Changing Futures North East

29/10/2026

Closing date 2nd November! Last few days to apply for this fantastic opportunity to make a difference to children and young people.

Please share this opportunity to be part of our team, making a difference to Children and Young People. For further details or to apply please visit our link on North East Jobs below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Children_Young_People_and_Volunteer_Worker/303647

20/10/2026

Please share this opportunity to be part of our team, making a difference to Children and Young People. For further details or to apply please visit our link on North East Jobs below.
https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Children_Young_People_and_Volunteer_Worker/303647

18/09/2026

Thank you to Hartlepool Borough Council for raising awareness of Independent Visiting!

If you’re interested in learning more about how you can befriend a looked after child or young person, send us a message! 📥

🤝🏻 𝗕𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿. 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱 🤝🏻

Hartlepool Borough Council is looking for reliable, fun volunteers to become befrienders for young people living in its care.

☺️ Independent Visitors spend time with a child or young person twice a month for a minimum of two years, building a friendship by sharing fun experiences together.

🫶 They can have a huge and lasting impact on young people’s lives, providing a consistent and safe friendship for young people who may not have many other positive relationships.

We ask that you are:

• over the age of 21
• either able to drive with access to a car, or comfortable using public transport
• living in the Hartlepool area
• available on weekends and evenings, outside of school and college hours
• willing to get to know somebody new, and to have fun!

The Independent Visitors scheme is delivered on behalf of the Council by Changing Futures North East, which provides a DBS check and full training. All activity and mileage expenses are reimbursed, so all we need is your time.

✳️ Please note that Independent Visitors are adults who are separate from social care and the existing care team, therefore we are unable to match children and young people with those who work directly with Looked After Children.

🌐📱📧 For more details or to apply, visit www.futures-through-friendship.co.uk or contact Liv Dunn, Service Coordinator, on 01429 891444 or email [email protected]

🗣️ Alternatively, you can chat to the Changing Futures Team at their stall at Seaham car boot sale on Sunday 20 September from 9am to 3pm or Dalton Park on Saturday 26 September from 9am to 5pm.

16/09/2026

📣 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED 📣

We currently have 50 young people, aged between 6 and 17, awaiting a volunteer Independent Visitor across Teesside!

Independent Visitors are adult befrienders who are matched on a one-to-one basis with a child or young person living in foster care. The idea is that you go out together twice a month to do fun activities and hopefully form a lasting and consistent friendship.

Why volunteer with us?
• All volunteers are fully trained in-house by our dedicated team
• DBS check provided free of charge, unless you already have one
• Volunteers are fully supported throughout, with an assigned team member to help you through the matching process and beyond
• Volunteers are matched with a young person based on personality and shared interests, to make sure it’s fun for you both!
• Volunteer expenses and mileage are reimbursed on a weekly basis
• Opportunities to meet likeminded fellow Volunteers and to join us on funded group activities

📥 send us a message to learn more, or comment below and we’ll get in touch 😊

27/08/2026

Are you looking for a fantastic opportunity to manage a flagship children's home in Hartlepool?

For more details - please see https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/Registered_Manager_Children_s_Home/301222

19/08/2026

We're recruiting! We have an exciting opportunity to join our Getting Help Team. Please see the full job description at North East Jobs https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/_/300956

08/07/2026

***Please share this exciting opportunity to be part of our Children's Home in Hartlepool.

We believe every young person deserves a safe, stable, and caring place to call home, a place where they are supported, encouraged, and given the opportunity to thrive.

We are looking for an experienced Registered Manager, or an experienced Deputy Manager wanting to step up, to lead this home from the very beginning. This is a rare opportunity to shape a service from day one, building a positive culture, developing a dedicated team, and creating a home where young people feel a true sense of belonging.

For more information or to apply please click the link below

https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/_/299194

10/06/2026

We're hiring!

Are you excited to help improve children’s emotional wellbeing?

Are you keen to join a well-established and successful Mental Health Support Team with a great team culture and support?

We are excited to recruit 2 x Mental Health Support Workers (MHSW) to play a vital role within the Tees Valley Getting Help Service. This partnership service supports children and young people aged 5–18 (up to 25 for those with SEND/EHCP) who are experiencing emerging mental health concerns.

For further information or to apply please go to https://www.northeastjobs.org.uk/job/_/297756 or apply through the NHS job website https://www.jobs.nhs.uk/candidate/jobadvert/B0449-26-0001

05/06/2026

We’re almost at the end of ! Today we’re hearing from one of our volunteer Independent Visitors, Louise, who’s been matched with a 13 year old living in foster care for a couple of years:

“I’ve been volunteering as an Independent Visitor with Changing Futures North East since 2024, and I’ve found it to be such a rewarding experience. After stepping away from a career in education a few years ago, I really missed those meaningful one-to-one interactions with young people. My match with a 13-year-old boy has given me the opportunity to be a consistent and reliable adult for a young person again.

The training I received was fascinating and gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to get started. What’s made an even bigger difference is the ongoing support from the volunteer team at Changing Futures. There’s always someone there if I have questions or need guidance.

One of my favourite parts of volunteering has been the group trips organised by the team, getting to know other Independent Visitors and spending time with our young people by having fun and exploring somewhere new. My young person loves these days out too – we still talk about our day at Flamingo Land last year! Maybe next time he’ll manage to get me on a rollercoaster…

For me, this experience has been about building trust, offering consistency, and making a positive impact, no matter how small it might seem. I’ve gained just as much as I’ve given.

If you’ve ever thought about volunteering, I’d really encourage you to take that first step. It might feel like a big decision, but it’s absolutely worth it. You never know the difference you could make to someone’s life – and to your own!”

If you’d like to hear more about volunteering, or think you could be a consistent adult in a young person’s life like Louise, we’d love to hear from you! 🫶🏻

02/06/2026

It’s and we’re kicking off our celebrations with Liv’s story! ⬇️

This , we’re celebrating all our fantastic Independent Visitors by sharing some of their stories with you.

First up, we’re hearing from our Befriending Service Co-Ordinator, Liv, who started off as a volunteer Independent Visitor back in 2021…

“I graduated from university in 2020 – a difficult year for everyone! I had no idea what to do next, but with lots of time on my hands, I began the search for volunteering opportunities in the Teesside area. That’s when I came across Changing Futures North East and applied to become an Independent Visitor.

After completing the training, I was matched with a teenage girl living in foster care. We spent time together twice a month, trying out new restaurants and getting to know each other. I became someone she could really open up to and I always enjoyed my time with her.

A few months later, I saw a job advert for a position on the service that I was already volunteering on – so it only felt natural to go for it! I got the job in December 2021 and started after the New Year. I’ve worked on the Independent Visitors service ever since, and I continue to volunteer alongside this.

Deciding to volunteer is one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s so rewarding, and I wouldn’t be in my current role without it.”

Are you looking at next steps in your career? 🤔
Or interested in a rewarding and fun voluntary role?
Let us know by dropping us a message! 📨