Volunteering roles
There are opportunities at Ealing's youth offending service (YOS) for volunteers to gain experience and knowledge, to help and guide young people. This work benefits the community as a whole.
Volunteers come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Each brings their own skill and experience; they play a crucial role in preventing re-offending, and safeguarding young people.
Ealing Youth Justice Service (YJS) has the following volunteering roles, which are explained in more detail below.
Youth offender panel
A youth offender panel consists of two volunteers recruited from the local community, alongside one member of Ealing YOS. The panel meets with the young person, and their parents or carers, to talk about the reasons for the offending behaviour, agree how the young person can repair the harm caused and agree a tailor made contract aimed at reducing the risk of further offending. Panel members need to be 18 years old or over, and have relevant skills and experience to work with challenging young people.
Volunteers are expected to give a long term 12 month commitment and may spend at least three hours a fortnight working on the panel. Panel meetings can be arranged around your existing work and other commitments. You will receive specific training and on-going support and expenses.
Mentor
Are you over 21 and want to Inspire a young person aged between 10 and 17? Are you looking for experience of working with young people? Do you want to give something back to the local community? Do you have a few hours a week spare?
The inspire mentoring programme, which operates on behalf of Ealing youth justice service is looking for enthusiastic, fun and friendly people to join the team as a volunteer mentors to support and guide a young person on a weekly basis for a period of up to 12 months.
We will match you to a young person from a similar background with shared interests. Throughout your time as a volunteer mentor you will be fully supported including initial training and on-going support.
The mentoring scheme aims to provide selected young people with a consistent positive role model for a few hours a week to help the young person reduce their risk of offending or reoffending. The time commitment will be varied but will be for the length of the young person's order plus an optional three months. The four key aims of the programme are to:
- Increase young peoples involvement in education, training and employment
- Improve the ability of young people to engage positively in education
- Improve the ability of young people to manage family relationships positively
- Improve the ability of young people to attend new activities.
You will build a positive and healthy relationship with the young person by meeting regularly in order to achieve the aims above.
Mentor - serious youth violence outreach team
The serious youth violence outreach team has been established to meet and address the holistic needs of those young people aged between 10-24 years who require an exit strategy to gang/entrenched offending lifestyles. The aim of the project is to re-engage and motivate those identified (as many will have complex and challenging needs) in order to assist them to achieve and sustain positive lifestyle changes and reduce serious youth violence within the London borough of Ealing.
- Work face to face with young people using a variety of youth work methods including one to one support, project work and outreach, to encourage and support dissociation from gangs, offenders and offending
- Work with their families to secure eligible young people's engagement with the project
- Work with staff from Ealing SYV, police and other agencies to meet the needs of those who require a support package to exit gang/offending lifestyles.
What to do next
For more information on any of the above opportunities or for an application form please contact the team at yjsvolunteering@ealing.gov.uk
Ealing Council is committed to safeguarding children and vulnerable adults and expects all staff to share this commitment. Ealing follows safe recruitment practices to protect children and vulnerable adults. The post holder will be subject to an enhanced criminal records check.