Children First Support Line Volunteer – Edinburgh

Children First is Scotland’s national children’s charity. We stand up for children, keep them safe and support them to recover from trauma and abuse through our national and local services.

Children First believe that by making the first step towards help more easy, flexible and compassionate, we can transform lives and reduce child poverty. The Children First Support Line is a whole family support service that reaches every community across Scotland. It offers compassionate help, advice and support around raising children or to any person concerned about the safety and wellbeing of a child.

Volunteering for the Children First support line is a fantastic opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of children and families across Scotland.

“I would say if you’re thinking about volunteering, just go for it. Everyone has something to bring, and it can lead you to places that you might not have thought about or even thought possible.” (Support Line Volunteer)

What will I be doing?
As a Support Line Volunteer, you will provide emotional and practical support and advice to adults by phone, webchat and email, giving them time to talk through any worries about raising children or around the safety or wellbeing of children in their community. You will listen and support individuals to think through what would work best for their families. Working in partnership with Support Line Co-ordinators, you will ensure that the safety and wellbeing of children is a central focus of all contacts.

“No matter how many calls I have taken, I still find that there are no such things as two identical calls. Every person is an individual with their own particular issues and this keeps you interested in the role.” (Support Line Volunteer)

You will become part of a friendly, supportive team where trained staff are always on hand to provide support and guidance.

Please see the volunteer role description below for full details of the role.

What will I get from volunteering?
Volunteering with us is more than just giving us your time, we want you to gain something from it as well. Volunteering is a great way to build your confidence, learn new skills, meet new people, enhance your wellbeing and gain valuable experience. Our volunteers tell us that they develop lifelong skills and gain practical experience which are valuable to them in many different ways.

“Training to be a Support Line Volunteer and all the subsequent time volunteering has really helped me build some skills which I wish I'd built years ago. Many of these I'd call 'life skills' which I can usefully apply in many different parts of my life.” (Support Line Volunteer)

What training and support will I get?
We provide a comprehensive introductory training course that will equip you with the skills and knowledge that you need.

‘I found the training incredibly comprehensive, and I came out of it with the confidence to begin taking calls and with the knowledge that I would receive a lot of support whenever I needed it’ (Support Line Volunteer)

Our next two training course will run on the dates below from our office in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh:
Course 1
• Sat 25th Oct – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 1st Nov – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 8th Nov – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 15th Nov – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 22nd Nov – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Weds 14th Jan – 5.45pm-9.00pm (please note that this session takes place after starting to volunteer)

Course 2
• Sat 24th Jan – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 31st Jan – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 7th Feb – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 14th Feb – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Sat 21st Feb – 9.30am-4.30pm
• Weds 25th March - 9.30am-4.30pm (please note that this session takes place after starting to volunteer)

We provide all of our volunteers with ongoing support and opportunities to develop in the role. We also reimburse reasonable out-of-pocket expenses for travel and costs incurred as part of the volunteering role.

What do you need from me?
A caring, kind and non-judgemental response can make a real difference to someone who wants to talk. No previous experience or formal qualifications are necessary, however good communication skills are essential to enable you to listen to and support those who contact the Children First Support Line.

The line is open Monday-Friday 9am-9pm and 9am-12 noon Saturday and Sunday throughout the year. On completion of training, we ask our volunteers to give a weekly commitment of around 4 hours for a minimum of a year. There are a range of options for days/times based at the Children First Edinburgh office.

What do I need to do next?
If you are interested in the role we would like to invite you to an information session where you will find out more about the role from staff and current volunteers. The information session will be held on Wednesday 10th September from 6.00pm -7.30pm at our office in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh.

If you would like come to the information session or have any questions, please get in touch via volunteer@childrenfirst.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you.

To apply please complete the application pack below and return to volunteer@childrenfirst.org.uk

Closing date:
Training course 1 – Weds 15th Oct 2025
Training course 2 – Weds 7th Jan 2026