What we're looking for

We need someone who wants to make a difference to children's lives by supporting them with their feelings of loneliness. As a volunteer befriender you will explore with a young person their strengths and vulnerabilities, current sources of support, resilience and goals, and steps they can take to help overcome feelings of loneliness'

What you'll do

You'll volunteer from home in a private space, after your initial training you will support young people over 11 weekly sessions following the 7-stage practice model to help the young person develop skills to manage their emotions around loneliness, build their confidence, self-esteem and support them to find new ways to cope

What you'll get

When you volunteer with us, you'll receive a combination of training with online classroom workshops via Microsoft Teams as well as online self-study modules. When you start delivering the sessions, support will be on offer from Befriending Coordinators and Team Managers. Befriending Coordinators will also provide regular supervisions and group sessions for learning and development.

What we'll need from you

Signing up to be a Building Connections Volunteer Befriender is a big commitment so, we do ask people to stay in the role for a minimum of one year.

We'll also need to do some routine safeguarding checks, including an enhanced criminal record check and at least two satisfactory references with at least one covering a period of the last five years or more with no gaps. It's nothing to worry about and we can answer any questions you have about this.

You'll need a laptop or PC with a Microsoft Windows 10/11 or Apple MacOS (version 10.14 or above) operating system, with speakers, a USB port for a headset and a webcam along with a mobile phone. Note: a tablet, smart phone/tv and Chromebooks are not suitable.

You will need a minimum broadband upload speed of 5MB and minimum download speed of 10MB. Internet connection via a dongle is not suitable for home working as part of the Building Connections service.

Who's right for the role?

We are looking for people who have the following:

• Commitment to NSPCC values and representing NSPCC in the role and beyond
• Passionate about helping young people with their feelings of loneliness.
• Great communication skills, and ability to build rapport.
• Patient, empathetic and perceptive.
• Can work effectively through a set model of support.
• Emotional resilience.
• Confident working from home whilst being supported remotely.
• Technically competent /Good I.T skills

Interested in getting involved? Volunteer today and join our fight for every childhood.