Home-Start

2 Salisbury Road
Leicester
LE1 7QR

Tel: 0116 233 9955 (admin)
Tel: 0800 068 63 68 (National Freephone Information Line)
Fax: 0116 233 0232
Web: www.home-start.org.uk
Best time to phone:

• (information line) 8am - 8pm, Monday - Friday; 9am-12noon Saturday
• (admin) 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday.

Home-Start is a charity with over 345 local schemes supporting families all over the UK. Their volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to any family with a child under five who are experiencing difficulties.

Who can Home-Start help?

If you are a mum, dad or carer with a child under five, and are finding things tough at the moment, you can ask for free help.

What kind of problems can Home-Start help with?

Home-Start supports families experiencing all sorts of difficulties including:

• Loneliness and isolation.
• Relationship problems.
• Coping with twins, triplets or several pre-school children.
• Ill health, disability or special needs.
• Lone parenting.
• First time parenthood or new babies.
• Postnatal illness.
• Children's behavioural problems.

What do the volunteers do?

A Home-Start volunteer will visit you at home regularly (usually once a week for a couple of hours) for as long as you need support, and offer:

• Friendly support through difficult times for as long as you need help.
• Understanding that when bringing up children, problems are not unusual.
• Reassurance that you are not alone.
• A listening ear and a shoulder to cry on.
• An extra pair of hands to help you cope with everyday situations.
• Practical help with activities like playing or storytime.
• Help making and keeping appointments.
• Help accessing other support services such as housing or benefits.

Who are the volunteers?

Home-Start volunteers are people from different backgrounds and vary in age, but all have parenting experience. The local scheme will choose your volunteer very carefully, matching experiences, circumstances and personalities. The volunteers:

• Will visit you in your own home and accept you as you are.
• Are carefully selected for their friendliness, practical approach and understanding.
• Have been approved and have all attended a course of preparation before being matched with families.
• Many of the volunteers have been helped by Home-Start themselves.

Are the volunteers police checked?

Yes. All Home-Start volunteers are checked through the Criminal Records Bureau before visiting a family.

Is it confidential?

Home-Start support is confidential. Personal information about you and your family is not disclosed to anyone outside Home-Start without your consent, except where there is a concern about the safety and welfare of a child.

What if I change my mind?

You choose whether or not to accept Home-Start support and can change your mind at any time. A volunteer will only visit on your invitation.