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Family Support Volunteer (Home-Visiting)

  • VO90216

Description

Volunteers are the heart of Home-Start, and they are looking for kind, compassionate individuals to join the team of Home-Visiting and Group Support Volunteers.

WHERE: In your community
WHEN At a time that suits you
COMMITMENT: 2 hours a week (flexible to your availability)
TRAINING PROVIDED: Yes

ABOUT:
Home-Start Clackmannanshire offers guidance, friendship, and practical support to families across Clackmannanshire with at least one child under twelve. They work with families to help them overcome issues impacting their lives through various family support services. Every family is unique. However, common issues they support include loneliness, mental health difficulties, bereavement, family breakdown, addiction, and physical ill-health. They've been supporting local families across Clackmannanshire since 1988. The Home-Start team (staff, volunteers and trustees) are committed to ensuring that children are given the best possible start in life as #childhoodcantwait.

THE ROLE OF HOME-VISITING VOLUNTEERS:
They seek individuals with parenting/caring experience to offer practical peer support to local families. Having this life experience and understanding that sometimes family life can be challenging is why volunteer support is so powerful and valuable in supporting other families.

Their home-visiting volunteers operate within the family setting – in their homes and supporting them to connect with their local community. Your role will be based on the family's needs. This could involve practical tasks such as helping them to get out of the house and go to a local park, encouraging them to attend appointments, offering guidance in setting household routines, or simply providing a listening ear.

Home-Start volunteers aim to build the confidence and independence of their matched family by:
• Offering support, friendship, and practical help.
• Committing to 2 hours per week home-visiting, according to the family's needs.
• Visiting the families in their own homes, where the dignity and identity of everyone can be respected and protected.
• Reassuring families that difficulties in bringing up children are not unusual.
• Emphasising the positive aspects of family life.
• Developing a relationship with the family where time can be shared and an understanding developed, providing a regular, reliable presence in that family.
• Drawing on their own life experiences to encourage parents' strengths and emotional well-being for the ultimate benefit of their children/family.
• Encouraging families to widen their network of relationships and to engage with broader support and services available in their community.

TRAINING:
The home-visiting and group support volunteers must complete a 6–7-week preparation course.

This provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and truly understand the importance of your role whilst also giving staff the time to get to know you so they can match you with the right family/group.

The training is designed by family practitioners and experts in the industry and covers essential information, including:

  • The role of a Home-Start volunteer
  • Values, attitudes, and inclusivity
  • Confidentiality
  • Listening and communication
  • Meeting the needs of families and children
  • Safeguarding

REQUIREMENTS:
Volunteers are required to:

  • Have some form of parenting/caring experience.
  • Commit to the training programme.
  • Commit to regular family support/group sessions.
  • Provide two references (character or professional).
  • Join the PVG scheme (Home-Start will support this process). Having a criminal conviction does not necessarily exclude you from volunteering with Home-Start. If you are concerned about this, please get in touch).
  • Understand that support provided to families is entirely confidential.
  • Have a non-judgemental attitude.
  • Adhere to their policies and procedures to protect themselves and the families.

ONGOING SUPPORT:
Each volunteer has a dedicated Family Support Co-ordinator who will be their main point of contact and provide support throughout their volunteering journey.

Given the nature of this role, they have a robust preparation course and induction. Chances for ongoing training, development, and social opportunities are provided throughout the year (they have a volunteer calendar of events). Home-Start are also committed to supporting the team to develop, so if a training or learning need/interest arises outside the calendar, they will do their best to help you access it.

This is an incredibly rewarding role, and you will have the chance to be part of a vital local service and a global network of Home-Starts. All volunteers are provided with travel expenses. References are available for volunteers.

Both the premises and group premises are fully accessible. Please note we cannot guarantee family homes are accessible, but we will take accessibility requirements into account when matching volunteers with a family.

Organisation aims and objectives

We are a local charity supporting young families across Clackmannanshire who are struggling due to mental health illness, domestic abuse, disability and loneliness. We provide a package of emotional, social, financial and practical support consisting of regular home-visiting support from a Family Support Volunteer as well as direct support from a Family Support Co-ordinator, as well as a cluster of family support groups running in Alloa, Tullibody and Tillicoultry to being families together, to encourage community engagement, positive parenting and opportunities to enjoy activities as a family unit.

Availability

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening

Frequency and commitment details

2 hours per week. Volunteers are expected to commit themselves to at least one year of volunteering.

Restrictions

Over 18.
Experience required: Volunteers are required to: - Have some form of parenting/caring experience. - Commit to the training programme. - Commit to regular family support/group sessions. - Provide two references (character or professional). - Join the PVG scheme (Home-Start will support this process). Having a criminal conviction does not necessarily exclude you from volunteering with Home-Start. If you are concerned about this, please get in touch). - Understand that support provided to families is entirely confidential. - Have a non-judgemental attitude. - Adhere to their policies and procedures to protect themselves and the families.
Minimum age: 18

Support

Expenses paid: Yes
Training details: The home-visiting and group support volunteers must complete a 6–7-week preparation course. This provides an opportunity for you to ask questions and truly understand the importance of your role whilst also giving staff the time to get to know you so they can match you with the right family/group. The training is designed by family practitioners and experts in the industry and covers essential information, including: - The role of a Home-Start volunteer - Values, attitudes, and inclusivity - Confidentiality - Listening and communication - Meeting the needs of families and children - Safeguarding
Support: Named Contact For Volunteer,
Wheelchair Access/Disabled Access Toilet

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