Sure steps peer support volunteer volunteer volunteer roles
Family Advice Line Volunteer
This is a volunteer opportunity supporting families through our advice line. As a volunteer, you’ll contribute your time to help us offer reliable information and a listening ear. Volunteers are a valued part of our mission, and we aim to make the experience supportive, enjoyable, and meaningful.
Role Overview:
Are you looking for an opportunity to use your speech and language therapy expertise in a voluntary capacity to support children and families?
As an Advice Line Volunteer, you will contribute to our mission by sharing information about typical development and guidance on how families can support their child’s speech and language needs. You will help families by offering clear information, resources and a listening ear as they navigate concerns around speech and language challenges.
How do our Volunteers help?
- Helping to provide evidence‑based information and resources to address families’ concerns.
- Listening empathetically to families and offering supportive guidance.
- Taking part in volunteer training and learning sessions to stay updated on best practice
What we are looking for:
We welcome volunteers who are:
- Passionate: Committed to supporting children and families facing speech and language challenges.
- Empathetic Communicators: Able to actively listen and respond sensitively to callers' needs.
- Reliable: Volunteers take part in a shared rota to ensure the line is covered.
- Team Players: Comfortable volunteering alongside others in a supportive environment.
- Learners: Open to volunteer training and opportunities to develop confidence as a Speech and Language UK volunteer.
About Us:
We are Speech and Language UK – we want every child to face the future with confidence. For 2 million children in the UK, learning to talk and understand words feel like an impossible hurdle. Without the right help, this can destroy their world. They feel disconnected from their family. Unable to make friends. Unfairly punished for not following instructions they don’t understand. What does the future hold for them?
Why Us?
Speech and Language UK is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment for children and young people with speech and language challenges. If you’re ready to make a difference in a supportive, mission-driven environment, we’d love to hear from you.
What can you gain from volunteering with us?
- The chance to apply your existing skills in a new way
- You’ll receive regular support and contact from our Advice Line team.
What we’re looking for in a volunteer
Skills and Experience
- Qualified speech and language therapists with 3 years experience and direct clinical practice in the last 12 months
- Qualified speech and language therapist aware of current practice in their area of experience
- Experience across two or more of the following age ranges – Early Years, Primary, Secondary, FE
- RCSLT registration
- HCPC registration is welcome for practising clinicians.
- Experience offering supportive advice to families or practitioners
- Comfortable volunteering independently from home.
Technology
- Comfortable using email and Word.
- Able to follow simple digital instructions.
- Familiarity with other Microsoft tools is helpful.
Other
- Available to take part in a shared rota to ensure the line is covered. We ask for a commitment of 4 hours per week or fortnight.
- Interest in ongoing learning is welcome.
- Ability to volunteer from a quiet, confidential space.
Practical considerations and time commitment:
You’ll receive a full induction, role specific training and ongoing support from your named contact. All regular volunteers are asked to provide references and complete internal training.
We ask for most volunteers to offer around 4 hours a week or fortnight. We rely on volunteers giving regular time so families know when we’ll be there for them. All volunteers take part in a shared schedule of volunteer time.
How to Apply:
Please submit your up-to-date CV and a supporting statement of no more than two pages, addressing how you meet the criteria outlined in this advert.
Due to the nature of this post, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
Closing date for applications: 9am on Monday, 2nd March 2026 with interviews being held via Teams w/c 2nd March and 9th March
Accessibility Support:
We are committed to ensuring that our recruitment process is accessible to everyone. If you require any adjustments or need to apply in a different format, please contact our People Team and we will be happy to assist you.
We are Disability Confident Committed under the Disability Confident Scheme.
This is an unpaid voluntary role intended for individuals who want to contribute their professional expertise to support families. It is not an employed position.
Registered Charity 
101 - 500
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
The Role
Our Lotus Community works alongside the City of Edinburgh Council to provide accommodation for 14 young people (aged 16-18), who are unaccompanied asylum-seekers. They come from a variety of different countries.
The community is a step towards independent living, whilst they await a decision about their ‘leave to remain’ in the country. The asylum procedure can be a long, complicated, overwhelming and challenging process. We support the young people in the best way during this stressful time (and after). They are supported by social workers and a guardianship service as well.
What will you do as a volunteer?
We are looking for highly motivated individuals who work well independently, are proactive and can get involved in community activities. You will support the residents of the community and help look after your shared spaces in the flats. Most of the residents have basic living skills, including cooking, cleaning and budgeting. We offer further support where needed.
We can also help them gain confidence and knowledge of the local area. This is to enable them to take further steps towards independence and integration in the local community. This is also with the purpose of them moving on to accommodation that better suits their needs in the future.
Depending on the season, and interests and abilities of the residents, your tasks can include:
- Being a peer mentor and staying in touch with the residents via WhatsApp
- Organise our monthly community meeting
- Organise activities, which can be walks, cycling, board games night, karaoke, tea and cake (whatever your interests) for the residents to come along.
- Reporting issues with the flat, repairs etc.
- Making sure that all rooms always have the equipment needed (cleaning products, toilet roll, hand sanitiser, condoms etc).
- Updating your (online) calendar for the week, so everyone knows when you are volunteering and not.
- Working together with your fellow volunteer(s) to organise activities and arrange rota.
What you get:
Location: You will live in a studio bedroom in the flat alongside the young residents. You will not pay for rent or bills (including internet).
Time: 20 hours per week for minimum 6 months. These are during the evening and weekends, with exception for a few hours spent in meetings and alike.
You can volunteer and work part time at the same time. You will organise your volunteering hours with the other volunteer.
We will provide support and training needed for you to engage with the tasks and young people in a safe manner. Support, supervision and team meetings are every month.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.
Thank you!
Actively Interviewing
This organisation is scheduling interviews as applications come in. They're ready to hire as soon as they find the right person. Don't miss your opportunity, apply now!
Our Second Home is a youth movement that empowers migrants and refugees to flourish in the place that they call home. Our overnight activity camp for young people aged 14-18 is a chance for young people to come together and have five days of fun and excitement, supported by a dynamic and dedicated team of leaders and staff.
An OSH Leader is a supportive adult, a role model, and someone young people can feel safe being themselves around. It’s about creating a warm, fun, and consistent presence during residentials — helping young people with refugee and migrant backgrounds feel welcomed, included, and at home.
Youth Leaders for this project will be responsible for facilitating the camp, and will be directly in contact with, and responsible for, the participants. During the camp they will be ‘on duty’ full-time, meaning that they will spend the whole time with the participants, including at meals.
THIS ROLE IS ONLY FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN THE UK. We will arrange Zoom interviews with applicants separately.
Responsibilities:
- Interacting and forming a bond with the participants
- Creating and running fun and engaging activities for the participants
- Looking after the participants’ welfare, and ensuring that they feel cared for and secure
- Managing the participants’ behaviour and setting clear boundaries
Expectations and requirements:
- All applicants must be interviewed and be willing to provide references on request.
- Youth Leaders must set a positive example of behaviour and involvement for all participants, and adhere to the volunteer guidelines.
- Youth Leaders may be required to prepare activities for participants at the camp. If asked, this must be completed in plenty of time to allow any materials or equipment to be sourced.
- Applicants should be aged 20 or above.
- Applicants must be eligible for DBS clearance (no criminal record that prevents applicants from working with children)
- Youth Leaders must raise any safeguarding concerns swiftly and follow safeguarding procedures
- Youth Leaders must follow all Our Second Home policies and procedures of (which will be explained at the Camp training days).
- Anyone attending an OSH residential must test negative for COVID-19 prior to attending the programme, regardless of whether they have received a vaccine or not.
Essential skills:
- Flexibility, adaptability and ability to improvise
- Ability to build connection quickly with peers and young people
- Ability to work in a team and communicate effectively
- High level of organisation
- High levels of empathy and patience
- Awareness and sensitivity that some participants might be suffering from trauma
Additional desired skills:
- Experience working with and/or caring for young people aged 14-18
- Experience working with refugees and/or asylum seekers
- Experience working with young people with special educational needs and/or disabilities
- Language skills: Arabic, Dari, Pashto, Tigrinya, Somali
- First Aid training
- Creative or artistic abilities
- Sports leadership
- Ability to prepare fun and engaging activities for young people
We particularly encourage applications from those who have lived experience of being a refugee.
Please ensure you are available to come to all the following events - specific dates can be found on the application form:
- Training
- Pre-Residential Prep Day (on site)
- Residential, in full
- Feedback & thank you afternoon
QUOTES:
- “Having the professional [welfare] support made me feel very support and more comfortable with the work” – BT
- “The atmosphere of fun, respect, care, and community is what made the young people so comfortable and connected” – BT
- “The leaders were all awesome – it was incredible to work in a team so full of hard working, intelligent, experienced people” – BT
- “Seeing the kids bursting out of their shells and that being the norm rather than just exceptions was just incredible.” – CA
- “It honestly surpassed anything I could have hoped for” – LK
Structure:
Youth Leaders will be supported by the Welfare Support Lead(s), who will be their main contact in the build to and throughout the camp. The Welfare Support Lead(s) will run team meetings at the end of each day and be on hand to advise and manage the Youth Leaders.
The client requests no contact from agencies or media sales.