Volunteer Role:
Independent Visitor

Responsible to:
Volunteer Co-ordinator (Lynda Kendall and Clare Jackson)

Hours and time frame:
Volunteers must be willing to commit to this role for a minimum of 2 years.

The Volunteer training programme requires a time commitment of 19 hours over 2 months.

Visits will last 3-4 hours on a fortnightly basis, usually in the evenings and at weekends.

Monthly meetings with a line manager will last for approximately 1 hour.  

Location/work space:
Based throughout Lancashire, depending on where the individual child lives. The project is based in Preston.

Objectives:
To act as a befriender to an individual child or young person in care, who has little or no contact with their birth parent(s) / families, contributing to their overall welfare by promoting their wishes, needs and rights.


Tasks:
1. To visit and befriend a child or young person who is ‘looked after’ by Lancashire County Council on a regular basis, building up a trusting relationship to contribute to their welfare and develop their needs.

2. To listen and provide sound advice from a lay perspective, ensuring their views and wishes are represented.

3. To encourage them to exercise their rights and to participate in decisions that will affect them.

4. To support the careplan of the child/young person and liaise with others who have responsibility for them

5. To attend meetings as required.

6. To abide by Lancashire Children's Rights Project's policies and procedures.

Skills required:

1.Ability to communicate and relate to children and young people, and focus on their individual needs.

2. Ability to form positive working relationships with a wide range of staff and with relevant people involved in the
    child’s/young person’s life.

3. Ability to demonstrate a flexible, reliable and honest working manner and good sense of humour.

4. Ability to show commitment to the role and a willingness to gain knowledge/experience of the care system.

Support/training:

Training and Induction Programme (22 hrs)
Regular 1:1 supervision sessions (every 4-6 weeks)
Ongoing support (volunteers can contact the project and emergency numbers for advice and support)
Independent Visitor Co-ordinator
Individual and mandatory training, including update training sessions

Expense, Health and Safety, Insurance:

Volunteers are reimbursed travel and legitimate expenses related to their role.

All volunteers are covered by The Children’s Society’s Insurance.

Other information

All applicants will be assessed in terms of their suitability to undertaking the role, and will be subject to references and CRB checks.

Volunteers will be matched with an individual child/young person and due to the nature of the role, there is an expectation that volunteers are aged 18 years and over.

Volunteers must not be a member of a Lancashire Local Authority.

This work outline is binding in honour only, and is not intended to be legally binding.

All Volunteers of The Children’s Society and all potential volunteers will be afforded equal opportunities irrespective of their sex, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, race, ethnic or national origin, colour.