Sova Hull IV featured in the Hull Daily Mail

Young people living in care often face an unsettling time, which is where the Sova Hull Independent Visitors Project comes in. Debbie Hall learns more about volunteers working with the group who make a difference.

If you are a reliable adult with a good listening ear and a genuine interest in supporting young people you could be just what the city charity is looking for.  Sova Hull Independent Visitors Project provides looked-after young people with one to one support on a long term basis, through a team of volunteers.

The role of the Independent Visitor (IV) is to assist, befriend and advise a child and young person living in care anywhere in the city.  A consistent and reliable presence in the young person's life, an IV will help them to build confidence and self-worth, while providing encouragement and building up a stable relationship that can last into adulthood.

Richard Mullins is Project Manager for Sova Hull Independent Visitors Project, which works in partnership with Hull City Council.  He said "The option to have an Independent Visitor is always the young person's choice and even after they have reached 18, they can still maintain a relationship with their volunteer if they so choose".

"Any child over the age of five who is in care in England and Wales is entitled to have an Independent Visitor. They can be living with a foster family, in a residential children's home or living with family members other than mum and dad."

 "Independent Visitors are there as a consistent reliable role model in the young person's life, someone who is there just for them".

 Richard said it was a case of matching the right volunteer with the right young person, based on personality and shared interests, and that IV's could be from all walks of life. "Its about making sure it works because the whole aim is about long-term," said Richard. "we are not asking for six weeks or six months."  Chelsee Blundell is the volunteer support officer for the project in Hull and has been an IV for three years. She said: "I don't think many people realise the challenges for children in care. An Independent Volunteer offers the same face, some continuity and stability, regardless of everything else that changes in the young person's life."

The project has about 70 IV's at the moment, and is hoping to encourage more. During Volunteers Week, which runs from Sunday June 1, Saturday, June 7, Sova Hull Independent Visitors Project will be attending a volunteers fair at Hull City Hall, on Wednesday June 4. so people can go along and learn more.  Richard Said "We have volunteers from all kinds of backgrounds, because every young person needs something different.  We currently have volunteers who are students, prison officers, teachers and people who are unemployed. Some are as young as 19 and we have a retired teacher. We need both males and females who can be positive role models. From our feedback, 100 per cent of our young people have said they would recommended having an independent visitor."

IVs visit their young person on a regular basis for few hours at a time, generally during evenings and weekends, and share in a variety of recreational activities. These could include a trip out for tea or to the cinema, a picnic in the park or ice-skating session, depending on what the young person enjoys. Jenny Markham is a volunteer support officer worker with Sova project, who helps to identify local with Sova project, helps to identify local business and attractions that offer deals within the project's budget of £10 per activity. Sova welcomes more offers of deals.

All volunteers complete the ONC accredited Sova Core Skills training course, they must have references and be Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checked. IV's receive on going support and guidance from Sova project staff and supervision is completed on a regular basis.
 For more information about Sova Hull Independent Visitors Project, please see our web page at http://www.sova.org.uk/project/HullIV or call 01482 614213 or email [email protected]