Adult Buddy - Mentor

The Buddy Programme is a preventative programme for children between the ages of 5 and 12 who are matched one-to-one with a trained adult buddy. The service is offered by Family Works Otago, a Presbyterian Support Service initiative developed in 1992.

The children are referred from a variety of different agencies as well as by their own families. They are referred for a variety of reasons. They are all children whose life circumstances indicate a need for additional adult support.

The aims of the programme are to:

• Offer friendship, support and guidance
• Increase a child’s self esteem
• Develop social skills and help children to make positive choices
• Offer opportunities for new social experiences
• Enable fun and happiness

Volunteers are matched to their buddies depending on gender, personality, skill level, geographical proximity and the professional judgement of the coordinator. Once accepted and trained, volunteers will be introduced to their buddy at the child’s home and activities decided upon. Group activities are also organised by the Buddy Programme which offer new experiences for children and buddies.

Full training is provided which covers communication skills, boundaries, child development, child abuse and family dynamics.
Once accepted volunteers are invited to attend further training including grief, first aid and managing difficult behaviour. The majority of matches are very successful, with some relationships in place for a number of years.

We hope volunteers enjoy their role and will further develop:

• Interpersonal skills, particularly with children
• Better understanding and appreciation of the needs and feelings of others
• Insight into how actions impacts on others

Presbyterian Support Otago' Vision is to see that every person is valued and grows in a safe and strong community.

Requirements

To be eligible for this role you need to be:

• Able to commit to a minimum of 12 months volunteering service or longer.
• An adult Volunteer over 20 years of age
• Committed and reliable
• A good listener
• Unafraid to offer their ideas about what is right or wrong (where appropriate).

They should be able to relate to and understand children whilst developing and maintaining a positive relationship with the child and their families. Volunteers should have an acceptance of differing cultural backgrounds and lifestyles.

Please note: All their volunteers must complete a Police Check and all the appropriate training and supervision that is required for the role; this includes signing of a Code of Conduct.

A Police background check is required for this role.

Time commitment

Volunteers meet their buddies every week for about 2 hours. Volunteers need to be able to commit to at least 12 months volunteering from the time they are 'matched' with a young buddy. One days training before you start (held on a weekend), followed by monthly evening training/catch ups with other adult buddies - between 1 and 2 hours. Big buddies look forward to, and get a lot out of, the trainings and catch ups.

Getting started

The first step is to express your interest by filling out the form below. We will then put you in touch directly with the organisation for more information on the role and how to proceed.

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