Helpline Volunteer - Children 1st Parentline

• Children 1st

• VO33903

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.

Experience required

None, we offer a comprehensive initial training course for all volunteers

Travel expenses

Travel expenses paid

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