What does PAC look for in a Helpline Volunteer?

The role of the Parents Helpline Volunteer requires a special combination of skills, qualities and experience.

Parents Helpline Volunteers must ...

have substantial parenting experience and/or significant experience of working with families
have good communication and interpersonal skills
be able to complete our OCN Level 2 accredited preparation training course
have a reasonable standard of written and spoken English
be comfortable using a telephone
be able to work a minimum of one three-hour rota per week, to attend monthly supervision group meetings and ongoing skills development workshops
be reliable
be willing to question their own attitudes e.g. different forms of parenting
have a commitment to a non-judgmental, non-directive approach to supporting callers.

It is desirable that Parents Helpline Volunteers can commit to the organisation for a minimum of one year.

Student Placements

As Parents Helpline is not a counselling service, we cannot offer ‘placements’ to counselling students. All Parents Helpline Volunteers work within the same procedures, whatever their qualifications, and so it is not possible to guarantee any individual Parents Helpline Volunteer a minimum number of face-to-face client contact hours. Similarly, all Parents Helpline Volunteers have to complete our own accredited preparation training prior to commencing work on the helpline - regardless of what other qualifications they may hold. However, many of our Parents Helpline Volunteers are studying towards, or already possess, certificates and diplomas in counselling, and find volunteering with Parents Helpline very rewarding.