Are you caring, non-judgmental, empathetic and passionate about supporting others? Can you commit to our training course and give a little of your time each week to support families across Scotland If so, please get in touch - we’d love to hear from you. At Children 1st our ambition is for every child in Scotland to be safe, loved and well with their family. As a charity we offer emotional, practical, and financial support to help families to put children first and campaign to uphold the rights of every child. With over 25 years of experience, Children 1st Parentline is more than just a helpline. It is a national digital family support service which provides one easy point of immediate access for families to receive a range of support bespoke to them, to help them cope with the challenges they face whether practical or emotional. Through our relationships with parents and carers, we promote early intervention, supporting families to build resilience and prevent those challenges from escalating. Volunteering for Children 1st Parentline is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families across Scotland. “I would say if you’re thinking about volunteering, just go for it. Everyone has something to bring, and it can lead you to places that you might not have thought about or even thought possible.” (Helpline Volunteer) What will I be doing? As a Helpline Volunteer you would provide emotional and practical support and advice about anything to do with children to adults by phone, webchat and email. Offering a kind and skilled listening ear you would build supportive relationships and work in partnership with Helpline Supervisors to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is a central focus of all contacts. As every family is different you would work alongside individuals to think through what would work best for them and their children and where appropriate signpost them to other sources of support. “No matter how many calls I have taken, I still find that there are no such things as two identical calls. Every person is an individual with their own particular issues and this keeps you interested in the role.” (Helpline Volunteer) You will become part of a friendly, supportive team where trained staff are always on hand to provide support and guidance. Our volunteers tell us that they develop lifelong skills and gain practical experience which are valuable to them in many different ways. “As a Helpline Volunteer you develop valuable and very transferable skills, communication and listening skills being big part of that. My time at Parentline increased confidence in my abilities and has since led me into employment in the advice area and into a job that I would not have thought about or have had the relevant skills to approach, had it not been for the skills I’ve learnt at Parentline.” (Helpline Volunteer) What do I need to know? A caring, kind and non-judgemental response can make a real difference to someone who wants to talk. No previous experience or formal qualifications are necessary however good communication skills are essential to enable you to listen to and support those who contact Children 1st Parentline. The helpline is open Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and 9am-12 noon Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. On completion of training, we ask our volunteers to give a weekly commitment of around 4 hours for a minimum of a year. There are a range of options for days/times based at the Children 1st Edinburgh office. Training and support We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need. Our next training course will run on the following dates: • Sat 19th Oct – 9.30am-4.30pm • Sat 26th Oct – 9.30am-4.30pm • Sat 2nd Nov – 9.30am-4.30pm • Weds 6th Nov – 5.45pm-9.00pm • Weds 13th Nov - 5.45pm-9.00pm Training sessions will take place at our office: 83 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh, EH9 1AT. We are planning to start another training course January 2025 so please get in touch if the dates above don’t suit you. We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role. Further Information If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions please get in touch via volunteer@children1st.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you. To apply please select the link below.

Would you like to help to support children, young people and families in Midlothian? Are you able to offer a few hours of your time each week? If so, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. Children 1st works to keep children and young people safe, well, and loved within their families and communities. This volunteering opportunity will be based within the Children 1st Midlothian Family Wellbeing Service which supports children and young people across Midlothian. Volunteering with the Midlothian team will complement the support families receive from the wider team to help build confidence and stronger family relationships, reduce isolation, build stability in their recovery, and promote a sense of belonging with their wider community. It is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families across Midlothian and develop valuable skills, knowledge and experience. “I love my role as a Family Wellbeing and Befriending Volunteer. I get to see young people flourish and thrive throughout my time with them, I get to help build their confidence and see them come into their own. It’s a privilege to be a part of their journey.” (Children 1st Volunteer) What will I be doing? We know that safe, supportive and trusting relationships are an essential part of building families’ confidence, resilience and wellbeing. Our volunteers build relationships with families in the following ways: • Befriending – building a positive 1 to 1 relationship with a child or young person and supporting them to take part in a range of activities within their community and to build their confidence and self esteem. What you do together will depend on the interests of the child and could include taking them to a local park, art and craft activities, attending events in the community and much more. • Parent Mentoring - develop a trusting 1 to 1 relationship with a parent/carer with the aim of helping them to increase their confidence and promote good mental-health and well-being. What you do together will be based on individual needs and interests and could include support to attend activities in the local community and help with attending appointments. • Group Work – working alongside Children 1st staff to create a warm and welcoming environment for parents/carers and/or children and young people attending group sessions, trips, and activities run by the service. We will explore further what families need and the skills and qualities you could bring to one of these roles at interview and during training and induction. Please see the role description below for more information about the role. Training and support We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need. We plan to start our next training course in November 2025 (exact dates TBC) which will run from our Midlothian base in Eskbank. We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role. Further information You don’t need to have any specific previous experience or formal qualifications although some understanding of issues affecting children, young people and families and good communication skills will be helpful. We are seeking to further enhance our diversity from the perspective of ethnic origin, sexual orientation, gender and disability. We also have an interest in hearing from people with lived experience of substance use (whether their own or as a loved one), poor mental health and those who are care-experienced. We ask volunteers to commit to giving a few hours a week for at least a year. If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions please get in touch via volunteer@children1st.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you. To apply please follow the link below.

Do you love to spend time outdoors and understand the benefits that this can bring? Can you spare a few hours a month to share this with families to support their emotional wellbeing and build connections in their local community? If so, please get in touch, we’d love to hear from you. At Children 1st our ambition is for every child in Scotland to be safe, loved and well with their family. As a charity we offer emotional, practical, and financial support to help families to put children first and campaign to uphold the rights of every child. Children 1st Bide Oot works alongside families from all over Scotland offering opportunities to support their wellbeing through spending time in the outdoors. We provide families with the chance to try new skills, sports and activities together during a residential weekend. After a residential trip we offer family activity sessions with local communities to encourage families to continue to benefit from spending time outdoors and provide opportunities to build local connections. We are looking for volunteers to support Children 1st staff to enable families to participate as fully possible in in family activity sessions in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian. What would I be doing? Family activity sessions provide families with opportunities to socialise and spend time with like-minded people while trying activities such as forest walks, beach combing, cook outs, archery, climbing, watersports, hill walks, foraging and bush craft. You would work alongside Children 1st staff to build positive relationships with families and provide support before and during the sessions in a range of ways. The way that you do this will depend on the individual needs of families and the type of activity and could include: • Providing practical support for families to get to and from local activities, e.g. by driving them or travelling with them on public transport. • Providing support and encouragement to children, young people and parents/carers during the session to help them participate in activities and build their confidence, e.g. being alongside them when meeting new people or joining new groups; talking with them to help ease anxiety or settle nerves; help to highlight what they are good at; advocate on their behalf when needed. • Helping Children 1st staff with the practical elements of running the session, e.g. preparing tea/coffees/snacks and setting up equipment. Families who have experienced Bide Oot say it has helped them strengthen relationships, built their confidence and had a long-term positive impact on their mental health, relationships, and emotional wellbeing. Volunteering with us is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families and develop valuable skills, knowledge and experience. Please see the role description below for more information about the role. Training and support We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need. We are planning to start our next training course in November 2025 (exact dates TBC) which will run from our Midlothian base in Eskbank. We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role. Further information You don’t need to have any specific previous experience or formal qualifications although you should have an interest in spending time outdoors, good communication skills and some understanding of issues affecting children, young people and families. A full driving licence and access to a vehicle is desirable but if you don’t have this please get in touch for a chat about what the options might be. After training we would ask you to commit to giving 4-8 hours a month for at least three months. If you would be interested in offering more time than this we would be more than happy to chat to you about it. If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions please get in touch via volunteer@children1st.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you.