Children's Activity Support - Group Helper (Sparkles SEND groups, children 0-9yrs, Epping, Loughton & Waltham Abbey)
Barnardo’s is committed to providing ‘Better Outcomes for More Children’. Our children’s services volunteers help the charity to deliver essential services in local communities, providing support to over 300,000 children, young people and their families. This role provides a great opportunity to join our fantastic children’s services and help make a real difference.
Essex Child and Family Wellbeing Service brings together a range of children’s community services that are free at the point of delivery. It’s provided by HCRG in partnership with Barnardo’s on behalf of Essex County Council, West Essex CCG and the NHS.
The focus across all our services is on making sure that everyone in Essex has the best possible start in life through community services that are accessible, high quality and meet the identified needs of children, young people, and families.
We deliver broad areas of support:
- Health Visiting: e.g. antenatal contact, transition to parenthood, new baby review, maternal mental health, wellbeing and development of children under 1 year and 2-3 year reviews, support to ‘be ready for school’
- Parenting Support: e.g. breastfeeding support, weaning toilet training, school entry review and childcare confidence support
- School Nursing: e.g. support for young people in schools with wellbeing and health concerns, Chat Health an online support service
- Family Health: e.g. substance misuse, contraception advice, nutrition support, mental health (maternal & infant), smoking cessation.
- Support for ages 5-19: e.g. dental care, review of immunisation status, support with any physical, emotional or developmental problems, provides children, parents and school staff with information on specific health issues, measuring height and weight
- Support for young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to the age of 25
We are looking for warm and friendly volunteers to welcome our service users to our Healthy Family Hubs / Healthy Family Delivery sites.
This role would suit a person who wants to support and interact with families and children who have additional needs in a group setting. We are looking for volunteers to work alongside a member of staff to deliver a weekly session for parents/carers and their children age range 0 – 5 or 2-9 years. The aim of this group is to bring families together, reduce isolation and support their child’s development through play. Volunteers will not be allowed to bring along their own children for these groups. If you are interested in peer supporting with your children then please contact sharon.macleay@barnardos.org.uk