Location:

  - Flexible to suit

 

Hours:

  - This is a flexible role during term time and could fit around existing commitments
  - To protect you and the families you help we use a Safer Recruitment policy and references and Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks will be carried out before you start.

 

Role Profile:

Parent Champions are parents who volunteer their time to share their positive experiences with families whose children may need extra support. Parent Champions -

  - Raise awareness of the support available through the SEND Partnership Service and through the Rainbow Resource
  - Act as ambassadors for the SEND Partnership Service in daily life and at events and activities (if you want to)
  - Are in the playground/available to talk with families who need support
  - Are available to signpost families to appropriate services and resources if asked
  - Share own experiences in a positive way
  - Link with parent groups to tell them about the SEND Partnership Service and the support on offer
  - Understand and offer support to overcome the barriers to the use of childcare and early years services from a parent or carer’s point of view
  - Keep basic records which demonstrate the benefits of Parent Champions
  - Feedback concerns about services and information to SPS so that we can work with the local authority to get it right for families

 

Activities: what you could be doing

  - Communicating with parents and carers using a variety of methods.
  - Offering choices to parents and families on the different family services they could use.
  - Signposting families to relevant organisations who may be able to support them
  - Referring parents and carers to children’s centres and other local organisations to get involved in local activities and services.

 

What we want from you:

  - Recording accurate information manually so that we can see the impact of the Parent Champion scheme.
  - Meetings with Project Manager and other Parent Champions regularly.
  - Attend a minimum of 3 update training sessions per year including attending SPS Team Meetings to share good practice and update knowledge

 

What we will give you:

  - Induction training and support in your volunteering role
  - Relevant training to keep your knowledge and skills updated
  - Out of pocket expenses can be reimbursed

 

Person Profile: we need

  - Someone who feels confident approaching and speaking with others.
  -Someone who can get along with people and understand their world.
  -Someone who understands the difficulties parents and carers face when their child has an additional need
  - Someone who knows what is in the local area in terms of children, family support and fun things for families to do
  - Someone who is actively engaged/has good links with parents, carers and other groups in their local community.
  - Someone with positive experience of accessing support for a child with additional needs
  - Someone with an understanding of how to keep children safe and a positive motivation for working with parents.
  - Someone who has emotional maturity, is non-judgmental and has personal resilience.

As a volunteer with the SEND Partnership Service you will be required to adhere to our code of conduct policy