FREE Training to become a volunteer Special Needs Community Champion
Location: Your own local borough (or one you very have good knowledge of)
Time commitment: Daytime availability of at least 2 hours per week, minimum 6 months commitment
How you can help us:
As a volunteer, you will gain valuable skills and experience working as part of a team making a real difference to the lives of children and young people. We empower parents/carers and young people with special educational needs & disabilities, by providing free information and advice relating to education, health, and social care.
What’s involved?
A Community Champion will help us to reach isolated and vulnerable people. You will help us raise awareness of SEND Law, the rights of children, young people and their families, and let them know about resources available in the local area, and making use of all the financial support that they are eligible for.
You will help us spread the word of the service by telephone queries, meeting with families, going to events, helping with outreach events and representing the service. We need you to support with signposting and liaise with other professionals on behalf of families and act as their advocate where necessary. You are expected to promote a positive image of the service and act professionally, representing the organisations to families, other volunteers and external professionals. Trainee SNC Champions will need to gain an understanding of, and comply with, all relevant SNC Policies and Procedures.
You will be provided a checklist toolkit and be required to go through the checklist with families to explore all avenues to climbing out of hardship and poverty.
This role would suit people who are:
- Parent or carers themselves
- Former members or leaders of their local parent carer forums
- SENCOs or SEND professionals
- Gurdians or grandparents of children with special needs
- Anyone Interested in making a difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND
- Anyone who would like to gain or already have experience in working in the sector
- Forward looking, and with good verbal communication and written skills
- Fun, supportive and with interest in local communities
- Have a warm personality and enjoy meeting new people
- Understanding and awareness of the challenges people face which may lead them to being socially isolated
- Understanding of professional boundaries
- Commitment to diversity and equal opportunities.
Benefits of Training with us and what’s in it for you?
We will provide our champions with many benefits of being trained to represent and support their community. These include:
- Skills & Training (experts in their SEND Local Offer)
- Confidence
- Meet new people and develop a network of friends and professional contacts (part of local and national network)
- Training certificate in SEND Volunteering
- Expenses (for specific activities)
- Income (for specific roles, e.g. in funded SNC projects)
- Career development opportunities
- Work experience & references
- E-learning and classroom based trainings in core Safeguarding, Child Protection,
- Equality and Diversity, Database training (CMR) and Children and Young People
- mental health awareness training and access to other in-house training provided
- Regular supervision and support
- Support to develop community workshops, drop-in sessions
- Partnership working with statutory and other voluntary agencies.
- The chance to be at the heart of your local community, meet new people and be part of an enthusiastic network.
- An excellent opportunity to develop new and existing skills and knowledge.
- A reference
This volunteering role offers a chance for local people to develop their knowledge and skills around supporting vulnerable people, some admin, and IT learning, and SEND Law and legislation, education, health and social care. The role will be especially valuable for those wishing to pursue paid work in similar SEND roles or services across the UK, SEND assessment services within the local authorities, or similar posts within the broader Health and Social Care sector. Qualification for full appointment as an SNC Champion Appointments subject to SNC receiving an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service that we consider acceptable. It is all our duty to keep the community safe.