Independent visitor

Reconstruct is an independent multi-solution provider for Children and Adult services in the public and private sector.

An Independent Visitor is an adult volunteer who befriends a young person in care and develops a long-term friendship with them. This often involves helping young people develop new interests, skills and hobbies or going on outings such as to the cinema, bowling or just a walk in the park.

Each volunteer is carefully matched with a child or young person in care in their local area who shares similar interests.

What do Independent Visitors do?

• Visit a child to befriend them
• Provide looked after children with someone to talk to who is independent of the local authority
• Provide a consistent and reliable adult with a view to building a trusting and positive relationship with the child
• Provide a child with the opportunity to try new activities and spend time with them away from their placement. This in turn can enhance progress and resilience of children, by building self-esteem, strengthening mental health and opening new social relationships outside of the care system.

Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Ability to easily build rapport an identify with children and young people
• Committed – Willing to commit to a child for at least one year and preferably two years 
• Excellent communication skills, good report writing skills and a high level of critical analysis
• Role Model – A good role model for a child or young person who may have experienced difficult times during their childhood