Local Authority Innovation Pilot

This project provides volunteers with high quality training so they can work with families in a mentoring capacity. The mentors make a commitment to a few hours volunteering a week.  Through the support provided by the volunteer mentors, families can gain confidence and become more motivated to bring about positive change in their own lives, helping them overcome a range of problems associated with living in poverty. Support can be around one visit per week from the mentor and mentors work with one or two families.

The initial support provided by the mentors is geared towards most families reaching a point where they are ready to be signposted to services/ programmes designed to engage (or re-engage) with the labour market.

For example, support may include:

  • Pre-employment advice, guidance and training
  • Employment advice and support - with particular focus on the difficult transitional period moving from workless benefits to employment
  • Retention and progression (help to improve employment prospects for parents in low paid employment through training)
  • Benefit maximisation - particularly help with take up and to navigation of the tax credit system
  • Advice around childcare - availability and affordability.

The Volunteer Family Mentors benefit by gaining experience and high quality training, as well as confidence that will help them with future employment opportunities or encourage them to move onto further education.

Eligibility

Eligible families are those living in the North Huyton area and experiencing a number of the following:

  • Lack of confidence or low self-esteem
  • Low aspirations
  • Members of the family feeling socially isolated
  • Financial stress (e.g. debt)
  • Parents who lack interest in their children’s education
  • Adults with low levels of literacy / numeracy skills
  • Children struggling to achieve their potential in school
  • Unhealthy lifestyles (e.g. poor diet, smoking, low levels of fitness)
  • Difficult family relationships, including parenting
  • Lack of opportunities for ‘quality time’ as a family

Get in touch

If you feel that your family or a family youi know would benefit from participating in this project, please contact the Opportuinities for Families Team on 0151 443 3277 for an initial discussion.

Alternatively, If you are interested in becoming a volunteer mentor, please contact the Opportunities for Families Team on 0151 443 3277 for more information.

Downloads

Referral form.