Being a volunteer in l'Arche means
sharing your home daily life with
people with learning disabilities

It means committing yourself to a social project
whilst benefiting from a legally recognizedstatus as a volonteer in France.

This offers a unique experience in life long
training and regarding personal development,
as shown in the testimonies of former volunteers.

Are you interested?
Apply here. !

Daily Life

The volunteer at l'Arche shares his or her daily life with a wide diversity of people : people with learning disability, assistants commited for the long or medium term to l'Arche, other volonteers from all over the world, men and women differing in age, in religious and cultural backgrounds...

Volunteer lives in a home where he or she eats, sleeps and socialises.
The volonteer has two hours off a day, 24 hours off a week, one weekend off a month and 5 weeks' holiday a year.
The volunteer at L'Arche is the member of a team whose primary role is to ensure that the person with a learning disability is 'at home' in the community. The team is made up of a salaried team leader and two or three volunteers.

The team ensures that :

• the home is safe, clean and hospitable;
• The home should offer to all a sense of wellbeing, a place for personal growth and positive creative communication.
• The people with a learning disability are supported, according to their individual needs, with their personal care, their meals and daiy living needs.
• The people with a learning disability are supported, again according to their needs and wishes, to social and medical appointments and events taking place outside the home;
• The people with learning disabilities are encouraged to reach a maximum level of independence.

Each team member is expected to :

• take an active part in the organisation and life of the home;
• participate in meetings in a spirit of co-operation and openness;
• help in events for the community as a whole.

Status

Volunteers commit
to a social humanitarian project
whilst benefiting from a legally recognized status
according to French Law.

One commmitment may nevertheless
have a different status :

• Volunteers in organizations : This is the status given to volunteers who are over 16 years of age - with no upper age limit - and from the European Union or resident in France for at least a year. They can be offered a contract of up to 24 months.
  Further information on that legal status.
• Volunteers in community and social work This is the status given to volunteers aged between 18 and 28, who are of French nationality or from the European Union. They can be offered a contract lasting from 6 to 24 months. Their status as volunteer can be taken into account as part of a pension scheme, and can contribute to formal experiential work qualifications.
  Further information on that legal status.
• Voluntary Civil Service This offers the choice between the two forms of volunteer status described above. The volunteer wishing to join this category needs to be aged between 16 and 25 years, to be French or a coninuous or regular resident of France for over a year and can be offered a contract of 6, 9 or 12 months.
  Further information on that legal status.

L'Arche in Paris welcomes volunteers aged over 18 years for a period of at least 10 months. L'Arche in Paris offers its volunteers the volunteer status most suited to the volunteer's age, national status and the community's needs. The same requirements in terms of daily tasks and role expectations are made of all volunteers regardless of their volunteer status.

In concret terms :

• Volunteer status is formalised through a signed contract or a form issued by the Parisian Local Authority.
• The volunteers live in the home where they are lodged, fed and use laundry facilities.
• In exchange for their presence in the home, they receive 352,70 euros a month. Their food and lodging is provided over and above this.
• They benefit from a complete social cover.
• Volunteers are insured if they are not already suitably covered.
• Volunteers are entitled to their time off in each month they work.
• Volunteers are given some training enabling them to carry out their duties in the best possible circumstances.
• Each new volunteer has a named person to accompany and mentor them through the first stages of daily life in community.

Training

A volunteer can gain experience and skills which are highly recognised in the world of work during the course of a year's work in l'Arche.

• At the end of a year's work, volunteers can emphasise skills gained in team work, initiative, taking responsibility, managing a budget, communication skills. Foreigners will of course have gained competence in French.
• Volunteers willing to apply for training and careers in medical or social professions can rely on a solid annual 80 hours training provided by l'Arche. This training is both theory and practice based, including food and hygiene, health and safety, definitions of disability, personal care, spirituality, family relationships, mental illness, sexuality and intimacy, challenging behaviour and working in a team. This training enables volunteers to carry out their required tasks and responsibilities, with reflection and self-awareness.

Applying

Trial periods

The candidate is invited to spend a week in a home to find out what it's all about. The candidate can then decide whether to set out on the month's trial period, as a volunteer, in a home,

At the end of this period the volunteer and the community decide whether or not the volunteer is ready and willing to commit to a year in the community.

Click here for the application form.

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