Volunteering with Home-Start South West Kent
We support a team of around 70 wonderful volunteers and each year we work with around 100 local families.
We carefully ‘match’ our volunteers with a local family with pre school children. Our volunteers visit weekly for a couple of hours, offering practical and emotional support. “I really look forward to our Tuesday mornings, thank you for bringing W to us”.
Support for families lasts for on six to nine months.
What is it like being a Home-Start Volunteer?
Our volunteers tell us that it is fun, rewarding, and certainly not about giving your free time for nothing. The time commitment is just a couple of hours a week, at a time to suit you.
We provide opportunities for volunteer parents to develop new skills, meet new people and have fun, with the support of staff committed to ensuring that they get the most from their volunteering experience.
What's it like being a Home-Start Volunteer?
Our volunteers tell us that it is fun, rewarding, and certainly not about giving your free time for nothing.
We provide opportunities for volunteer parents to develop new skills, meet new people, feel valued and have fun, with the support of staff committed to ensuring that they get the most from their volunteering experience.How we support our Volunteers
Full Training
Every Home-Start volunteer attends our training consisting of a combination of e-learning and face to face sessions. The training is a comprehensive and highly regarded programme covering a range of topics such as safeguarding, confidentiality, boundaries and the Home-Start approach.
Learning Sessions
Volunteers are also invited to monthly learning sessions on a range of relevant subjects such as welfare reform, infant brain development and mental health issues – some delivered by partner agencies and guest speakers.
Regular Supervision
A vital element of a Home-Start Scheme is the planned support offered to all volunteers. This is usually on a one to one basis between the volunteer and the Coordinator. Volunteers are also encouraged to support each other. The staff are always available for volunteers.
Emma's Volunteering Story
I’ve been a Home-Start volunteer for 2 years now, and I love it!
I visit families in the Tonbridge area usually, and especially enjoy seeing new mums and dads’ confidence growing. Sometimes new parents just need someone to listen, who won’t judge them as they learn the basics.
Its been great to be able to share all the advice my mum gave me when my children were young with families who have no one else to support them in the early days.
Apply to become a volunteer
Fill in the form below and one of our Co-ordinators will get in touch. There is no deadline and no interview panel. We will have a conversation, take up two references, and arrange an enhanced DBS check. A criminal record will not necessarily stop you volunteering with us.
The form takes about ten minutes and asks about your experience with children and families, so it helps to have a few minutes to yourself. You can save your answers and come back to it later using the link at the bottom.
If you would like to receive a paper version of this form to complete and return to us, please give Sarah our manager a call on 07395 775826 or email her at [email protected].