Camden Peer Support Volunteer
Family Lives
Imagine all pregnant mothers and new families being aware of and being able to access all antenatal and perinatal services available to them within Camden. The Parents Matter Antenatal & Perinatal Wellbeing Support Services seeks to ensure all new parents and families have equal access and as a Peer Support Volunteer, you can make that happen for families. If you have a passion for family support and equality, this role is for you....so please contact us.
Peer Support Volunteer will be fully supervised, supported and trained to provide the following activities: • Offer practical and emotional peer support to new parents who are adjusting to pregnancy and the arrival of a new baby as well as to kinship carers who are adjusting to becoming primary carers who need additional support through some of the practical and emotional ups and downs of family life. • Provide peer support on a one-to-one basis either in the family home or community settings (such as Children's Centres & Family Hubs or similar). This will involve building and maintaining a positive relationship with the parent/family over 3 – 4 months, which may be extended to 7 months if deemed appropriate following review by the LPW • Offer a listening ear and help parents/carers/family with “off-loading” their feelings, including about their involvement with more intensive parenting support programmes (run by Family Lives or other organisations) • Help parents/carers/family to attend appointments and access community facilities • Provide information about and signpost parents/carers/family to resources or support services and that may help them with some of the practical, emotional, and parenting issues they are experiencing • Encourage parents/carers/family to form supportive peer networks within their community • Support parents/carers/family in attendance at meetings with other specialist services e.g. Common Assessment Framework (CAF) meetings, Child in Need (CIN) Meetings or Child Protection Conferences (CPC) when appropriate, requested by the family and agreed with the volunteer’s mentor. • From time to time, as directed by a mentor, help Family Lives talk to other parents and professionals about the project by engaging in outreach work e.g. stands and drop-ins at local community venues, distributing promotional materials for the project and helping to build local relationships
Support Work,Administration,Advice, Information & Support,Befriending, Buddying & Mentoring,Community Work
Art & Craft, Good IT Skills, Language Skills, Managing People, Organising & Planning
• Have experience of parenting/being in a caring role or demonstrable experience of working with parents/carers or children e.g. in their work, previous volunteering or a previous role • Are good listeners and have an ability to empathise with all parents regardless of race, gender, age, religion or belief, nationality, marital status, sexual orientation, or disability • Can demonstrate a willingness to question their own attitudes e.g. toward different forms of parenting • Can remain open minded and non-judgemental • Are willing to interpret in special cases previously agreed with mentor. (If you speak another language) • Are willing to use IT skills as part of the necessary record-keeping and communication for the project. Full training will be given to support this • Are willing to commit to work within Family Lives’ policies, in particular our Confidentiality Policy, Risk of Harm Procedures, safeguarding, duty of care, home visits and Equality-Diversity & Inclusion, ensuring that Family Lives can keep the volunteer as well as the families using the service, safe at all times • Are willing to commit to attending regular supervision and support sessions with the Family Lives project lead or mentor • Are able to work individually as well as part of a team • Are prepared to travel to local venues and events • Are willing to commit to undertake Family Lives Peer Support training • Willing to give at least 6 months commitment to the project.
• Satisfaction in making a real and lasting difference to families who are struggling • Gain experiences in different areas of family support, child development and Early Years • An opportunity to develop experience for CV and references. Family Lives is committed to helping volunteers develop their own learning and development through the project • Being part of a team. Social support • Personal development and skills training • Flexible hours • Opportunities to meet and interact with a wide range of people and organisations around Camden • Expenses reimbursed
Attend 4-5days Volunteer Peer Support training (this may be online or in person) 4 hours between 10am to 2.30pm The role of peer support volunteer requires a commitment of 3-4 hours a week plus attendance at one-to-one meetings (1 hour every 6 weeks) and regular development and training groups. Initial training will be approximately 25 hours spread across four-five days. The ideal minimum commitment is 6 months.
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Based within Camden's Children's Centres and Family Hubs Agar Harmood Kilburn Grange 1A
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