Volunteer for Home-Start Cambridgeshire
By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.
Volunteer for Home-Start Cambridgeshire
There a variety of volunteering opportunities available here at Home-Start Cambridgeshire. These include providing home-visiting or telephone support to families, helping out at our Group in Chesterton, supporting our admin team, helping with fundraising & events, assisting with social media and marketing or becoming an Ebay seller. There are also opportunities to join our board of Trustees. There are genuinely lots of ways in which you could get involved.
There are so many benefits to becoming a volunteer. Full training is provided with continual professional development and further ongoing training opportunities are offered throughout a volunteer’s journey. We help our volunteers to gain new skills and experiences which could be beneficial for future career opportunities.
It’s a great way to build confidence and offers a sense of achievement, whilst giving something back to the local community. Our volunteers are fully supported by our staff team who host support sessions and social events which offers the chance to meet other volunteers, socialise and create new friendships.
No special qualifications are necessary to become a family support home visiting volunteer, but volunteers usually have an interest in, and experience of, young children and family life. We welcome volunteers from all sections of the community.
What it takes to be a Home-Start Home Visiting Volunteer
- Be a parent or have experience of care giving, mental health or early years expertise or other relevant experience which you would feel would bring value to Home-Start families
- Be prepared to undertake the Volunteer Preparation Course, normally consisting of 5 x 4 hour training sessions (in person, but some course dates may offer some online sessions)
- Have a positive, non-judgemental attitude to working with people of any gender, family status, sexual identity or who are from any ethnic origin, culture or religion, or who may have a disability
- Demonstrate a sensitive and caring attitude towards others
- Have a clear understanding of the confidential nature of the Home-Start service and not to break confidence shared by the family, other than when a disclosure is essential in order to protect the well-being or safety of a child
- Be reliable and understand the importance of reliability to the family
- Have good communication skills including an ability to listen
- Have a warm and open personality and a sense of humour
- Have time and enthusiasm for Home-Start
- Keep records as required by Home-Start
- Attend group support meetings and ongoing refresher training
- Attend supervision (normally every six to eight weeks)
- Be prepared to make a commitment of at least 1 year
Content Advisory Warning: The above film includes reference to the experience of post-partum psychosis and mental illness which some viewers may find distressing.
Interested in volunteering for Home-Start Cambridgeshire?
We’d love to hear from you. Please complete the brief expression of interest form below and we’ll be in touch as soon as we can.
Volunteer stories
Lesley
When I left my job as a midwife I really missed the contact I had with families. I had worked closely with Home-Start throughout my professional career so contacting them about volunteering seemed a good way to maintain involvement with families...
Imogen
I decided to volunteer with Home-Start after seeing an advert at our local swimming pool. I knew how it felt to be a new mum and how it would be nice for a little bit of help. The families I have gone into have varied from multiple births, domestic...
Meg
I visited my first family in October 1990. I had seen an article in the Cambridge Evening News about a recruitment drive where the only criteria for being accepted were parenting skills and attending a six week course. The course was excellent and...
Volunteer FAQs
HOME-START VOLUNTEERS USUALLY FIND THEIR WORK WITH HOME-START REWARDING AND FULFILLING.
HOME-START WORKS FOR FAMILIES AND FOR VOLUNTEERS.
HOW DO I BECOME A HOME-START VOLUNTEER?
That’s great! We would love to hear from you. Please contact us by post, phone, email or via our website.
IS THERE ANY AGE LIMIT?
No, we welcome volunteers regardless of age. The only stipulation for becoming a volunteer is that you are a parent or have experience of care giving, mental health, early years sector expertise or other relevant experience.
WILL I NEED REFERENCES?
You will be asked to provide the names of two people for personal references. You will also need to complete a form for the Disclosure and Barring Service, the level appropriate to the volunteering you are undertaking.
WILL I GET ANY TRAINING?
If wishing to become a home visiting volunteer you will be required to attend a Preparation Course, which usually consists of 3 x 4 hours of face to face sessions and 8 hours of e-learning.
WILL I GET MY EXPENSES PAID?
Yes, for home visiting volunteers travelling expenses are reimbursed when you visit your family.
WHAT DOES THE VOLUNTEER PREPARATION COURSE COVER?
It covers topics such as the role of the volunteer, the Home-Start approach, relationships and listening skills. It provides a general knowledge of local community resources, both statutory and voluntary.
DO I HAVE TO PASS THE VOLUNTEER PREPARATION COURSE?
There are no tests and you have the opportunity to talk with the Co-ordinators throughout the course. Sometimes it may be mutually decided that the time is not right for you to start visiting.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER TRAINING FOR HOME VISITING VOLUNTEERS?
Yes, Safeguarding Children and Adults training is a regular commitment and you will also have the opportunity to attend ongoing training sessions on topics suggested by volunteers or Co-ordinators.
WHAT DO HOME VISITING VOLUNTEERS DO?
Volunteers visit families on a regular basis, usually weekly, offering friendship, support and practical help, as appropriate.
WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT FOR HOME VISITING VOLUNTEERS?
On average about two – three hours per family per week but this may vary.
HOW MANY FAMILIES WILL I VISIT?
Volunteers usually visit one or two families depending on the amount of time the volunteer can commit to the scheme.
WHAT SUPPORT IS OFFERED?
Every volunteer has individual support from the Co-ordinators.
WHO DECIDES WHICH FAMILIES I SHALL VISIT?
It is the Co-ordinator’s job to ‘match’ the volunteer with the family.
ARE THERE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERING?
If being a home visiting volunteer isn’t for you, you may be able to help us in other ways. Many people have volunteered their time and skills for fundraising, digital promotion, being a local volunteer for key events. You may also be able to help in ways we haven’t thought about yet. If you would like to get involved, please get in touch and let us know what you have in mind.
Volunteer testimonials
I’ve had a few people ask me why I volunteer and the answer is simple – I remember how hard it was being a mum myself and if visiting a family for a few hours a week makes life easier for them then it makes the work I do worthwhile.
For a small investment of time the reward of seeing a family move forward and gain confidence to cope with the various demands of parenting.
It was very rewarding to hear Mum tell me that she trusted me and valued what I said to her. I saw her grow in confidence, get knocked back and then begin to grow again. It is amazing how just 2-3 hours a week can sometimes make a huge difference to a family.
I remember as a young mum the need for a break. It would have been great to have a volunteer! Now, it’s fabulous to be that volunteer!
An immense satisfaction of watching children develop and the privilege of being invited into the family home.
Other ways to volunteer for Home-Start
Share your skills to help our work
If being a Home Visiting Volunteer isn’t for you, you may be able to help us in others ways. Many have volunteered their time and skills for:
- supporting family groups & outings
- administration work
- music, craft and storytelling
- healthy eating sessions
- fundraising
- digital promotion
- and so much more
You may also be able to help in ways we haven’t thought about yet.
So if you want to get involved, get in touch and let us know what you have in mind.
Join us as a Trustee to help shape the future of our work with families
Importantly, the Board of Trustees should reflect the communities in which we work. We already benefit from a variety of skills, experiences and backgrounds and now need to add to that dynamic and creative team.
The minimum commitment as a Trustee is a few hours each month, to attend meetings or to engage in Board discussions via email and online forums. Further opportunities to get involved are possible too, so we can be flexible to suit individual motivations to volunteer.
If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunity to join us, please contact us to arrange an informal chat.
Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today
Home-Start's team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering just a few hours each week you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.