On Wednesday the 23rd of January I Started training with Home-Start South and West Devon to be a family support worker. Training starts at 9:30 and finishes at 14:30 meaning I will complete 6 hours of training every week for 5 weeks, a total of 35 hours training with Home-Start. I will not be attending week two of the training.
The organisation offers support and practical help to families with young children under the age of 5. Home-Start helps families who are under stress and often act as an intervention to help support families who are at risk of their children being placed on the at risk register or child in need register. As a Home-Start volunteer I will be expected to be able to work with families with a range of problems such as learning difficulties, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health problems and more than often with survivors of domestic abuse. However, after my training has commenced Home-Start will pair me with a family that they think I will be best suited too and able to support. Despite Home-Start usually only accepting volunteers who are mothers or fathers, they agreed to have me as a volunteer due to the fact that I am familiar with some of the processes a large portion of their families are going through.
The first day of training was very good and everyone got on well. The first day was an introductory day where everyone got to know eachother. We did a task where we had to tell the person next to us one lie and one truth, some of them were quite funny.
I was quite concerned that I would possibly get treated differently because I am the youngest and not a mother but the whole group really gets along great. Their is a variety of people from many different backgrounds. Women who have retired, one lady from The Carribean who is a PHD Psychology student, a few women who are training with Home-Start to help get back into work after having some children and even a retired nurse.
Overall, the first day went great. I was really exited and proud that I had been accepted by Home-Start as I have not had much luck with employment. I dressed really smart on my first day and went out and purchased some new smart trousers and shoes. If the rest of the training goes as good as day one I will be very pleased.