ChildLine Volunteer Counsellor – Role Profile
SPCC volunteer role description
ChildLine is a vital service available 365 days a year to support children and young people, whatever
their worry or concern. Volunteers listen to children and young people, offering them confidential
information, advice and support on the telephone, via a live 1-2-1 online conversation, or via email.
Volunteer counsellors are supported and supervised to assist children and young people in working with
sensitive issues such as bullying, sexual abuse, physical abuse, self-harm and family relationships.
If you are committed to protecting children and young people. If you’re a good listener, open minded
and can commit to a regular weekly shift of 4 ¼ hours, then you could volunteer for the ChildLine
helpline.
Key volunteer activities:
 To listen to children and young people
 To offer children and young people information, advice and support.
 To identify when a child or young person may be at risk and alert a supervisor, working with
them to agree appropriate action.
 To maintain confidentiality within ChildLine.
 To work within a team of volunteers and staff.
 To work with the team to develop and evaluate your practice as a volunteer.
 To work within ChildLine’s policies, procedures to offer a service to children and young people
Level of commitment:
We are seeking volunteers who can commit to 50 hours of initial training and mentoring. Following this
volunteers need to be able to commit to a 4¼ hr weekly shift at the same time each week, for a minimum
of 40 weeks a year, plus regular workshops. We ask for a minimum commitment of one year following
training.
We are looking for people who have the following skills, attributes and experience:
 Support and demonstrate NSPCC and ChildLine’s values; putting children first, making an
impact, taking a stand, never settling for second best, working together
 Able to listen
 Able to engage with people with problems in an empathic way
 Open minded and non-judgmental
 Able to identify feelings
 Able to demonstrate discretion and recognise the impact of own actions on others
 Able to deal with stress appropriately
 Are receptive to feedback, learning and continuous improvement
 Aware of impact of personal experiences on own outlook
 Willing to learn IT skills to work effectively online
Training and support provided:
All volunteers will go through an initial training programme on the ChildLine counselling model, and
ongoing topic based training. Volunteers are supported before, during and after shifts through briefing
sessions and supervisions. Volunteers will receive out of pocket expenses.
This volunteering role requires an enhanced criminal record check across the four nations (Access N.I.,
the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme (PVG), Enhanced DBS check). Volunteers will be asked to
provide all relevant documents for these checks.
May 2014
ChildLine is a service provided by the NSPCC.
Registered charity numbers 216401 and SC037717.