Family Support Volunteer (Next Training July '26).

For Hampshire County Council - Children's Services - Children and Families Volunteers

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Families can experience challenging times, with many receiving help from friends and relatives. But there are times when problems can seem overwhelming, and some extra support is needed. Volunteers work alongside families to offer guidance, tailored emotional support and practical assistance to help encourage positive family relationships. This vital input from volunteers can result in increased stability for the whole family and can be crucial in supporting Children’s Services to keep more children safely at home. 

Volunteers visit or contact families in their homes or other local settings, to help build trust and rapport. Using family support techniques, which are fully explained during training and complement those used by professionals, volunteers can provide invaluable assistance while focusing on keeping children safely at home, where possible. Our approach centres around supporting the whole family. Our volunteers enjoy the flexibility to work from Monday to Sunday, 8am to 8pm, ensuring that we provide the right support at the right time. With the help of our staff and volunteers, families can overcome their difficulties to become stronger, happier, and healthier. Volunteers work alongside professional teams to support families open to Children’s Services, predominantly for early intervention/early help relating to some of the most complex issues families face.

These may include: 

  • Mental health concerns
  • Domestic abuse
  • Social isolation
  • Drug and alcohol issues
  • Learning disabilities
  • Financial pressures

Any of these issues can have a significant impact on the stability of family life, and may affect the health, wellbeing, routines and development of all family members. Volunteers will provide non-judgemental support to enable change within the home, helping build positive habits and behaviours. 

Family Support Volunteering could include: 

  • Providing tailored practical and emotional support to families who are going through the process of becoming Special Guardians, focusing on preventing further family breakdown and promoting stability for children.
  • Supporting the work of Children’s Services when reuniting children in care with their families by providing practical assistance to facilitate positive parent-child interaction.
  • Helping families where children are at risk of exclusion from school to address and support the improvement of behaviours and keep children in education.

The amount of support each family requires will vary depending upon their needs and may also include supporting families with organisation skills, attending appointments, meetings and accessing local community activities and to support the families to become independent. 

All volunteers receive full training – including one day of face-to-face induction training;  online safeguarding training and role-specific training - to enable them to fulfil their role. Our next induction training date is in Winchester on Thursday 2nd July followed by Family Support training (date to be advised).

Watch a film about our volunteering service here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_wY0yZasIo 

What skills do I need?

To offer families effective support, we will: 

  • Get to know you and identify your strengths and skills to enable us to match you to children and families.
  • Ask you to commit to weekly support visits for a period of 3-6 months.
  • Arrange an introduction meeting, with yourself and a professional who is currently working with the family to meet and talk about the support that you can offer.
  • Ask you to adopt a whole family approach which may involve working with the whole family, a few family members, a specific child or children or in some cases just the parent(s)/carer(s).
  • Require you to record and share information on your visits with the family, submit expenses and comply with information governance (GDPR) legislation.

Interests

  • Families and Parenting
  • Young People

Activities

  • Advice and Information
  • Counselling and Mentoring
  • Supporting People and Befriending
  • Youth Work

Details

  • Accessibility
    Depends on venue
  • Age restrictions
    18+ only
  • Current Driving Licence
  • DBS check needed
    Enhanced DBS.
  • Equal Opportunities Policy
  • Expenses reimbursed
    Pay mileage expenses at 45p/ mile
  • Health and Safety Policy
  • Ongoing support
  • Recruitment Process
    Informal chat, application form, interview, references x2
  • Suitable for under 16s
  • Suitable for under 18s
  • Training provided
    Training dates run throughout the year.
  • Volunteer induction
  • Volunteer Policy
  • Volunteers covered by insurance
  • Written role description

When can I volunteer?

Slot Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Afternoon Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Evening Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

Availability Details

Volunteers will need to be able to commit to a weekly visit and be able to offer ongoing support to the family. The amount and timing of support will be discussed and agreed at the initial matching stage.

Location

The role is available countywide
GU51 4AE

RG21 7JT

GU14 7JU

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