Siblings Group Volunteer - Worcester

Siblings Volunteer

 Who are we?

A parent never imagines their child will be diagnosed with a life limiting or life threatening condition. But when the unimaginable happens, Acorns Children’s Hospice steps in. Our dedicated teams provide specialist tailored care, including complex medical care, short breaks and emotional and practical support for babies, children and young people and their families, at our three hospices in Birmingham, Walsall and Worcester as well as in the community. Why we need you At Acorns we know that children and young people growing up with a poorly brother or sister often have less attention from parents and more worries and responsibilities than their peers. Acorns has a dedicated Sibling Support Team who run Sibling Group sessions to provide fun experiences for young people and allow them to meet others who may be in a similar situation to them. Sibling activities include arts and crafts, games, sporting activities and fun trips out. These experiences enrich the lives of these young people and give an opportunity for them to explore their hobbies and interests and help them to feel they’re not alone. Our Sibling Volunteers are vital in helping us support the delivery of our sibling services.

What you'll be doing

Volunteering alongside our Sibling Support team, our Sibling Volunteers: 

Attend a Sibling Group planning session with our Sibling Support team every couple of months to hear about plans for forthcoming activities.

Come to the hospice when we have siblings visiting or staying with us, to play games, read stories and given the siblings some focused one-to-one time. 

Attend a Siblings Group session once a month, joining in with the activities. This can include arts and crafts projects, songs and games, and chatting to the siblings during the session.

How much time will it take?

 Sibling Volunteers are asked to complete our online basic training modules and our in-person sibling training session which together take 4-5 hours to complete. Once trained, volunteering with us is flexible but we ask for a commitment of one Sibling Group session per month and hospice-based sibling volunteering on an adhoc basis. Volunteers are required to complete an Enhanced DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) Check, which we will pay for and process for you. 

Am I right for the role? 

• Be sensitive to the needs of our children, young people and families
•  Be a good communicator 
• Enjoy spending time with children, who may have a range of emotional or educational additional needs
•  Be warm and friendly 
• Be willing to learn about the importance of confidentiality, boundaries and safeguarding within Acorns

Why volunteer at Acorns? 

• Make a difference to the work we do and help to improve the lives of families of children with life limiting or life threatening conditions 
• Enable our siblings to enjoy activities together and help them feel they’re not alone
•  Connect with like-minded people and make new friends 
• Enhance your CV by learning new skills and gaining valuable experience We’ll give you a reference for future work or volunteering Invites to social events and participation in our volunteer recognition schemes and awards 
• Access to our free online training to support and develop your volunteering 
• Travel expenses available