Barnardo’s is committed to providing ‘Better Outcomes for More Children’. Our children’s services volunteers help the charity to deliver essential services in local communities, providing support to over 300,000 children, young people and their families. This role provides a great opportunity to join our fantastic children’s services and help make a real difference. **Barnardo’s Family Support - Helpline Volunteers** provide an essential support service to children and families in our local communities. Our volunteers provide confidential and impartial information, advice and support for parents, carers, children and young people (up to 25 years) about local services and provision that may be useful to them. Contact will be mainly through our helpline, but may also be via email or face to face on occasion. We are looking for individuals passionate about helping people get the right advice and support they need. You will be responsible for handling initial contact with family’s and young people who are contacting the service looking for advice or support; gathering information regarding their situation, needs, and contact information. That will be used to decide what support and referrals can be offered to help the contacting family. Volunteers will also have the option to undergo IPSA level 1 training, completion of this training will allow volunteers to have more responsibility regarding the handling of calls, including being able to give direct advice and support to callers of the SENDIASS hotline. The service is based in Hillside Family Centre; however, we can base you among any of the Sandwell family centres, if Hillside is not reasonable travel, please speak to your interviewing volunteer coordinator and they can discuss other centres to be based in. We are looking for volunteers to respond to enquiries, who are excellent communicators and looking to make a difference in the lives of young people and their families.
Are you able to offer information, support and signposting to children and young people accessing our helplines?
Tasks: Providing information and advice to children and young people who access our service via our helpline..
Encouraging children and families to access resources, groups and activities within their local community, such as after school activities, youth groups, and sports clubs.
Promoting and encouraging service users to make active choices and informed decisions.
Providing emotional/moral support for children and families, while maintaining an appropriate volunteer/service user rapport.
Adhering to Barnardo's policies and procedures at all times, including Barnardo's: Safeguarding; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Health & Safety; Data Protection; Confidentiality; Recording policies and procedures.
Participating fully in training and supervision.
Volunteering within Barnardo's Values and Behaviours.
Skills: Reliable, punctual and trustworthy.
Approachable and welcoming.
Good communication skills and ability to support children and families from a range of backgrounds.
The ability to ask questions and take feedback.
Good IT skills and be computer literate.
Flexible, committed and responsive to the needs of young people and families accessing the service.
Being self-disciplined, self-motivated and self-reliant.
Benefits: Full induction and training.
Other training opportunities relevant to the volunteer role.
Regular supervision and support.
Out of pocket expenses agreed in advance.
Access to the Barnardo’s internal vacancy listing.
Our volunteers tell us about lots of other benefits of volunteering including; experience of working with children, young people and families; experience for your CV; supporting your local community; meeting new people; increasing self-confidence; feeling like you are making a difference; improving your health and wellbeing; and a chance to contribute to a worthwhile children’s charity.
Disclaimer: We look to recruit a diverse range of volunteers. If your skills don't fit the role exactly, please do not let this put you off as we are able to be flexible with most of our roles. If you are unable to apply online through the link on this page, please contact the Barnardo's Volunteering Team on
[email protected] or call us on 0208 498 7320
