Homestart Hillingdon- Home Visiting Volunteer

Details of the Charity:Share this

Home-Start Hillingdon (HSH) support parents with a child under 5, who are finding things tough (particularly through isolation or poor Mental Health, children with additional needs, multiple births).

We match families with a peer-support volunteer who helps parents develop the tools and confidence they need to parent to the best of their ability.

Details of the Volunteering Opportunity:

After a member of staff visits a family to assess a family’s needs, help them set their own goals for support and to carry out a thorough risk assessment, a volunteer is matched with the family to support them work towards their goals, then volunteers aim to build the confidence and independence within the families by:

• Supporting and Befriending families in their own home, once a week for 2-3 hours. (Support for each family lasts up to 6 months)
• Drawing on their own experience of parenting to encourage parents’ strengths and emotional well-being
• Keeping a brief report of visits for monitoring (training provided)

In addition to weekly home visits:

Attendance at the initial course of preparation, normally lasting 40 hours over 10 sessions

• Attendance at supervision sessions with the Co-ordinator every 6 weeks
• Attendance at additional training sessions (optional except for annual safeguarding update
• A commitment to volunteer with Home-start for a minimum of 1 Year after completion of the Volunteer Preparation Course Training

Skills Required:

A Home-Start volunteer needs to:

• Be a parent or have parenting experience
• Be prepared to undertake the Home-Start preparation training course
• Be positive and non-judgemental
• Understanding of the confidential nature of the Home-Start service
• Be reliable, enthusiastic and have good communication skills
• Be prepared to keep records as required by the scheme, and attend support meetings and training
• Be prepared to attend supervision with the Co-ordinator every six weeks

Additional Benefits:

• Free initial training including- Perinatal Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, Protection and Safeguarding, Personal Safety etc.
• Ongoing training (Mental Health, Domestic Abuse, ASD, Childrens Behaviour, Supporting Asylum Seekers)
• Tailored personal development support
• Experience providing direct and targeted support to families and children