Love2support
The project where volunteers can support the whole family unit (parents and children)
Are you interested in being a special kind of volunteer? A volunteer that wants to support a parent *and* their child(ren)? If so, you may be the person we are looking for.
Not all of the families we support on New Beginnings have an extended family network of their own. This is because many of the parents we work with have grown up in care or have lost family through bereavement or illness. When social care professionals want to reduce their involvement in a family's life, they often worry about how families will manage without their support. Although our families continue to receive love, care and support from New Beginnings, what they often ask for, in addition, is a connection to someone who is not linked to their past but could form part of their future.
We are therefore looking for volunteers who have a few spare hours a month to dedicate to a New Beginnings family. We are looking for people who are kind, compassionate, caring and non-judgmental.
If you decide to volunteer you will:
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Be required to attend a ten week training course
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Complete a DBS check and;
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Provide 2 references which outline your suitability for the role of supporting our families.
The training course will take place for a few hours, one evening each week for 10 weeks. It will cover topics such as:
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What it is like for families to be part of the child protection system;
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what it is like to foster a family (parent and child) rather than just a child.
You will learn about attachment theory; video interactive guidance and trauma informed practice. There is a workbook to complete that accompanies the programme content- this will help guide you through the material you learn each week whilst also enabling you to reflect on the thoughts and feelings you experience over the course. By the end of the training programme you will be able to identify how your skills and qualities will help enhance a family's life. This training course has been designed to be deeply reflective in order for volunteers to learn about themselves as part of their Love2support journey.
After you have completed the training, you will be matched carefully to a family. This is an important part of the project and so, to ensure this is the right volunteering opportunity for you and the family you may be matched to, more information about what the whole process involves will be shared with you when you get in touch.
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Once you are matched with a family, you will continue to receive support from everyone at New Beginnings so that you can relax and enjoy getting to know the family you are going to support. You will be able to benefit from group supervision, ongoing regular training sessions; advice from mentors who are doing this role already, as well as support from a network of peers whom you will have trained with.
CEO, Jadwiga Leigh
For more information on how to join us as a volunteer, please complete the contact form at the bottom of this page and one of the team will get in touch with you. We look forward to hearing from you!
