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Job description

Barnardo’s is committed to providing ‘Better Outcomes for More Children’. Our children’s services volunteers help the charity to deliver essential services in local communities, providing support to over 300,000 children, young people and their families. This role provides a great opportunity to join our fantastic children’s services and help make a real difference. Flip is a service that is providing support to children, young people and parents who have been impacted by substance use in Dundee. The service is providing a whole family approach and will provide support through workers and volunteers (for example through mentors, befrienders and group work). The service is supporting children who are affected by parental substance use, supporting young people who potentially are using themselves and helping to support parents/carers who are impacted by substance use through others in the family setting or themselves. We are looking for volunteers from 18+ to be able to provide 1:1 or 2:1 (along with another volunteer or a worker) to support an adult who is a parent with the service once a week or once a fortnight for around 2 hours per session. The role can take place during the day, after school, early evening or at weekends. Mentoring is a way of helping people achieve their goals. The service will provide a mentor to support each family with whatever issues they may be experiencing. The Family Mentoring approach is about respecting family values and family strengths. It aims to include all family members, appreciating that each family member has individual needs. The approach aims to help families identify, in their own words, what they need and how best this can be met by finding the right resources to help. The volunteer Mentor role involves providing both emotional and practical support to work towards specific goals identified by the family. The Family Mentor role is varied and may include: Helping to improve relationships, help to support boundaries, encouraging interaction and support via play (activity sessions – visit to parks, adventure parks, ice skating etc), being a role model, enabling individuals in family setting with some focused pieces of support including going to appointments, being a listening ear, helping with CV and job searching, supporting the family to engage with local services and reach out their community when needed (playgroups, support groups, foodbank etc) and building on existing strengths and assets to support the family to achieve their goals. These can apply to both parent or child or sometimes as a family unit. We are also looking for volunteers who have experience and knowledge around substance use as the Families Linked In Project supports children, young people and parents who have been impacted by substance use in the family setting. Previous experience is not essential but for some of our roles previous experience/knowledge/awareness would be much welcomed
Barnardo's protects, supports and nurtures the UK's most vulnerable children and young people. Barnardo's helps bring out the best in children and young people – no matter who they are or what they have been through. Our volunteers help make this happen.

• Tasks: Working with young people or families on an individual basis, to help them achieve the desired outcomes of their plan.
  
  Building positive relationships with young people by meeting with them regularly on a one-to-one basis.
  
  Encouraging young people to access resources, groups and activities within their local community, such as youth groups and sports clubs.
  
  Accompanying young people to attend meetings or attending on their behalf.
  
  Supporting young people to have their voices heard on decisions that affect them.
  
  Adhering to Barnardo's policies and procedures at all times, including Barnardo's: Safeguarding; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion; Health & Safety; Data Protection; Confidentiality; Recording policies and procedures.
  
  Participating fully in training and supervision.
  
  Volunteering within Barnardo's Basis and Values.

• Skills: Reliable, punctual and trustworthy.
  
  Approachable and welcoming.
  
  The ability to empathise with young people, who may be facing difficult times in their lives.
  
  Awareness of factors impacting on and issues facing young people (e.g. Disadvantage, poverty, disabilities, health conditions including mental health).
  
  Being passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, young people and families.

• Benefits: Full induction and training.
  
  Other training opportunities relevant to the volunteer role.
  
  Regular supervision and support.
  
  Out of pocket expenses agreed in advance.
  
  Access to the Barnardo’s internal vacancy listing.
  
  Our volunteers tell us about lots of other benefits of volunteering including; experience of working with children, young people and families; experience for your CV; supporting your local community; meeting new people; increasing self-confidence; feeling like you are making a difference; improving your health and wellbeing; and a chance to contribute to a worthwhile children’s charity.