A day in the life of a Childline Supervisor

Grusche shares what it's like working as a Childline Supervisor

GruscheFor me, there's no such thing as a typical day. I work on a rolling 3-week rota that gives me a bit of a routine, but my role is so varied. We never stop. Childline is open 24 hours so some of my shifts are at unusual times. Sometimes I'll work on Sundays, or work from 6pm till 1:30am. 

Working with volunteers

Most of the work I do revolves around looking after between 20-25 of our volunteers. I help with their recruitment and training, as well as doing workshops to help trained volunteers develop their skills further. It's a really thorough process because it's so important that we're giving children a high quality service.

Training usually takes between 9-15 weeks, depending on how much free time the volunteer has each week. A lot of our volunteers also have full-time jobs! So part of my role is to be flexible and fit around that. 

"I think that makes Childline unique - we're non-judgemental and we're open."
Grusche / Childline Supervisor

Emotional support

I'm also in the counselling room about twice a week - supporting the volunteers while they're taking calls and online chats. If child protection issues come up, they need help on a call, or they need some emotional support, I'm there to help.

We always do a briefing at the start of a shift and a debrief at the end, but I'll give additional support as and when it's needed - like after a particularly difficult call. 

It's important, because if the volunteers aren't taken care of emotionally, they can't provide support for children. 

Empowering children

I'm reminded of how important Childline is on a daily basis. I think we're first and foremost a listening service, and there are so many children who are not being listened to. We can also empower children to make the right choices for themselves. I think that makes Childline unique - we're non-judgemental and we're open. For children that's really powerful. 

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Working with NSPCC

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