Home-Visiting Volunteer

Regardless of whether a person is a first-time parent or is experienced, at Home-Start we know and understand that being a parent has never been easy.  It can be overwhelming, frustrating and lonely at times but that’s where we come in.   Home-Start helps families from ALL walks of life and backgrounds, who have at least one child under the age of five and would like support with the stresses and strains of life or support through a challenging time.   

In this volunteer role, you will work with a family to ensure they have the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children. You will help them in the way they need most.  This may be with practical tasks such as support to get out from the house for a morning, getting to appointments or helping get organised; offering friendship, sharing experiences; or being a listening ear offering emotional support. Our support is bespoke and as individual as the families we're helping.  You will visit a family in their own home once a week for 2 hours.  The families we support live within our catchment area:  Ards, Comber and Peninsula Areas.

Qualifications/Experience:

The only real 'qualification' you need is experience of raising/caring for children or experience gained from working in a paid child care role.  Friendliness and a caring attitude are essential as well as an understanding of the pressures of parenting.  We value people who don't judge others, people who will respect the fact that they have been invited into a family's home and people who will treat others as equals.

All of our home-visiting volunteers must:

• commit to our training programme (Free Volunteer Preparation Course)
• undergo an enhanced criminal records check
• be able to support a family for 2 hours each week

Role related 'out of pocket' expenses will be reimbursed.