Welcome to ChildLine
1 Introduction
Welcome to ChildLine and to the volunteer counsellor essential training course. Firstly, thank you for applying to be a ChildLine Volunteer counsellor. We aim to answer every contact made to ChildLine and to offer a safe and confidential space for young people to talk about their world and what is worrying them. To make that possible we need over 2000 volunteers across the UK so we very much appreciate your commitment.
Volunteer counsellors are vital to our work with children and young people and our aim is to ensure that you have the best possible experience throughout this training and going forward in giving your time to the organisation. As a Volunteer counsellor we don’t ask you to be an expert. You will be trained using the ChildLine Counselling Model which will enable you to offer comfort, support and, where appropriate, practical advice and protection to our callers, whatever their concern. Our aim is to train you to a level that enables you to respond appropriately to all calls and online contacts that we receive from children and young people and you will be fully supported at all times.
You will find that ChildLine counselling shifts are varied and no two contacts are ever the same. You will be dealing with all sorts of issues allowing you to utilise the skills you learn on this training and going forward, you will be asked to attend issue based workshops to further develop your skills and experience in working with the young people who contact us.
Below you will find some important information on the course. At your first session you will be given your base opening times and trainers contact details.
On the Trainee Resources there is a link to each of the training modules where you will find relevant information for each module. This information may include pre-reading, homework and further resources for information. You will be asked to complete the homework at the end of each module and to check to see if there is any pre-reading for the following module. Please take the opportunity to avail yourself of the additional resources as you will find the information very helpful.
Your trainers will suggest the use of a reflective journal for your own personal use throughout the period of training. You will need to provide your own journal for this purpose and it will not be an assessed part of the training. It is purely for your own reflections.
Please let us know if you have any specific needs or requirements in order to enable you to undertake the training.
Please ensure you read all information carefully and comply with all requirements of the course. We very much look forward to meeting you and hope that you will find your time with us interesting, challenging and rewarding.
Best Wishes from the ChildLine Team and Good Luck!
2 The ChildLine training course focuses on the development of basic counselling skills and helping strategies. By using these skills, children and young people will know that you are interested in them and are able to listen to what they have to say. You will work to gain an understanding of their world and their situation and, if they want, help them to make any changes that are right for them.
It provides an adult learning environment to equip trainee volunteer counsellors with the skills, understanding and self- awareness needed to work with young people by telephone and online and to safeguard and promote their wellbeing.
ChildLine uses a feedback and learning approach that helps trainers and trainees to assess the trainee's level of competence as the course progresses. To be assessed as a competent ChildLine volunteer counsellor, a trainee must reach the expected level of competence in the use of the ChildLine Counselling Model and demonstrate the ability to:-
1. Offer a consistent commitment to ChildLine
2. Work within ChildLine’s policies, procedures and practices for the helpline
3. Demonstrate competence in communicating with all ChildLine contacts
4. Identify and assess risk together alerting a supervisor relating to a child or young person contacting the service
5. Evidence the ability to keep accurate records of communication with child/young person, decisions and actions
6. Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of diversity and inequality on the lives of the children who contact the service
7. Demonstrate an awareness of the range of issues faced by children and young people who contact the service.
8. Demonstrate a basic understanding of how ChildLine relates to external agencies/frameworks/organisations
9. Demonstrate the ability to use support systems appropriately
10.Demonstrate giving and receiving feedback in all aspects of the work
11.Demonstrate sufficient understanding of your own attitudes, values, emotional responses and how these might impact on the work
12.Work as part of a group, taking part in all exercises and contributing fully to discussions in an appropriate manner.
13.Work within the NSPCC values and behaviours at all times when volunteering at ChildLine. (See volunteer Network)
3 The course comprises a minimum of 43 hours of training broken down as follows:
9 x three and a half hour training sessions.
1 x Observation shift
2 x 3.5 hr Practical Shifts (plus a 15 minute pre-brief before each shift and a 30 minute de-brief after each shift). These shifts will be under the guidance and supervision of an experienced volunteer counsellor or supervisor.
A mid-way assessment with your trainers
A final assessment with your trainers
The course will either be a week by week course of 3.5 hour sessions for nine weeks plus practical shifts or a condensed version depending on local arrangements. Both courses cover the same training materials and have the same assessment process.
It will focus on practising voice contacts initially and will introduce online scenarios as it progresses. You will have an opportunity to practice both mediums ‘live’ during your practical shifts.
You will also be trained to respond to emails from children and young people. This may happen directly after module 9 or within three months of completion of your training and is according to local arrangements.
4 Session 1 Beginnings
Session 2 Active Listening
Observation Shift - in the counselling room + briefing/debriefing
Session 3 Reflection/Rapport Building
Session 4 Understanding Loss and Valuing Diversity
Session 5 Case Note Recording
Midway assessment meeting
Session 6 Understanding Safeguarding at ChildLine
Session 7 Working with Risk
Practical Shift: 3.5 hours in counselling room, listening in and taking calls under direction and guidance of experienced volunteer counsellor + 15 mins briefing and 30 mins debriefing sessions
Session 8 Choices and Contingencies
Practical Shift: 3.5 hours in counselling room, listening in and taking calls under direction and guidance of experienced volunteer counsellor + 15 mins briefing and 30 mins debriefing sessions
Session 9 Endings
PIB Training According to local arrangements
5 The training process The training is largely experiential and uses role plays in order to develop counselling skills. ChildLine provides a learning environment that is both safe and positive.
Observation Shift As part of the training, you will undertake an observation shift in the counselling room. You will be paired with an experienced volunteer counsellor and listen in to or observe contacts from children and young people.
The observation shift may include taking part in briefing and debriefing sessions. This is a useful opportunity to place the training into context at the beginning of the course. Your observation shift will take place after module two.
Practical Shifts Further on in the training you will undertake two separate practical shifts, the first will be after session 7 and the second after session 8.
These include a full counselling shift with pre-brief and de-brief and you will work with an experienced volunteer counsellor/mentor.
You will observe the counsellor’s work and have time to discuss this and ask questions before working with children and young people yourself. At the end of this shift you will be asked to think about what you have done well and what areas you need to work on. Your volunteer mentor will give you written feedback which will inform your training and assessment.
Midway assessment This is an opportunity to discuss your skills and development with your trainer and to decide if continuing on the training programme is right for you. This will include feedback and areas for development going forward. You will be asked to complete a self evaluation form to bring to this meeting.
Final Assessment A final review of your progress and next steps.
Please remember that ChildLine aims to ensure that all volunteer counsellors are able to work to an appropriate standard so that children and young people who contact us are offered the best service possible.
You will receive feedback and appropriate opportunities to gain all the skills you need to work at ChildLine. If as part of the training and assessment process, you discover that counselling is not for you, we may offer you other options to volunteer at ChildLine; if that is something you are interested in.
6 Important Information and Instruction
Included with this document you will find a Volunteer Registration Pack comprising of:
Volunteer Registration Form Volunteer emergency Contact Details Volunteer Medical / Health Details ChildLine Health & Safety Statement Health & Safety Checklist
You must bring this pack with you when you attend your first training session. Please ensure you have already completed the Registration form, Emergency Contact Details and Medical / Health details ready to submit to your trainers. You will be asked to complete the Health & Safety checklist and sign the Health & Safety Statement during the session.
Below you will also find important information regarding:
Practice Boundaries in the Delivery of the ChildLine Service
Blogging and Social Networking Information
Please take the time to read and familiarise yourself with both documents.
7 Practice Boundaries in Delivery of ChildLine services
(Also see policy on blogging and social networking)
ChildLine offers counselling services via telephone or online media and counsellors would not meet children/young people using the service without permission from senior manager.
Counsellors must only engage in contact with children and young people using ChildLine services from a ChildLine Bases.
Adult Contacts
All adults who contact ChildLine with concerns for the safety and welfare of children and young people should be strongly encouraged to either:
contact their local children’s services department in England and Wales, social work department in Scotland, or Health and Social Services Trust in Northern Ireland for further advice and support,
contact the NSPCC
or
provide details which enable the counsellor to make a referral to an external agency
or
contact an external agency themselves.
Adult Abusers
ChildLine does not provide confidentiality for anyone who is abusing a child, regardless of the type of abuse. When a counsellor identifies an adult abuser making contact with the service, a supervisor must be notified. Where there is sufficient identifying information, the matter should be referred to the police. If there is insufficient information, a decision to trace the contact should be considered. (see….(tracing)
Name Giving
Counsellors may give a name to a contact where this will help to create and maintain rapport. As adults, we routinely ask for the name of a person we are speaking to, children are entitled to expect the same thing.
8 Counsellors may choose to use a ‘counselling name’ rather than their real name, e.g. because their real name is particularly distinctive, or denotes a religion. Counselling names must be agreed with a supervisor, recorded on HSS and used consistently; both names must be recorded in counselling forms.
Counsellors should always assess whether it is safe and appropriate to give their name or a counselling name to a caller. If at any time the counsellor feels unsure about giving a name they should seek immediate guidance from a supervisor.
Some service users may develop a view that they can only be helped by a single counsellor. Where a caller asks for a name for this purpose, the counsellor should explain that they will not always be available and that all ChildLine counsellors would be able to help them at whatever time they choose to call. Where this is the caller’s primary reason for obtaining a name it would not be appropriate to comply with their request.
Counsellors are advised to resist any tendency to see themselves as ‘rescuer’, as this will tend to reinforce the idea that they are the only person who can help the caller. For the same reason, counsellors should stress that calls are between the caller and ChildLine, and that confidentiality exists between the caller and the organisation rather than the individual counsellor.
Any call-back arrangement must be discussed and agreed with a supervisor before it is agreed with a caller. Whilst this may be appropriate, consideration must be given to whether this action will inhibit the caller from contacting ChildLine at other times.
In certain circumstances, a decision will be made to withhold a name from certain callers as part of a shift management plan, e.g. where a known caller is not using the service appropriately. Where a decision is made to do this, a full explanation should be made available to the counsellor and included in the regular caller plans
Some service users may request a counsellor’s name for the purpose of making a complaint. The counsellor should give a name in this situation unless the caller is presenting in a way which makes the counsellor feel uncomfortable and/or unsafe, in which case a supervisor must be consulted immediately.
Counsellors must never take it upon themselves to arrange ongoing counselling with a child/young person using ChildLine services. Where a counsellor considers that a caller would benefit for this service, section 7 of this procedure (managed cases) should be followed.
9 Blogging and Social Networking
Blogging and social networking are popular hobbies, staff and volunteers are justifiably proud of the organisation they work for and may mention who they work for on internet postings, this can represent a good way to spread the word about ending cruelty. There are, however, cases where internet postings have damaged an organisation or brought it into disrepute.
When posting information on the internet that could relate to the NSPCC the following must be followed:
Where NSPCC/ChildLine/Children1st, or any related services are mentioned in a posting, it should be made clear that the views expressed are held only by the individual making the posting
Never make any reference to casework with children and young people, except where the details are already in the public domain. This would be a serious breach of client confidentiality.
Do not reveal personal details, or give information, relating to a work location or the nature of a work/volunteer role that would enable service users or others involved in child protection cases to identify you.
Be mindful of NSPCC's values and behaviours. Once you have mentioned where you work, you are the face of the NSPCC. If you bring the Society into disrepute, you should be aware that this may impact on your employment or association with the NSPCC.
Do not use NSPCC logos, trademarks artwork or photos without the express permission of the Director of Communications.
Any member of staff or volunteer contravening this section of the procedure will be subject to disciplinary action based on gross misconduct.
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