We are looking for eight enthusiastic volunteers who can make a positive difference to Barnardo's Care Leavers and young people seeking asylum across Bristol.
Purpose:
- Meet on a regular basis to provide befriending support to young people leaving care and young people in the asylum system
- Improve well-being through building confidence, and independence, and reducing social isolation.
- Help connect young people to Bristol’s experiences and opportunities
Key Activities:
- Develop and maintain a healthy, trusting, reliable relationship with a young person
- Be led by young person and engage in activities of their choice together
- Maintain clear boundaries with young person
- Help young person to identify and research their areas of interest
- Help young person have confidence to make choices about opportunities available to them.
- Encourage/support participation in social activities to establish a healthy lifestyle.
- Encourage young person to explore new situations and environments.
- Provide a safe space for young person to talk about their challenges and concerns as well as their hopes and aspirations and help them build on their personal coping strategies and life skills.
Attitude/Skills/ Knowledge required
- Confidence, bubbliness/enthusiasm, friendliness, honesty, reliability, and patience
- Good at forming relationships
- A non-judgemental and ‘can do’ attitude
- A willingness to develop your knowledge and understanding of barriers faced by young people leaving the care system
- To be able to build positive, safe, healthy relations with a young person
- Ability to communicate well with young people, staff and other volunteers
- Availability to a young person
- Ability to demonstrate consistency and boundaries with young people
- Ability to follow policies around safeguarding, confidentiality, equality and lone working
- To model positive conduct/behaviour
- To be able to give appropriate feedback to your line manager/volunteer coordinator with regards to sessions with young person
- Ability to ask for support and guidance from others
- Commitment to Barnardo’s basis and values
- Commitment to Barnardo’s Equality and Diversity Policy
These are flexible volunteering roles - approximately 6 hours per month (up to 2 sessions per month).
We would be looking for a minimum of a 1 year commitment. Minimum age of Volunteer: 18 years old.
There will be a Barnardo's Volunteer induction training, Safeguarding training, Supervision and on-going support. You will also have access to Barnardo’s internal training and vacancy listings.