Gloucestershire Family Services Volunteer

We as a Charity CCP was originally founded in 1989 by a local businessman in response to the growing number of homeless young people in Cheltenham. Recognising that people as young as 16 were sleeping rough around the town after having been thrown out of their family home, he purchased a building and opened a 10-bed hostel.

We have grown a lot since then and now aim to transform the lives of children, young people, families, and vulnerable adults by preventing homelessness, strengthening families and promoting independence. With a head office in Cheltenham, we currently employ 220 staff, backed up by a team of 160 volunteers, currently delivering services and projects in Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire, South Gloucestershire, Bristol, Wiltshire, and Dorset. 

We need you to help within: 

Within the Gloucestershire Families team we believe in the value and uniqueness of people, we welcome volunteers who have a range of skills and life experiences. If you have a particular area of interest or skill set that you would like to share, please let us know.

We are interested in hearing from people who would like to support our work in Forest of Dean, Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Stroud areas.

We offer emotional and practical support to families who may be facing challenges, which can include deprivation, family breakdown, lone parents, parents who find it difficult to cope with the stresses of family life, or those who are socially isolated. Our aim is to empower families, by giving them the tools to overcome these challenges and for children to flourish in their environment. 

If you have experience of working with vulnerable families, have a desire to help others, are reliable and resilient, you could be a great addition to the team.

We will ask of you to do the following:

Mentor 

One of the key interventions we offer is working one to one with children and young people. If you feel you could help build the self-esteem of a child or young person by teaching them the skills to express their feelings and emotions, realise their potential or grow in confidence this could be the role for you. 

This is a very flexible but rewarding role. 

Advocacy 

Family advocates support vulnerable adults through child protection proceedings to help them understand decisions and the importance of their engaging in the activities demanded of them by the court / other agencies, to ensure more positive and fairer outcomes for both the adult and children involved. 

You may be helping people with learning disabilities, physical and sensory disabilities, mental health issues and older people, to get their views respected and their rights protected. 

You will be involved in identifying the issues and informing the client about their rights and choices; and carry out research to ensure all information is available to them. You will need to present the information in a format the client understands. You may also be involved in communicating needs and wishes to public services / bodies where appropriate, so that clients are included in and contribute to decisions affecting their lives.