Activity group driver and reserve driver training

Training 3: on the day of the activity group

On the day of the activity group

It’s always a good idea to call the older person you’re due to collect on the morning of the activity group to make sure they’re still happy and able to attend.

When it comes to picking up each older person from their home, remember to give yourself plenty of time so that they don’t feel rushed. In general, it’s a good idea to aim to arrive at the activity group venue around five or ten minutes before the start time, but the most important thing is that all the older people are safe and comfortable.

Please make sure that you park safely and appropriately and that you look out for hazards nearby that might make it difficult for the older people to access your car, for example, uneven paving or an overgrown hedge.

Older people often need a fully opened car door to enable them to get in and please make sure that you have the activity group coordinator’s phone number with you when you’re collecting the older people for the activity group, just in case there’s an issue when you’re picking them up or during your drive to the activity group venue, for example, if an older person doesn’t answer the door despite repeated knocking and/or ringing the doorbell.

The journey

You must drive safely and carefully when transporting your older people to and from the activity group. Older people can struggle more with motion sickness and maintaining their position in a moving car, so please try to drive as smoothly as possible.

The journey to and from the activity group can be a great opportunity for you to chat with the older people and get to know them (unless, of course, they would rather just have a quiet drive and look at the view!).

Here are some ideas for conversation starters:

• What is their favourite TV or radio show?
• What did they used to do before they retired?
• Have they always lived in this area?

Reporting safeguarding issues or concerns

If, during the activity group or whilst driving, someone tells you something that concerns you, for example, something that makes you worry that they might be at risk of harm or neglect, please speak to the group coordinator about this in private as soon as possible.

They will then share this with Re-engage as part of our safeguarding policy. It’s important that you don’t promise to keep anything that anyone discloses to you a secret and that you don’t offer to help them ‘fix’ any problems they are facing.

During the activity group

During the activity group your role is to chat with the older people, initiating conversations that focus on the older people themselves and gently encouraging people to come out of their shell if they seem uncertain.

As Re-engage staff and volunteers, we all have a responsibility to look out for each other’s health and safety. Many older people have mobility issues and may be more at risk of accidents. To help keep everyone safe at the activity group, please keep an eye out for the following health and safety concerns:

• Trip hazards, such as people’s bags or the edge of a rug.
• Slip hazards, such as spilled drinks or a recently mopped floor.
• Burning or scalding risks, such as an older guest leaning to pick up a mug of hot tea which might be too heavy for them.

If you see any potential hazards during the activity group, please alert the rest of the group and support the activity group volunteers to remove or reduce any risks for example, helping to move objects that someone might trip over into another room.

After the activity group

After the activity group all that’s left is to drive the older people back home safely and to remind them of the activity group the following month.

Help and support

If you’ve any questions or queries about activity groups, please take a look at our library of FAQs on the Re-engage website which are regularly reviewed.

You can also contact the Re-engage team by emailing knowledge@reengage.org.uk or by calling 020 7240 0630 (office hours 9am-5pm Monday to Friday).

Congratulations!

You’ve completed your activity group driver and reserve driver training with Re-engage.

We hope you enjoy your time as a volunteer with Re-engage. Thank you so much for your support.