Children First Support Line Volunteer – Edinburgh
Could you be the person who helps a family take the first step towards a brighter future? When families need someone to listen, our Support Line volunteers are there. By offering compassionate support and guidance you'll help families navigate challenges, strengthen relationships and ensure children have the safe and happy childhood they deserve.
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.
Our Support Line provides compassionate advice and emotional and practical support to families across Scotland and anyone concerned about a child's safety or wellbeing. By making it easier to access help, we can help transform lives and reduce child poverty. Volunteering with the Support Line is a chance to make a real difference to 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'll provide emotional and practical support to adults by phone, webchat and email. You'll help people explore concerns about parenting, family life and the safety and wellbeing of children, supporting them to identify what might work best for their family. Working alongside Support Line Co-ordinators, you'll help ensure children's safety and wellbeing remain at the centre of every contact.
“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'll become part of a friendly and supportive team, with trained staff always on hand to provide guidance and support.
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 develop valuable communication, problem-solving and listening skills while making a meaningful difference to families across Scotland. You'll gain experience of supporting people through challenging situations, work as part of a skilled team and build confidence that can benefit both your personal and professional life.
“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 comprehensive training to equip you with the knowledge, skills and confidence needed for the role.
‘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 courses will run on the dates below from our office in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh (please note that we need you to be available for all of the dates listed below):
|
Course 1 · Saturday 24 October, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 31 October, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 7 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 14 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 21 November, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Thursday 28 January, 5.45pm to 9.00pm (takes place after starting to volunteer)
|
Course 2 · Saturday 23 January, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 30 January, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 6 February, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 13 February, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Saturday 20 February, 9.30am to 4.30pm · Tuesday 27 April, 5.45pm to 9.00pm (takes place after starting to volunteer)
|
We provide ongoing support, learning opportunities and reimbursement of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred while volunteering.
What do you need from me?
We're looking for caring, reliable people who can listen without judgement and support others through difficult moments. No specific previous experience or formal qualifications are required but volunteers must be aged 18 or over. If you can give your time, bring empathy and want to make a real difference for children and families, we'll provide the training and support you need to succeed.
After training, we ask for a commitment of around four hours per week for at least one year. A range of volunteering shifts throughout the day, evenings and weekends are available from our Edinburgh office.
We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and walks of life. We know that families benefit from hearing a range of experiences and perspectives. Men remain under-represented within our volunteer team and we'd welcome applications from men who are passionate about supporting children and families.
What do I need to do next?
Every conversation has the potential to make a child safer, strengthen a family and help someone feel less alone. If you'd like to be part of that, we'd love to hear from you.
If you have any questions or would like an informal chat about the role, please contact volunteer@children1st.org.uk
To apply, please complete the application pack below and return it to volunteer@children1st.org.uk
Closing date:
Course 1 - Thursday 8th Oct 2026
Course 2 – Thursday 15th Jan 2027