Find out how to get involved with Kinship's work as a volunteer, and register your interest now.
Join the Someone Like Me telephone service
Someone Like Me is a free peer support telephone service for kinship carers, delivered by kinship carers. If you're a kinship carer wanting to give back to other kinship carers and support them on their journey, become a Someone Like Me volunteer today.
What is Someone Like Me?
Someone Like Me is a free service where kinship carers can speak to a specially trained volunteer on the phone. Someone who can listen, understand and support them. Whether they have just taken on a kinship child or children, or have been looking after them for a while and are going through a difficult patch, kinship carers can use the service to talk to a trained volunteer about their situation and how they are feeling.
Someone Like Me runs 9am to 9pm, Monday to Friday. We match kinship carers and volunteers based on availability and their experiences.
What do you need to be a Someone Like Me volunteer?
To become a Someone Like Me volunteer, you need to be:
- a kinship carer (or have previously been one)
- a good listener with strong communication skills
- open-minded and understanding of people’s differences
- reliable and committed
If this sounds like you and you want to make a difference for other kinship carers, register your interest now. Our team will provide all the training and support you need.
"I could hear the relief in her voice. I could almost see the tension dropping from her shoulders. It was wonderful knowing, for the first time, that she knew she could be honest with someone about how being a kinship carer is so hard, and how it was making her feel."
A kinship carer and Someone Like Me volunteer
How to apply and what happens next
If you’re interested in this volunteering role, please complete our expression of interest form.
The Someone Like Me team will then contact you for an informal chat within 5 working days. There’s no obligation to become a volunteer. It’s just an opportunity for you to ask questions and figure out whether it’s a role that fits in with your busy life.
If you decide that you’d like to become a Someone Like Me volunteer, you’ll then need to:
- complete an application form giving 2 referees
- attend a training session (this will last around 2 hours)
- show documents (like a passport, driving licence, or council tax bill) to be used for a DBS check
- be able to commit to 2 hours a week to make the calls (using a no-cost, private number that we will provide you with)
As a volunteer, you will receive ongoing support and supervision from the Someone Like Me team. There will also be opportunities to meet and talk to other Someone Like Me volunteers and share experiences of supporting kinship carers.
See other related content
We’re looking for amazing people to support our vision of a society in which kinship carers and the children they care for are recognised, valued and supported. Browse our current vacancies.
Want to start your own kinship peer support group? We can support you at every step with a dedicated Kinship staff member, resources and tips.
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