• With Love - We put children first with compassion and kindness, always.
• With Purpose - We collaborate to transform children's lives together.
• With Strength - We do whatever it takes to protect Scotland's children.

Join us and help build a volunteer movement that gives every family in Scotland a place to turn.

Please visit the following link to learn about our recruitment events to meet our team, hear about our plans. https://issuu.com/children_first/docs/children_first_support_line_recruitment_pack

Apply now and be part of transforming children's lives across Scotland.

Job Description

Role Summary

You will play a vital role in the expansion and delivery of our national support line service, which offers practical, financial and emotional support to families through phone calls, webchats, advice and information on our website and in their homes and communities across Scotland.

The Volunteer Coordinator will lead the recruitment, development, deployment, management and support of volunteers contributing to the Children First Support Line and Whole Family Support Programme.

The postholder will have responsibility for ensuring volunteers are effectively recruited, trained, supervised and supported to make a meaningful contribution to improving outcomes for children and families living in poverty and at risk of poverty across Scotland. The role will provide operational leadership for volunteering within the service, ensuring volunteers are safely integrated into service delivery and that their contribution strengthens capacity, improves family experiences and supports programme outcomes. The postholder will have full operational responsibility for the management, supervision, development, wellbeing and quality assurance of all volunteers participating in the Whole Family Support programme and Children First Support Line.

Working closely with Support Line colleagues, community partners and wider Children First teams, the Volunteer Coordinator will ensure volunteers are equipped to provide high-quality support and can contribute to tackling child poverty, reducing isolation and increasing access to whole family support.

The postholder will maintain oversight of all volunteers connected to the programme, ensuring safe practice, positive volunteer experiences, compliance with organisational requirements and continuous improvement of the volunteer offer.

Key Results Areas

Volunteer Leadership and Management

• Lead the development and delivery of volunteering within Support Line.
• Hold overall responsibility for the recruitment, induction, deployment, supervision and retention of volunteers.
• Develop and maintain a strategic volunteer workforce plan aligned to service demand and objectives.
• Ensure volunteers are effectively utilised to enhance support available to families.
• Maintain oversight of volunteer capacity across the Service and proactively address gaps in recruitment or deployment.
• Ensure all volunteer activity is delivered safely, effectively and in accordance with Children First policies and procedures.
• Create an inclusive, supportive and rewarding volunteer experience that promotes retention and engagement.
• Hold overall responsibility for the day-to-day management, supervision and support of all volunteers engaged within the Whole Family Support programme.
• Allocate volunteers to appropriate roles, activities and shifts based on service need, volunteer skills, experience and availability.
• Ensure volunteers are effectively supervised and operate safely, confidently and within agreed role boundaries.
• Conduct regular one-to-one supervision sessions with volunteers, providing guidance, support, feedback and development opportunities.

Recruitment, Selection and Onboarding

• Lead all volunteer recruitment activities including campaigns, information sessions, interviews and selection processes.
• Develop role descriptions and volunteer opportunities aligned to service and family needs.
• Ensure all safer recruitment processes are completed including references, PVG checks and onboarding requirements.
• Coordinate volunteer induction processes and ensure volunteers are appropriately prepared before commencing their role.
• Develop recruitment approaches targeted towards communities experiencing poverty and underrepresented groups.

Training, Development and Support

• Design and deliver an ongoing programme of induction, mandatory learning and continuing development for volunteers.
• Ensure volunteers have knowledge and skills relating to child protection, safeguarding, confidentiality, boundaries, poverty awareness, trauma-informed practice and whole family support.
• Provide regular supervision, support and well-being check-ins for volunteers.
• Observe, review and assess volunteer practice to ensure high-quality support is provided to children, families and communities.
• Lead on volunteer quality assurance processes including file audits, practice reviews, feedback collection and evaluation activities.
• Identify learning and development opportunities that strengthen volunteer effectiveness.
• Develop resources, guidance and learning materials for volunteers and staff.
• Ensure volunteers feel valued, supported and connected to Children First's mission and values.

Quality Assurance and Safeguarding

• Maintain oversight of volunteer practice and performance.
• Ensure volunteers operate within appropriate role boundaries and organisational expectations.
• Monitor volunteer compliance with safeguarding, information governance, confidentiality and professional standards.
• Review and evaluate volunteer activity and implement continuous improvement measures.
• Respond to volunteer concerns, complaints, safeguarding issues and performance matters in line with organisational policy.
• Ensure volunteer involvement contributes positively to service quality and family outcomes.

Support Line Operations

• Act as a member of the Children First Support Line team.
• Coordinate deployment of volunteers to support service delivery across telephone, digital and community-based activities where appropriate.
• Work alongside Team Leaders and operational managers to ensure volunteer resources are aligned to periods of increased demand.
• Develop volunteer roles which enhance the capacity, accessibility and responsiveness of the Support Line.
• Contribute to operational planning to ensure volunteers support service resilience and sustainability.

Community Engagement and Partnership Working

• Develop relationships with external organisations to promote volunteering opportunities.
• Build links with colleges, universities, community groups, employers and third sector organisations to increase volunteer recruitment.
• Work collaboratively with Community Partnership and Participation Workers to strengthen community engagement activities.
• Explore and develop opportunities for employer-supported volunteering and skills-based volunteering.
• Represent Children First within relevant volunteering networks and forums.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting

• Maintain accurate volunteer records and management information through Children First systems.
• Monitor volunteer recruitment, retention, diversity, activity levels and impact.
• Produce reports for managers, leadership teams, funders and governance purposes.
• Monitor volunteer performance and standards of practice, addressing development needs, capability concerns and conduct issues in line with Children First policies and procedures.
• Facilitate regular volunteer meetings, forums and learning events to encourage peer support, shared learning and engagement