Volunteer with Home-Start
You can volunteer your time with us in a variety of roles. Volunteer your time to help others and in a way that works for you too.
Be a Home-Start volunteer
No special qualifications are necessary to become a Home-Start volunteer, volunteers are individuals with an interest in but if you also had some experience of, young children and family life too. We welcome volunteers from all sections of the community.
Talking and listening can be empowering for families, helping them to overcome their difficult situations by realising their potential and building confidence. Volunteers are offered ongoing training and support, including opportunities to take part in activities with specialist speakers and services, as well as informal social gatherings. We offer a variety of volunteering opportunities, so read on to find out more.
Volunteers join us for many reasons, but all share the same motivation – the desire to help others.
Volunteering with us can change lives – including your own. Read more about Home-Start UK research on volunteering with us in Scotland (opens a new window).
What it takes to be a Peer Volunteer
- You will be matched with and then offer support to a family by visiting them at home, in the community.
- You should have a non-judgmental attitude and understand about the pressures of bringing up a family.
- You will attend our free Volunteer Training & Assessment Course with other new volunteers.
- You must understand that your support for families is completely confidential.
- You will have to undergo a Disclosure Service check at enhanced level with references.
- You will meet regularly with, and be supported by, one of our co-ordinators during the time you are supporting families.
If being a Peer Volunteer isn’t for you, read more about other opportunities to volunteer your time, skills and experiences to our work.
Do you have what it takes to be a Home-Start volunteer? Are keen to help parents and children in your community? Please complete our online application form to start your journey transforming lives in your area.
If you would prefer an application to be emailed to you, let us know: info@homestartgnnl.org.uk
Training to be a Home-Start volunteer
Volunteer Training and Assessment Course
Our volunteers undergo a full training and assessment course (T&A course) before being matched with a family or with one of our groups. Training is run throughout the year at our Glasgow and North Lanarkshire Hubs.
The T&A course is currently being delivered face-to-face at our Glasgow and North Lanarkshire hubs. The training consists of 5 weekly sessions, each session lasts for 2.5 hours. The T&A will be available during the day and delivered 4 times throughout the year.
Participants will learn about health and wellbeing, child development, attachment, child protection, boundaries, confidentiality, and a number of key areas of our specific services.
The face-to-face training days incorporate PowerPoints, videos, and lots of group discussions with refreshments provided throughout training. Travel expenses are also reimbursed.
Once volunteers have completed T&A, a programme of support and supervision, as well as ongoing developmental training, is in place throughout the year.
Support and Supervision for Volunteers
Home-visiting and Groups volunteers receive regular support and supervision (S&S) with a Family Support Coordinator or a Family Engagement Coordinator. These meetings take place every 6 weeks and usually take 1-2 hours, outside of the regular Home-visiting hours or Group hours that a volunteer does. S&S gives the volunteer an opportunity to debrief with a member of staff about the families they support. This is also the volunteer’s opportunity to discuss how the volunteer role is going for them.
We know that life changes and your family comes first – we value your time and if during your volunteer journey your personal circumstances change, you have the opportunity to pause home-visiting commitments and “rest” as a home-visiting volunteer for up to 6 months.
Additional Training opportunities and Social Events
Volunteers are regularly invited to ongoing developmental training opportunities. These run outside of the 2-3 hours of weekly family support or group support. These are often information workshops from services and supports available in the community, as well as courses applicable to the role. In the past these have included workshops and trainings on keeping energy costs low, signposting families to benefits and supports, gender violence, first aid, Book Bug in the home, perinatal mental health and trauma informed parenting.
Additional trainings and events are not mandatory but these are a great way for volunteers to catch up with the rest of the Home-Start “family”, so please aim to get involved in them if possible.
Training and Assessment Dates
Glasgow – Thursday 20th August 2026
North Lanarkshire – Tuesday 18th August 2026
The courses run over 5 weeks, and sessions start at 10 am – 12.30 pm.
Volunteer Stories
We are delighted to announce that we are Volunteer Charter Champions!
The charter supports the foundations for a good volunteer experience, giving organisation’s such as Home-Start a chance to express our support for the spirit of volunteering whilst upholding the principles of good volunteer practice!
Volunteers are the heart of Home-Start!
The Volunteer Charter has ten key principles which help to underpin good relations within a volunteering environment. You can read what the principles are by clicking here.
You can also read more about the Volunteer Charter – Click Here
What volunteers say
… about the Training and Assessment course…
“It has been really thorough, you do feel completely ready.”
“Volunteer training is so holistic and covers all the bases. I have already received so much support and I’m much less nervous to go on to support a family.”
… about their volunteer experience…
“I have loved volunteering with HSGN and felt part of the team as everyone was so supportive. I was looking for experience alongside studying for my degree in Social Care. I have just got a job as a Housing Office and Home-Start is one of the main experiences that has helped me to get employment. I gave more examples from my volunteering at my interview, than from my work experience or uni.”
“I get a feeling of satisfaction when talking with mum – I always feel better after talking to her – I feel positive that I am helping as I see how mums mental health is improving and she makes an effort to help herself.”
Other ways to volunteer for Home-Start
Share your time & skills to help our work
- supporting family groups & outings
- administration work
- music, craft and storytelling
- healthy eating sessions
- fundraising
- digital promotion
- and so much more
You may also be able to help in ways we haven’t thought about yet.
So if you want to get involved, get in touch and let us know what you have in mind.
Join us as a Trustee to help shape the future of our work with families
Importantly, the Board of Trustees should reflect the communities in which we work. We already benefit from a variety of skills, experiences and backgrounds and now need to add to that dynamic and creative team.
The minimum commitment as a Trustee is a few hours each month, to attend meetings or to engage in Board discussions via email and online forums. Further opportunities to get involved are possible too, so we can be flexible to suit individual motivations to volunteer.
If you are interested in finding out more about the opportunity to join us, please contact our Chairperson to arrange an informal chat: chairperson@homestartglasgownorth.org.uk
Become a Home-Start Volunteer Today
Home-Start’s team of trained volunteers make sure a child’s early years count. By volunteering you time you can transform the lives of young children and their parents in your community.