Volunteering Matters are a national volunteering charity. We are looking "Family Support" Volunteers in the City of Edinburgh, who can offer practical, social and emotional support to a local family in need. Our Family Supporters programme recruits, trains and supports volunteers, matching them 1:1 with parents and families facing a range of life challenges and barriers. Volunteers help families, spending 1:1 time together on a personalised set of goals chosen by the family, for the family. These goals may including achieving improved living standards, building confidence and soft skills, budgeting, healthier eating, better school life, improving health and wellbeing or introducing parents to community resources, and lots more. If you have an understanding of the challenges that families are facing and would like to use your life experiences and skills to support others, this could be the role for you! As a volunteer, you will build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family.

Home-Start are looking for volunteers with parenting experience or experience of working/volunteering with children/families to help families (with at least one child aged 8 or under) who could use some additional support. Volunteers use their experiences of parenting or work/volunteering with children/families to help by offering emotional and practical support to families, with the aim of enabling them to lead less stressful and more enjoyable lives. The needs of individual families will vary but as a Home-visiting Volunteer you could be involved in anything from engaging in fun activities with the children and helping parents with managing behaviour to practical or emotional support for the families. We take all our volunteers through a FREE training course to ensure that they are fully prepared and confident in the role. This is a great opportunity to grow and gain experience in a support-focused role. You'll also have the chance to meet new people, learn new skills and use your knowledge to improve the lives of local families and children. Usually volunteers support families for around 2-3 hours a week and the time is flexible to suit your availability.

Volunteering Matters Overview At Volunteering Matters we believe everyone in the UK should have the opportunity to thrive, so we bring people together to overcome some of society’s most complex issues through the power of volunteering. We partner with communities to overcome adversity, tackling social isolation and loneliness, improving health, developing skills and opportunities. And because we’re a national charity, we do this at scale, sharing our expertise and building partnerships to make an even bigger impact. We turn local knowledge and energy into action and progress, building stronger communities and a better future for all. Project Overview Our Family Supporters in Edinburgh project offers practical and emotional support to families across the city of Edinburgh, empowering them to face a range of life challenges. We recruit, train and match dedicated, local volunteers to help families every step of the way, spending 1-1 time together on a personalised set of goals chosen by the family, for the family. We can help in many ways, such as improved living standards, budgeting, healthier eating, better school life and behaviour, access to health and wellbeing aid, as well as introducing parents to community resources, to name a few. So far, thousands of families across the UK have benefitted from our service and we are now delighted to extend the programmes reach to families in Edinburgh. Who can volunteer with us? Our volunteers are locally based people with an understanding of the challenges that families are facing. Aged 18+, each volunteer brings different life experiences and skills that they can use to help the family they are matched to, offering support on a weekly basis for an hour or so each week, usually for 6-9 months at a time that suits everyone. They build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family. All volunteers are interviewed, trained to the highest standards and undergo disclosure checks before being matched with a family. We also encourage and welcome volunteers who have the ability to speak multiple languages join our team! What can we offer volunteers? As well as the sense of achievement that comes through supporting a family, our volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and develop new skills, attend social events with other volunteers and enhance their employability. Certificates are provided upon completion of induction training and at the end of the commitment, with project staff happy to provide references for future studies or employment.

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.