Becoming a Family Support Volunteer Mentor with Home-Start Essex is a truly rewarding opportunity to make a lasting difference in the lives of local families. Our mentors play a vital role in the home by:

• Supporting parents/carers through challenging times.

• Helping children overcome difficulties and thrive.

• Strengthening family wellbeing and resilience.

By offering your time, empathy, and life experience, you can help prevent future problems and give children the best possible start in life. We work with a diverse range of families and deeply value the unique skills, backgrounds, and perspectives each volunteer brings.

Your support empowers families to build brighter futures—one connection at a time.

As a Home-Visiting Volunteer, you will support a family by visiting them in their home once a week for 2–3 hours, over a period of up to six months. You will build a trusted relationship, encourage positive parenting, and help families find their own solutions to challenges. You may offer emotional or practical support, help families access local services, and build their support networks.

Volunteers are asked to:

• Commit to weekly visits for up to six months

• Travel to and from the family’s home or meeting place

• Complete a Volunteer Contact record after each visit Your time can make a real and lasting difference to a family’s life.

SKILLS

No formal qualifications required as full training will be given. Having experience of parenting or working with families/children would be a bonus.