Volunteer Befriender for Young People in Care - Mansfield

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Overview

Our Nottingham/shire Independent Visitor Service is looking for volunteers to become Volunteer Befrienders across Mansfield. For many children and young people living in foster care can be unsettling. By volunteering as a Volunteer Befriender, you will be making a huge difference to their life.

Responsibilities

A Volunteer Befriender is a positive role model for a child or young person living either in a foster home or residential home.

Young people are offered the chance to meet with an Independent Visitor if they have little or no contact with their own families. As a volunteer you are there for the child or young person; a positive role-model who is independent and distinct from the paid professionals they see. The idea is that the companionship is long lasting and the IV is a stable, positive influence in the child's life.

Our Coordinators will match you with a child or young person on a one to one basis. You will meet with them once a month to offer support, encouragement and guidance. This could involve taking part in a fun activity together or simply having a chat. You have a small budget to spend with them doing fun activities that you both enjoy.

If you would like to be there for a child or young person, letting them know they have someone on their side, then this is the volunteering role for you.

We will train you for the role and have ongoing support throughout. Aswell as training opportunities once you are a volunteer with us.

Things to consider when applying

• your 2 referees' do not need to be previous employers, we accept character references from people that have known you for 2 years or more (no family members)
• volunteers need to be 18 years or older
• the volunteering happens out of school hours and therefore you need to be free to volunteer at after 4pm on a weekday or at weekends.
• the role requires commitment of 2 years with 1 visit per month to ensure stability for the Child or Young Person.
• please ensure you complete the Personal Statement section on the application form as this forms part of the shortlisting process.

Our values are to be compassionate, open and bold. If this sounds like you we'd love to hear from you.

If you have any questions on this opportunity that you would like to talk through please contact us using the below details:

Michelle Brown | michelle.brown2@cgl.org.uk | 07435925216

Please note that we require you to be 18 years of age or older to be considered for this volunteering role.

This post is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check at an enhanced level.