Volunteering

Home Visiting Volunteer

For Home-Start Chichester & District

Register your Interest

Home-Start volunteers visit families with at least one child under five. Volunteers offer support to families facing a wide range of issues, such as loneliness and isolation, ill health, depression, bereavement, relationship difficulties, multiple births, special needs, first time parenthood or disability. Visits take place weekly in the family's own home. 

Volunteers are someone the family can talk to confidentially, they can play with the children or introduce ideas for activities. A volunteer could be 'an extra pair of hands' in every day situations or accompany on outings to the park, library or toddler group. Volunteers can give information on services and offer reassurance and understanding that bringing up children can be difficult.

We expect that volunteers will be able to volunteer with us for at least a year after they have completed the Volunteer Preparation Course.

Our next preparation course will be starting on the 9th September 2025 and runs 9.30-12.30pm on Tuesday mornings for 7 weeks.

Skills

Volunteers need to be parents themselves or have had 24 hour parenting experience (as a step-parent, adoptive parent or foster carer).

We value people who don't judge others; have a friendly and caring attitude; treat a mother or father as an equal and understand the pressures of parenting.

It is essential to enjoy the company of children, to be reliable and trustworthy and to be a good listener.

About Home-Start Chichester & District

Home-Start Chichester & District offers support to families suffering stressful situations with children under the age of 5 years old. Volunteers are parents themselves (or have parenting experience). We train volunteers to offer support to families in their own homes. Volunteers are well trained and well supported in the work that they do by our coordinators. Volunteers would normally visit their family once a week for 2-3 hours a week. We also run Family Groups, volunteers can support families attending the groups. We also have a volunteers Trustee Board; the board meets approximately every 2 months, to ensure the smooth running of the charity.

Details

• Yes - DBS check required
  Enhanced child and adult workforce check for all volunteers
• Yes - Equality and Diversity Policy
  Yes
• Yes - Expenses reimbursed
  Travelling expenses
• Yes - Health and Safety Policy
  Yes
• No - Is it fully accessible
  Volunteers often visit family homes which may not be fully accessible. Accessibility is easier for volunteers who support our family groups
• Yes - Ongoing support
  Volunteers are required to attend regular supervision meetings with coordinators
• Yes - Suitable for physical or sensory impairment
• No - Suitable for Under 18's
  Minimum 18 years.
• Yes - Training provided
  On going in-service training is offered. Volunteers are required to attend yearly safeguarding updates.
• Yes - Volunteer induction
  A seven week Home-Start preparation course
• Yes - Volunteer Policy
  We have a comprehensive volunteer policy
• Yes - Volunteers covered by insurance
  Yes
• Yes - Written role description
  Yes - volunteers have a role description which is shared at the informal interview

Availability

Our next preparation course will be starting on the 9th September 2025 and runs 9.30-12.30pm on Tuesday mornings for 7 weeks.

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