Doing it for the kids

Volunteering can really broaden your horizons, and the training contract can be an ideal time to get involved. I've found volunteering at my local child contact centre a really rewarding way to support children and families, as well as contributing to my own professional and personal development.

Having moved to a new area, I was keen to apply for voluntary work in order to become more involved in the local community. With my first seat being in the family department, volunteering at the contact centre was the perfect solution.

It's estimated that each year, 100,000 children lose contact with a parent as a result of family breakdown. Child contact centres have been set up with the aim of reducing this number, to allow children to maintain relationships with non-resident parents. There are around 350 child contact centres around the UK; these are safe, friendly and neutral places where a non-resident parent can spend time with their children, without having to see their ex-partner. The resident parent, or another family member or carer brings the child to the centre, where the non-resident parent meets the child. Centres provide toys and games for children of all ages, and aim to provide a welcoming environment where the children's needs are always put first.

Valuable contacts

Nationwide, contact centres are run by 5,000 volunteers. Jobs include preparing the centre, welcoming families, signing children in and out, making refreshments and keeping an eye on activities. Working with dedicated volunteers, who give so much of their time so generously can be really inspiring, and those volunteers may even turn out to be valuable contacts in the future.

Many people, including trainees who have undertaken a family seat, will be very aware of the distress that inevitably results from family breakdown. For some children, the difficulties that their parents have with one another can mean that regular contact with a non-resident parent can be very difficult to maintain. To enable a child to maintain a relationship with that parent is an enormous contribution to their life, and their future.

Some children who visit the centre may not have seen their visiting parent for quite some time, and can be apprehensive and reluctant. In this situation, it is essential for the centres to have welcoming volunteers who can chat to the children and be a friendly face. Having spent all week tackling legal disputes, it can be a welcome change to compare Power Rangers with LazyTown!

Sensitive issues

The contrast with life in the office is clear, and the work is much more practical and hands-on than most trainees and young lawyers are used to, but there are certainly skills which can be transferred between the voluntary work and the day job. When communicating with centre users, volunteers must be reassuring without getting personally involved, and this is something that most trainees will be well practised at. Meanwhile, experience of dealing discreetly with sensitive matters and a good awareness of confidentiality issues are as applicable in a contact centre as in the office.

For trainees and young lawyers hoping to practice family law, volunteering in a contact centre can provide an increased awareness of child law issues in family breakdown, and the needs of a diverse group of families. Almost inevitably, family solicitors will need to refer clients to contact centres, so having an understanding of the whole experience can be very helpful. It may well be easier for a solicitor to reassure parents about the use of a centre when they have been part of the day-to-day running of one.

Managing stressful situations

It is not only those interested in family law who will find that work in a contact centre might boost their employability. Parents who attend centres are frequently, and understandably, anxious, concerned or angry. Emotions often run high, and volunteers are expected to provide a calming, but impartial presence as well as identifying any interactions that are becoming inappropriate, and intervening in a tactful and non-judgmental way. Learning to manage stressful and emotional situations is an enormously useful skill which transfers very well into client care, regardless of the area of law you practise in.

Of course, volunteering is also a very worthwhile activity for law students and those seeking a training contract. Giving up a little bit of time to help at your local centre can give you valuable experience to help set you apart from the competition, as well as the chance to contribute to your local community.

Each centre is run slightly differently, but they are all reliant on people giving up their time to help. Sessions are generally held on a Saturday, and the level of time commitment that each centre requires varies. For those who are wary of having their eardrums assaulted by a hall full of children, there are opportunities to help with centres' policies, finances, administration or training. The centre that I am involved with is very welcoming to volunteers, and always grateful for any help offered.

Visit www.naccc.org.uk to contact your local centre and find out what opportunities are available in your area.