Do you want to support families in your community?
Would you like to come alongside parents/carers who are isolated?
Do you have time to care for children while their parents are unable to in an emergency or to give them a short break?
Or to spend time doing activities outside the family home with young people to build their confidence?
Safe Families is a national charity partnering with LBBD to support families in the borough, and we are looking for volunteers who want to be part of helping families in the area to thrive.
We believe that no one should feel alone and so we exist to create relationships and connection because everyone deserves to belong. We know that facing life alone is hard, and when you feel there is no one there to support you it is a scary place to be. Therefore, at Safe Families we offer support, hope and belonging to improve the lives of those in our communities. We link children, young people and families with local volunteers who can offer them help and support.
There are three different volunteering opportunities available:
Host homes – individuals/families who are able to care for children in their own home during the day or overnight. This might be a planned arrangement or in an emergency situation.
Family friends – volunteers who can come alongside a member of the family and offer a listening ear, friendship, advice, signposting etc. They help families work towards goals which the family have set. A family might have multiple family friends for different members of the household.
Resource friends – volunteers who are able to help practically, either providing resources such as furniture etc, or with a project like decluttering a home or clearing a garden to make it a safe space for the family. Resource friends are only put in place for families who also have support from a host home or family friend.
Our volunteer approval process includes:
Application form, Assessment, Home check (for host homes), Enhanced DBS, 1 day’s training (plus additional training available)
We need volunteers who are:
• Compassionate and caring
• Dependable
• Understanding
• Passionate about empowering others
• Have space in their home to host a child/ren overnight (if applying to be a host home)
You must be:
• A good listener
• Reliable
• Warm, patient, and friendly
• A good communicator – with our staff and with families
• Experience with children or families is desirable but not essential
• Second languages are always welcome
Volunteers will learn:
• About issues affecting children, young people and families
• The impact of isolation, mental health and trauma on families
• How to deal with safeguarding concerns
• The importance of confidentiality
• Other services offered
Benefits of the role:
Volunteers are able to choose which families they agree to support, and typically support a family for 6-9 months, usually weekly, at a time that suits you.
Volunteers will have the opportunity to learn and develop their listening and communication skills; meet new people; build friendships with local families; get to know other volunteers and make a difference to their community. Safe Families provides training and ongoing support for volunteers which includes safeguarding and an enhanced DBS check. There are also opportunities for further training including in therapeutic parenting and trauma informed practice.
Travel expenses:
Volunteers are matched to families local to them where possible so expenses are not normally incurred.
Job References:
We are happy to provide a reference after you have supported a family for at least 3 months.
If you are interested, please contact Alex Griffiths message@volunteer2mail.com
Recent Comments