/special requests for
extra sandwiches to take out. Again, unless specifically requested by the FTPS,
it’s best to explain that if we give it to one client we have to give it to
everyone, and that we would run out of everything. They normally understand.
f) Making sandwiches: Check with FTPS what they want to be used up from the
supplies in the fridge including ‘hot food’, and whether/how many sandwiches
they need to be prepared for the next day. Always ask those working on the
sandwiches to wash their hands regularly, and to use the gloves as necessary.
Try to balance out the different 'fillings’ across the morning, creating a good
variety, with some jam/marmalade ones if possible. Try to prepare hot food (if
available) quite early on.
g) Clearing up: At about 11.40 a.m. Team leaders or deputies start to
plan the cleaning. Get the big brushes, mops & buckets from the yard.
Allocate 1-2 males to clean the men’s loos, 1 female for the ladies, and the
rest of the team to sweep up, mop up, clean the tables & kitchen surfaces
and empty the bins, using all the cleaning materials (bleach, cleaner, cloths,
gloves & bin-bags, found in the kitchen area. Mops, buckets & brushes
are in the yard).
Depending on the number of
volunteers, a good split is: 2 people to sweep/mop Passage (1 from either end),
1 to clean the tables, 2 to wash up & clear up kitchen/coffee making area
and the space between the kitchen & the Passage, 1 to collect rubbish/
replace bins. The team leader/deputy then checks all the work areas and makes
sure everywhere is clean, that bins are replaced and that all equipment is put
away. Start the cleaning at midday, aiming to be finished by 12.25-12.30.
h) Completion: Have a
quick debrief/prayer in the staff area, and ask all volunteers, particularly
any new ones if they have any concerns or aspects of the work they want/need to
discuss, either on a one-to-one basis or in the team. Check/update any email
addresses/contact details as necessary (Every volunteer who works with ASLAN
has to be registered on the Membership list for Insurance Purposes). Check with
FTPS that all is OK their side/any announcements. Some teams like to go for a
coffee together locally, helping to get to know each other & relax after
the work.
3. Follow-through
actions:
Team leaders, deputies, or
‘the delegated team member’:
a) call the Entertainment
Event team leader with the names of those given invites for the following
Saturday.
b) update the membership
secretary about any new volunteers, liaise with ASLAN prayer team on any
special matters they feel need to be prayed about, either relating to the
Passage, the ASLAN team or the guests.
c) attend the ASLAN team
leaders’ meeting/week-end as appropriate, and send fruit invoices to the
Treasurer for expenses reclaims.
Authors: ASLAN Passage
team leaders
Last Revised: July-September
2001