As a Volunteer Portage Home Visitor you will be required to visit a pre-school aged disabled child at home with their family. You will be responsible for helping parents to support their child’s play, learning and communication through a programme that is individually tailored to their child.

You will be required visit a family once a week for an hour, and use toys and specialist equipment to achieve small and achievable goals.

The aim of the project is to support the development of pre-school aged disabled children and empower parents with new skills and strategies to help their child achieve their ful potential.

You will also be required to attend a fortnightly volunteer team meeting to review progress and share new learning with other volunteers and paid Portage staff.

Role:
Volunteer Portage Home Visitor

Responsible to:
Senior Portage Worker/ Portage Supervisor

Location:
Brighton & Hove Portage and Befriending Service

Hours and timeframe:
Approximately 1-2 hours per week for a minimum of 1 year.

Objectives
To visit a pre-school aged disabled child at home and support their parents in developing their child’s play, learning and communication.

Tasks:

• Attend a 4 day accredited National Portage Association training course
• Attend safeguarding training
• Visit one family for an hour a week, working on identified goals
• Attend fortnightly volunteer team meetings during term time
• Attend six weekly individual supervision
• Record progress and achievements following each visit and feedback to Portage team
• Skills required:
• Ability to build relationships with disabled children and their families
• Communication skills
• Awareness of issues affecting disabled children
• Reliability and good time keeping
• Good organisation
• Report writing
  

Training and support:

• A full training and induction programme, which volunteers will need to attend prior to commecing work
• Continual support and advice through volunteer group meeting opportunities and specific training sessions
• Regular meetings with the Portage Supervisor for individual supervision and support sessions
  Other Information:
• Volunteers will receive reimbursement for all out of pocket expenses
• Volunteers will be managed in line with our Volunteer Policy
• Volunteers will be required to undertake an enhanced Criminal Records Disclosure.
• This Voluntary Role 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.