Where: In your community
Commitment required: Up to 2hrs each week
Training provided: Yes

• About 

• Requirements of the role

• Training

• Support 

About becoming a home visiting volunteer:

Your role will be to support a family in whatever way they need, visiting them every week for set amount of time (usually six months, but this can vary and is dependent on the family's needs). You might be helping with practical tasks like getting out of the house, going to appointments or helping in the house. It could also involve offering advice and sharing experiences; or supporting parents through emotional issues.

Some of our families may be dealing with a variety of difficulties including; post-natal depression, isolation, physical and mental health problems, bereavement, financial worries or relationship difficulties.

You could be the vital support a family needs and make a big difference to their lives.

Watch Patience's home visiting experience:

Requirements of the role:

Our home visiting volunteers are required to:

• commit to our training programme
• undergo referencing and an enhanced criminal records check
• understand that support provided to families is completely confidential
• have a non-judgemental attitude and understand about the pressure of bringing up a family

Training provided:

All of our home visiting volunteers are required to complete a 12-week accredited training programme to prepare for the role of the home visitor.

It will be an opportunity for you to ask questions and truly understand the importance of your role, whilst also giving staff the time to get to know you, so that they can match you with the right family.

Our training is designed by family practitioners and experts in the industry and covers essential information including:

• The role of a Home-Start volunteer
• Values, attitudes and inclusivity
• Confidentiality
• Listening and communication
• Meeting the needs of families and children
• Safeguarding

Support provided:

We invest in our volunteers from day one, ensuring they are supported by a member of your local Home-Start team throughout your time volunteering. That includes: 

• Regular support and supervision sessions
• Paid expenses during training and while you support a family
• Additional training is offered to all volunteers on a regular basis both face to face and through Home-Start’s e-learning platform. Modules include An Introduction to Perinatal Mental Health, Parent-Infant Relationships and Child Development.
• Formal qualifications (available at some local Home-Starts)

Register your interest

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