Children First support line volunteer
Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for children, keep them safe and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services.
From mental health, money worries and online harm to struggles at school, our support line offers emotional, practical and financial support to any family in Scotland. We listen and support anyone who has concerns about a child’s wellbeing and help them to work through what is best for the child.
Volunteering for the Children First support line is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families across Scotland.
“I would say if you’re thinking about volunteering, just go for it. Everyone has something to bring, and it can lead you to places that you might not have thought about or even thought possible.” (Support Line Volunteer)
What will I be doing?
As a Support Line Volunteer, you would provide emotional and practical support and advice to adults by phone, webchat and email giving them time to talk through any worries about children. Offering a kind and skilled listening ear you would build supportive relationships and work in partnership with Support Line Supervisors to ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is a central focus of all contacts.
As every family is different you would work alongside individuals to think through what would work best for them and their children and work with them to provide the support they need.
"No matter how many calls I have taken, I still find that there are no such things as two identical calls. Every person is an individual with their own particular issues and this keeps you interested in the role.” (Support Line Volunteer)
You will become part of a friendly, supportive team where trained staff are always on hand to provide support and guidance. Our volunteers tell us that they develop lifelong skills and gain practical experience which are valuable to them in many different ways.
“As a Support Line Volunteer, you develop valuable and very transferable skills, communication and listening skills being big part of that. My time at Children First increased confidence in my abilities and has since led me into employment in the advice area and into a job that I would not have thought about or have had the relevant skills to approach, had it not been for the skills I’ve learnt at the support line.” (Support Line Volunteer)
Please see the volunteer role description below for full details of the role.
Training and Support
What do I need to know?
A caring, kind and non-judgemental response can make a real difference to someone who wants to talk. No previous experience or formal qualifications are necessary however good communication skills are essential to enable you to listen to and support those who contact the Children First support line.
The support line is open Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and 9am-12 noon Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. On completion of training, we ask our volunteers to give a weekly commitment of around 4 hours for a minimum of a year. There are a range of options for days/times based at the Children First Edinburgh office.
Training and support
We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need. Our next training course will start in January 2025 and will run on the following dates:
- Sat 18th Jan 30am-4.30pm
- Sat 25th Jan – 9.30am-4.30pm
- Sat 1st Feb – 9.30am-4.30pm
- Weds 5th Feb – 5.30pm-9.00pm
- Weds 12th Feb – 5.30pm-9.00pm
Training sessions will take place at our office: 83 Whitehouse Loan, Edinburgh, EH9 1AT.
We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role.
Further information
A caring, kind and non-judgemental response can make a real difference to someone who wants to talk. No previous experience or formal qualifications are necessary however good communication skills are essential to enable you to listen to and support those who contact Children First support line.
The helpline is open Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and 9am-12 noon Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. On completion of training, we ask our volunteers to give a weekly commitment of around 4 hours for a minimum of a year. There are a range of options for days/times based at the Children First Edinburgh office.
If you would like to find out more about the role or have any questions, please get in touch via volunteer@childrenfirst.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you.
To apply please complete the application pack below and return to volunteer@childrenfirst.org.uk