Home-visiting Family Support Volunteer

Home-Start Glasgow North
VO100345

Home-Start Glasgow North and North Lanarkshire has a great opportunity for people who have experience parenting or working with children and families! Our volunteers provide practical and emotional support to families with children under the age of 5 who are experiencing difficulties.

Home-Start Volunteers are often parents themselves or have experience of the challenges of young family life. They choose to share their time, friendship, skills and experience because they understand the demands and stresses on young families. We match each family with the right volunteer for them and the volunteer commits to support 2-3 hours per week.

Families can find it hard to cope for all different reasons - illness or disability, postnatal health, lack of family support, past addictions or asylum seeking families new to the country. Volunteers support parents as they learn to cope, improve their confidence and build better lives for themselves and their children. Simple things help families move on and become more resilient - a listening ear, getting out of the house, joining groups, a cuppa and a chat, friendship and fun.

Home-Start Glasgow North was founded in 2001 and expanded in 2017 to include the satellite office in North Lanarkshire. For many years, we've worked across communities to provide support for families with young children who are facing difficulties. We have long-term experience in family support and are established as one of the leading charities working in this field in the community. Our impact within the local communities we serve is far reaching, aiding reduction in solation and loneliness, improving mental health of adults and children, improving educational attainment, building healthy relationships, supporting more nurturing environments and improving the wellbeing of parents with, or at risk of, mental ill health during the perinatal period (during pregnancy and until infant reaches one year old). With our focus on empowerment and resilience, we assist families to become self-reliant, confident and connected.

Volunteers join us for many reasons, but all share the same motivation - the desire to help others.

No special qualifications are necessary to volunteer with Home-Start but Family Support Volunteers must be a parent, have parenting experience, or have experience working with children and families. Family Support Volunteers will be matched with a family and will then offer support by visiting them at home, in the community (pre-Covid times) or connecting by phone and online video chat (post-Covid) each week. We expect the type of support Family Support Volunteers may provide to include: helping families to engage in play with children, supporting larger families to have more time with individual children, supporting families to engage in new activities or providing practical support to families at home.

All volunteers are given a FREE 5 session training course to ensure that they are fully prepared and confident in the role. Courses are run 4 times throughout the year - next course starts week in April. Participants will learn about health and wellbeing, child development, attachment, child protection, community projects and a number of key areas of our specific services.

We are looking for family support volunteers to support families in the home and out in the community 2-3 hours during the working week, the time is flexible to suit your availability. We select, train and support volunteers who:
•Offer support, friendship, and practical assistance
•Provide encouragement of parents’ strengths and emotional well-being for the ultimate benefit of the children
•Encourage families to widen their network of relationships and to use the support and services available within the community effectively.

All volunteers undergo an enhanced criminal records check, at no cost to volunteers.

If you're interested, please click the ‘apply’ button below (available when logged in and registered). You will then be contacted by the coordinator by email or phone call. If you have not heard back after 5 working days, the first step is to contact the organisation with the contact details provided. You could also check your junk/spam folder on your emails just in case the response is there. If that doesn’t work out then please feel free to contact Volunteer Glasgow on info@volunteerglasgow.org.

Experience required

No formal qualifications required. Ideally parenting/caring or childcare experience but not essential. More important is a friendly manner, empathy, good listening skills and a non-judgemental attitude.