What is Home-Start?

A voluntary organisation which offers the support of a trained parent volunteer to another parent who is facing difficulty and has at least one child under 5 in the family.

The friendship, practical and emotional support provided by the volunteer in the family’s own home enables the parents to cope with the pressures they are facing and reduces the potential for family crisis and breakdown.

Volunteers are there to support parents and their children in any way that the family finds most useful which may differ from, but be complimentary to, professional approaches and priorities.

Home-Start started in Leicester in the early 1970’s; since then it has spread throughout the UK and abroad. The IW scheme was set up in 1996 and last year helped 79 families across the Island.

How are families referred?

Any family with at least one child in the family under 5 can be referred by a professional such as a GP, Health Visitor, Social Worker, Teacher or Play Group Worker. Families can also refer themselves by ringing the Home-Start Office.

How to refer a family:

What happens next?

Shahida, the Home-Start Organiser, visits all new referrals to tell families about Home-Start and find out exactly what their needs are. A suitable volunteer is then matched with the family who will visit, usually for 3 to 4 hours a week, for as long as the family feels the need for support.

The volunteers are:

People of all ages and backgrounds who have parenting skills. They need no specific qualifications, but they must be able to listen with understanding, willing to commit 3 to 4 hours a week of their time on a regular basis and, above all, maintain confidentiality.

Volunteer recruitment and training:

All prospective volunteers are thoroughly vetted to ensure their suitability for working with young children. These checks include:
• Police check
• Department of Health/Social Security checks
• Two personal references
• Two proofs of ID
• A home visit and interview by the Organiser

All volunteers attend a preparation course of 1 day a week for 10 weeks. Volunteers support families facing a variety of difficulties including:

Loneliness	Isolation	Multiple births
Post natal illness	Relationship difficulties	Ill health

Disabilities

Bereavement

What about confidentiality?

It is important that a family can rely on having privacy and respect. A volunteer will not divulge anything that a family discusses on a personal level to anyone except possibly the Organiser. Only if there is a concern about the welfare of the children in the family, and after discussion with the Organiser, will confidentiality ever be breached.

A volunteer may offer:

Home-Start Family Groups

n addition to home visiting, Family Group sessions currently run in Ryde, Shanklin and the West Wight. Families that the Organiser feels may benefit from this kind of support can meet and share experiences with one another in a safe and non threatening environment, while the children can socialise and learn through play.

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