Volunteering Matters - Family Mentors - Family services

Volunteering Matters - Family Mentors

Family Mentors in Southend has been running since 2009 and is funded by Southend-on-Sea City Council.

Family Mentors recruits, trains, and matches volunteers to mentor and support families in Southend. This could be that the child/children in the family have Social care/or Early Help involvement. We empower the families to make changes in their lives, this can include help with Budgeting, Isolation, Self-Esteem and Parenting.

Our project staff match volunteers with a family when a referral is made via social care, and through them support is given via weekly visits to the family, offering advice, or just listening to their problems. Our volunteers help keep families together, in partnership with all other organisations, including universal services and are part of the team around the child/family.

This is achieved simply by helping the parents to improve their parenting skills, reducing isolation by being a friendly face and overall improving the quality of family life. All of this helps reduce pressures and reliance on social care services. Simply put, the volunteers who are part of the Family Mentors Project must have an interest in helping people – both parents and children. Full training is provided, so it’s not necessary to have previous experience working with families. Often, our volunteers find that their own life experience helps them offer support to families.

Who are our volunteers?

Our volunteers are local people with an understanding of the challenges that families are facing. Aged 18+, each volunteer brings different life experiences and skills that they can use to help the family they are matched to, offering support on a weekly basis, usually for 6-9 months at a time that suits everyone. They build a strong relationship based on trust and mutual respect, acting as a friendly face who listens and cares about the family. All volunteers are interviewed, trained to the highest standards, and undergo disclosure checks before being matched with a family.

As well as gaining experience working with families, volunteers have the chance to undertake further training depending on their interests and the needs of the family they support, as well as:

• Full training and support from FM project staff throughout your time volunteering
• Future references to promote employment
• Reasonable out of pocket expenses, including travel costs
• Vital/unique experience for those wishing to pursue a profession in Social Care, Education & Support work

How do we support our volunteers?

Volunteers will receive 3 sessions of training, with contributions by the local Social Care team. There will then be regular ongoing training; guidance; support; and recognition of contribution. All reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, including travel, will be reimbursed and references will be provided for successful volunteers.

Typically, volunteers will:

• Visit the family regularly at set times, visits should be between 1- 2 hours per week
• Help the family access available community resources as necessary (e.g., welfare rights advice, health information)
• Observe confidentiality
• Share issues of concern with the Volunteering Matters Project Manager
• Keep brief written records.

Please contact us to receive one of our application forms and to find out more!

Once your application is completed, you will be invited for a brief, informal chat with one of our team.

You will then need to complete our amazing training days, so you are fully prepared to help our families!

southendfamilymentors@volunteeringmatters.org.uk

www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk

Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-On-Sea, Essex

SS2 6ER

Open office hours Monday to Friday 9.00-17.00. Open during school holidays and term time. Closed Bank Holidays. Appointments can be made for out of hours