Home-Visiting Volunteer
Home-Start is one of the leading family support charities in the UK. Home-Start volunteers support families by providing a weekly, one-to-one home-visiting service and a wide range of targeted support for parents and their children. We help families from all backgrounds, with at least one child in the household under the age of 5 years, through their most challenging times.
We support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for their children. With your knowledge and experience you could be the vital support a family in Warrington needs and make a big difference in their lives.
Your role will be to offer support to a Warrington family you are matched with and support them in the way that they would like: this may include help with practical tasks such as getting out of the house, attending appointments, an extra pair of hands on a trip to the park or a playgroup, role-modelling how to play with children or helping to get organised. It could also involve empathising and supporting through emotional issues in a compassionate and non-judgmental way. All visits are a maximum of three hours, once per week and all take place Monday to Thursday, between 9am and 4pm (and only when our office is open).
Free, full training for all volunteers is provided by online modules and four, weekly, face to face sessions with one of our Family Support Coordinators to include;
The role of a Home-Start volunteer
Values, attitudes and inclusivity
Confidentiality
Listening and communication
Meeting the needs of families and children
Safeguarding
Volunteers will receive ongoing support and supervision from our Family Support Coordinators and there are opportunities for further training.
A Home-Start volunteer should:
- Have experience working with children, including being a parent/step parent
- Be prepared to undertake the Home-Start preparation training course
- Have a positive, non-judgemental attitude to working with people of any gender, family status or sexual identity, or who are from any ethnic origin, culture or religion, or who may have a disability
- Demonstrate a sensitive and caring attitude towards others
- Have a clear understanding of the confidential nature of the Home-Start service, and not to break confidences shared by the family, other than when disclosure is essential in order to protect the wellbeing or safety of a child
- Have time and enthusiasm for Home-Start, be reliable and understand the importance of reliability to the family
- Have good communication skills including an ability to listen
- Have a warm and open personality and a sense of humour
- Be able to work as a member of a team
- Be prepared to keep records as required by the scheme
- Be prepared to attend group support meetings and ongoing or refresher training required by the scheme
- Be prepared to attend supervision with the Organiser every six weeks
Home-Start Warrington and Cheshire is committed to safer recruitment practise as an important part of safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults. Any offer of a voluntary role is subject to a satisfactory enhanced DBS check, two satisfactory references and to have completed our preparation course and signed our Code of Conduct and relevant policies and procedures before they will be able to volunteer with a family or at one of our groups or events.
Job Type: Volunteer
Location:
- Warrington, Cheshire (required)
Work Location: In person
Reference ID: Home Visiting Volunteer - Warrington
