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 Mentors** build an enduring trusting relationship over time by being a positive role model and participating in a range of activities with the family to develop their emotional wellbeing, skills and interests. They promote and encouraging service users to make active choices and informed decisions encouraging families to access resources, groups and activities within their local community. We are looking for volunteers, with a passion for making a difference in young people’s lives, with a friendly and approachable attitude and an ability to engage parents/carers and their children, empowering them to take steps towards improving their situation.
Could you help them build positive relationships and access resources, groups and activities, and to support them to face their challenges together? Are you great at listening to children, young people and parent/carers in a non-judgemental way?
Tasks: Building a committed, but time-limited trusting relationship with a whole family.
Providing information, advice and support to individual families, to enable them to achieve the desired outcomes within their support plan.
Helping children, young people and/or families to attend appointments, such as doctors, health centres, dentists, CAB.
Offering practical advice and emotional support to parents, to enhance their parenting skills and knowledge.
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.
The ability to empathise with children, who may be facing difficult times in their lives.
Awareness of factors impacting on and issues facing young people (e.g. Disadvantage, poverty, disabilities, health conditions including mental health).
Being passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people and families.
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
