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. **Family Support volunteers** work across a range of groups, from Parenting Groups, the Freedom Programme and Mental Health Support Groups to Family and Learning and Adult Education courses. We are looking for volunteers, with a passion for making a difference in people’s lives, a fun and approachable attitude and an ability to engage parents and carers in worthwhile and enjoyable activities, supporting them to achieve their goals. At our **Surrey Heath Family Centre**, you would be supporting parents and carers through the first year of baby's life, helping to strengthen parenting skills and confidance, while nurturing and showing undertstanding of the stresses and strains of parenthood. During the session volunteers would need to welcome service users, make them feel at home, make tea and coffee and make sure all service users feel included and involved with the session. This group will be run with a memer of staff that can help train and support the volunteer.
Our groups need support with a range of tasks to help them run smoothly. Could you help with tasks such as planning activities, setting up and packing away, making refreshments, collecting feedback, and much more?
Tasks: Setting up group activities in advance and clearing away afterwards. This might include preparing refreshments/snacks, organising the layout of the room, preparing resources and tidying the room after the group.
Sharing knowledge and experience about parenting and offering positive solutions to difficult circumstances.
Establishing trusting relationships with parents facing difficulties managing their roles/lives.
Providing a listening ear and emotional support to parents in problematic situations.
Providing information, advice and support to individual families, to enable them to achieve the desired outcomes within their support plan.
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 communicate and engage with children, young people and families.
Being non-judgmental and positive in their attitude to working with individuals from different backgrounds.
Having some knowledge and understanding of supporting parents and carers, and the issues faced by disadvantaged families.
Having personal experience with running a home and/or maintaining family routines.
The ability empathise with children, young people and families, who may be facing difficult times in their lives.
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
