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Family Support Volunteers
Are you looking for a meaningful way to make a difference in the lives of children and families facing life-shortening conditions? If so, you might be interested in one of our Family Support Volunteering roles!
Volunteering in one of our Family Support Volunteer roles is a rewarding and flexible way to provide practical and/or emotional support to families in their own environment.
You will be matched with a family based on your skills, availability and location and the family's needs. You will receive comprehensive training as well as ongoing supervision from our experienced Community Team.
As a Family Support Volunteer and dependent on the role you are interested in doing, you may be helping families with social support such as befriending and being a listening ear or meeting a parent out for lunch/coffee, or you may support with more practical tasks such as household chores, shopping, gardening, maintenance and reading to children. You will also have the opportunity to join our network of volunteers and attend Tŷ Hafan social activities throughout the year.
Volunteering to support our families is a great way to use your existing skills, learn new ones, meet new people and make a positive impact on your community.
If you are interested in volunteering in one of our Family Support Volunteer roles, please take a look below to find out what's available and submit an application form.
If it looks like there are currently no open opportunities in your area, please submit an application form anyway and we will get in touch to see if there are other ways you can support / to let you know when opportunities open up in your area.
If you have any questions, you can contact our Family Support Volunteer Manager at volunteer@tyhafan.org or call 029 2053 2254.
Mission Statement
When a child’s life will be short, no family should have to live it on their own. Our ambition is to ensure that all families have the care and support they need, in life, death and beyond.
Family Support Volunteer Role
Volunteer Gardener
As a Gardening Volunteer in family homes, you can help make a real impact on the lives of families with children facing complex health challenges and a shortened life.
Having access to a secure garden or outdoor area can be crucial for providing opportunities to play and relax, which can be invaluable for the mental well-being of these families.
Our Gardening Volunteer role supports numerous Tŷ Hafan families who find it difficult to clear and maintain their gardens or outdoor spaces, alongside providing around the clock care for their child or young person.
Often, once the space has been cleared, the task becomes more manageable and less daunting, giving families the breathing space they need to maintain the area by themselves.
Considerations:
Age requirement: 21+
Location: Across South & West Wales
Time commitment: flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate your personal schedule. The support plans designed for referred families are typically structured to span a period of six weeks.
Due to the nature of the role, we are looking for volunteers with some skills, experience and knowledge of gardening, either as a profession or as a hobby.
DBS check, references and induction/training course required before starting. Details of which can be found below.
As a volunteer, you could be involved in various activities depending on your preferences, skills and experience, these include:
•Mowing the lawn, trimming hedges, and pruning shrubs/trees
•Disposal of garden waste
•Planting bulbs and tidying up flower beds
•General tidy up of outdoor spaces
•Other ad-hoc gardening tasks on a seasonal basis
At Tŷ Hafan our people values are working together, demonstrating compassion, providing excellent service and taking ownership. We expect all colleagues and volunteers to behave with high levels of integrity and to represent our values as a core part of their role.
Here's what you can expect from our training programme:
•A comprehensive introduction to Tŷ Hafan and your role, to include an in-person Induction and Training Programme as well as additional e-learning;
•A friendly and supportive team to assist you with any queries or concerns through regular and ongoing meetings;
•Other role and organisation specific training;
The benefits of becoming a Volunteer Gardener in Family Homes:
•Make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families, by creating and maintaining beautiful outdoor spaces for them to enjoy;
•Attend Volunteer Celebration Events throughout the year;
•Meet new people and join a friendly community of volunteers, passionate about helping others;
•Develop your existing gardening skills and knowledge;
•Expenses will be provided following discussion about the role.
Are you ready to join us as a volunteer?
Just click the “Fill in an application” button to complete a simple form.
We will ask you to provide us with the details of two referees and an Enhanced DBS check is required for this role.
Once we have reviewed your application form, we will be in touch for an informal discussion to ensure this role is right for you, before we progress.
Tŷ Hafan will cover the costs of any background checks and we will contact you with details on completing your DBS, once your application is successful.
We can't wait to welcome you to the team!
Click here to fill in an application form
This role is purely voluntary, and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract.
Providing care and support is something we are only able to do because of the kindness and commitment of our wonderful staff, supporters and volunteers.
Practical Family Support Volunteer
Joining this role means you'll be at the heart of providing essential support to families facing the unimaginable; caring for their child who's life will be short. Many families in Wales are unfortunately facing this challenge alone, without support from others.
As a Practical Family Support Volunteer for Tŷ Hafan, you will assist families in need with various light tasks such as cleaning, tidying up and laundry.
Your contribution will go beyond housekeeping; it's about taking some of the pressure off and giving families the breathing space they need to spend more precious time together.
This role offers the satisfaction of knowing you are making a positive impact on families with a child with a life-shortening condition, by helping them create a tidy, clean and safe home environment that reduces their daily stress and worries.
Most importantly, you will be helping us to ensure that no family faces this challenge, alone.
Considerations:
Age requirement: 21+
Location: Across South & West Wales
Time commitment: flexible and can be adjusted to accommodate your personal schedule. The support plans designed for referred families are typically structured to span a period of six weeks.
You would need to be able to travel back and forth to family homes
DBS check, references and induction/training course required before starting. Details of which can be found below.
As a volunteer, you could be involved in various activities depending on your preferences, skills and experience.
Activities include helping families with light housekeeping tasks such as; cleaning, dusting, vacuuming and laundry, giving them the space they need to be there for their child who needs them.
At Tŷ Hafan our people values are working together, demonstrating compassion, providing excellent service and taking ownership. We expect all colleagues and volunteers to behave with high levels of integrity and to represent our values as a core part of their role.
We are looking for volunteers who:
•Are able to empathize with the families you are helping and show them kindness and respect
•Are reliable and flexible and committed to volunteering on a longer term basis
•Will follow our health and safety guidelines, policies and procedures and report any issues or concerns to the Family Support Volunteer Manager.
•Are respectful of the privacy, preferences and needs of the families you are supporting
•Are polite and friendly
•Are able to adapt to different situations and challenges
•Enjoy making a difference in the lives of others
Here's what you can expect from our training programme:
•A comprehensive introduction to Tŷ Hafan and your role, to include an in-person Induction and Training Programme as well as additional e-learning;
•A friendly and supportive team to assist you with any queries or concerns through regular and ongoing meetings;
•Other role and organisation specific training;
The benefits of becoming a Volunteer Gardener in Family Homes:
•Make a positive difference in the lives of children with life-shortening conditions and their families, by creating and maintaining beautiful outdoor spaces for them to enjoy;
•Attend Volunteer Celebration Events throughout the year;
•Meet new people and join a friendly community of volunteers, passionate about helping others;
•Expenses will be provided following discussion about the role.
Are you ready to join us as a volunteer?
Just click the “Fill in an application” button on the top of this page and complete a simple form.
We will ask you to provide us with the details of two referees and an Enhanced DBS check is required for this role.
Once we have viewed your application form, we will be in touch for an informal discussion to ensure this role is right for you, before we progress.
Tŷ Hafan will cover the costs of any background checks and we will contact you with details on completing your DBS, once your application is successful
We can't wait to welcome you to the team!
This role is purely voluntary, and this arrangement is not meant to be a legally binding one or an employment contract.
Providing care and support is something we are only able to do because of the kindness and commitment of our wonderful staff, supporters and volunteers.
