Want to get back to work, in any young people/'helping' job but can't find where to start!

[JingleSpells]

I've been out of f/t or regular work for about 8 years between doing a degree and another academic course, home edding ds and helping DH run his business - I've had the odd casual job in this time but nothing that looks any good on my CV. I really want to get back into work asap, both because we need the money and I'm not cut out for self-employment but I don't seem to be able to find where to start.

I'd like a job that's in some way connected to the helping professions/working with young people but I've been looking around jobs in my area for a few months now and there seems to be a huge split - jobs advertised in the vague fields I'd like to work all need far more experience and qualifications than I've got and the low-skilled/unskilled jobs all seem to be in manual labour or shop/office work. Even voluntary jobs seem to be office or retail work. I really don't want a care/home care job, for a lot of personal reasons I'm genuinely not cut out for that, and I also don't drive currently (could afford to learn if I had a job!) so that closes down a lot of opportunities around here.

My degree is in counselling but I don't have any early years/childcare/NVQ type quals which everyone seems to be asking for.

So where do I start? Would happily take a voluntary job to get some experience/a foot in the door but had no luck on Volunteering Wales (am in Wales so 'Do It' seems to have very very little nearby) and couldn't afford to 'just' volunteer for more than a couple of months, really need to aim for some money coming in.

Two questions really then, where do I find a volunteer job based around working with young people (can you just ask schools to go in and volunteer or is there another way in?) and what sort of job is the 'bottom rung' of working with young people/social care/'helping' (that I could get without experience/quals)? Many thanks if anyone can answer!

Hey Hey!

See, mine was very different - went back to work almost straight away with my first 2 (8 weeks with my first, 6 weeks with my second) and I couldn't imagine it any other way.

However, now on 3rd pregnancy, I feel slightly different, and the thought of going back to work fills me with fear (I guess because I'm so much older this time too!).

There is a site <a class="break-all" href="//www.www.mnttraining.co.uk/index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MNT Training that allows you to earn Childcare Qualifications and associated qualificationsfrom home if you need to. They have loads of different courses, and I believe this might be what you are looking for.

If you give them a call and speak to Philippa or Pamela, they are brill - so helpful.

Hope this helps?

Good luck!

Have you had a look at the National Youth Advocacy Services' website NYAS re Wales? They are often looking for volunteer independent visitors who visit young people in care on a regular basis. Just a thought but it might be something you would find interesting because of your counselling qualification and therefore fantastic listening skills?
Otherwise most Local Authorities are looking for people to sit on exclusion and review panels as a lay person, particularly if you have never been employed in a school. Alternatively you can volunteer as a school governor (not as a parent governor but as a community or LA governor). That way you can acquire additional skills (chairing one of the committees or acting as a specialist governor e.g SEN/Looked after Children?). Training is usually free and can cover a huge range of subjects from finance, child protection /safeguarding to training to recruit senior teaching staff/Headteachers.

If you want to use your counselling skills have you considered volunteering or acting as a co-ordinator for a child bereavement network or something similar e.g. Macmillan, local hospice or something? Also check out and sign up for job e-mail alerts from your local authority . Our LA has been advertising in the South East for counsellors (in school) for quite a while. Not sure if it would be what you want but many of the charities which work with young people at risk of offending often advertise for volunteer mentors to support their clients (unpaid but again potentially good experience).

Hope that helps.