Volunteer referees form an important part of the CABA team, providing support through regular contact for Beneficiaries, whether in the UK or Overseas.

Referees are our local link with Beneficiaries. Often, this face to face contact can mean as much to the Beneficiary as the financial assistance that is provided.

All Beneficiaries living in the UK receive a visit from a CABA Case Officer shortly after they make their initial application for assistance but it is not possible for Case Officers to visit on a regular basis. Referees normally live or work in the same vicinity as the Beneficiary and become the 'face of CABA'. Referees notice when a change in the level of financial help could be appropriate, assist with the completion of application forms if required, advise CABA staff of changes in circumstances, and generally hearten the Beneficiary.

Your Commitment

As a minimum, we ask all Referees to visit the Beneficiary:

• within 3 weeks of appointment
• after a further six months, either through another visit or by telephone,
• again around the time of their renewal application to CABA at 12 months.

Further contact will follow this pattern and you will be contacted by the Case Officer, asking you to visit at the time of the annual application renewal. This is all that we ask of volunteers but, of course, you and the Beneficiary may wish to make contact more often and we will be delighted if this is the case.

The work of a Referee

The role of Referee can be very rewarding and you govern the amount of time you give and when you make contact, so long as it meets the minimum commitment outlined above.  We know of good friendships that have developed between Referee and Beneficiary, and we often receive letters from Beneficiaries saying how much they appreciate their Referee. 

You will help both CABA and the Beneficiary by:

• Visiting the Beneficiary in their home once a year.
  
• Making a second contact with them approximately six months later, either through a second visit or by telephone.
  
• Submitting a short report to CABA on each occasion.
  
• Making CABA aware of any change in circumstances.

You may also choose to help by:

• Helping the Beneficiary to complete their application form if they are finding this difficult for any reason.
  
• Providing information on additional services that may be available to help the Beneficiary.

Making and maintaining Contact

Initially we will forward details of the Beneficiary and ask you to contact them to arrange a suitable time for your first visit.

After your initial visit, we ask that all Beneficiaries make contact with their Referee through our offices and we will pass on their request without delay. You may then make contact at a time convenient to you. As you get to know each other, you may wish to give the Beneficiary a contact telephone number but this is not a requirement.

Becoming a CABA Referee

As a member of a professional body, you will understand that we need to set a standard that is appropriate for volunteers visiting our Beneficiaries. Beneficiaries include Members, former Members, their families and dependants, and registered Chartered Accountancy students.  CABA has made a policy decision that all UK volunteers will receive appropriate training and must be willing to complete a selection process, including obtaining a Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure, prior to appointment. There is no cost to our volunteers.

Prior to appointment, all prospective volunteers attend an induction. It takes the form of a half-day course aimed at equipping you with information about CABA's benefits, explaining what we need from our Referees, and giving you the confidence to work effectively in this role. 

Overseas Referees

For Referees residing overseas, we may wish to obtain references or recommendations.

We are unable to provide training overseas but we can provide information based on the induction training and the Referee Manual.  Our UK staff are available to discuss any questions or difficulties which might arise.  Should an Overseas Referee be visiting the UK and wish to participate in the training available, we would make every effort to ensure this takes place.

Part of the Team

As you establish a relationship with the Beneficiary, you will also be providing reports to the Case Officer who has been appointed to work with the Beneficiary. Your contact and working relationship with the Case Officer is integral to the provision of appropriate and timely support to the Beneficiary.  The Case Officers and Volunteers’ Co-ordinator are also able to provide information, support and advice concerning any issues relating to working with a Beneficiary.

Further Training for Referees

In addition to a six-monthly informative Newsletter, we hold a popular weekend Volunteers' Conference every other year. 

Additional Information

For further information please contact the Volunteers' Co-ordinator at CABA, on +44 (0)1788 556366 if you would like more information on the role of a CABA Referee or for an informal chat.