Home Visiting Volunteer

Volunteering with us can change lives – including your own. You’ll be in a position to provide befriending support to families when it’s most important – in the early years. Research has consistently shown that children’s experiences in their first years of life have a huge impact on their future. By supporting parents when their children are small, you can help relieve some of the pressures, supporting them to give their children the best start in life.

Home-Start volunteers are expected to aim to increase confidence and independence of the family by:

• Offering support, friendship and practical help.

• Visiting the families in their own homes, where the dignity and identity of each individual can be respected and protected.

• Reassuring families that difficulties in bringing up children are not unusual.

• Emphasising the positive aspects of family life.

• Developing a relationship with the family in which time can be shared and an understanding developed.

• Encouraging parents’ strengths and emotional well-being for the ultimate benefit of their own family.

• Encouraging families to widen their network of relationships and to use effectively the support and services available in the community.

We have a hybrid 6 week home-visiting volunteer training course starting 23rd May 2024. The training course is a mixture of face to face and online sessions.

As a home visiting volunteer the commitment is 2-3 hours per week. The time of day for the actual volunteering is flexible and is mutually agreed between you and the family matched with.

If you are interested in the role, please click 'Join' and you will be asked a short question. We will then be in touch to discuss the next steps with you.