Become a Home Visiting Volunteer

Our volunteers support families when they need it most. Parents themselves, they share their knowledge and experience to improve the lives of supported families.

By volunteering for just two hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in the community, giving a local family the right help at the right time and in a way that suits them.

• Have experience of parenting
• Have a caring, compassionate and non-judgemental attitude
• Have an understanding of the pressures of parenting and family life
• Able to attend our thorough six-session training course which will prepare you for your role as a volunteer.
• Commitment to support families confidentially by visiting a family weekly in their own home for an agreed period of time.

You will need to undergo an enhanced DBS Criminal Record Check.

Your experiences are the most valuable thing to the families we help. You do not need any formal qualifications to support a family.

Support is as individual as the families we support and involves visiting one family for two hours a week – working alongside parents to give their children the best possible start in life.  Volunteers:

• Build a relationship with a family
• Offer a listening ear
• Encourage playing and creative activities with children
• Support the development of parenting skills and behaviour management
• Signpost families to other local sources of support
• Accompany families to appointments and facilities in the area.

How will volunteering benefit me, as well as the family I support?

People volunteer for many reasons. But they all want to give their time to support families. Our research has shown that volunteering gives them:

• Better health and well-being
• More self-confidence
• Improved personal and skills development
• Improved chances for work

How will I be supported?

We value the skills, expertise, time and commitment volunteers give to families, and we believe it is important that volunteers are well supported.

The preparation training course gives volunteers the opportunity to build solid relationships with co-ordinators, who will offer them both formal and informal support throughout their time with us.

• We ensure volunteers have regular face-to-face support and supervision sessions with a member of staff
• Ongoing training is offered on a variety of topics
• There are opportunities to meet with other volunteers for mutual support.

What do volunteers say?

 “Volunteering with Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire is one of the most rewarding and enriching experiences I have ever had the opportunity to take part in”

“Without doubt we (volunteers) feel appreciated and valued. You run such a caring, kind and professional service not only for the families but for us volunteers too”