Home | Supporting Us | Sitemap | Links | Positive Comments | Contact Us
Home-Start's ethos and approach
Flexibility and openness to be led by the needs of families are at the heart of Home-Start Sheffield's approach.
Home-Start Sheffield offers support to families within their own home in a culturally sensitive way.Support is based on assessed need and respects the diverse range of family structures.
The Home-Start Sheffield approach to supporting families is characterised by:
- Choice
- Partnership
- Flexibility
- Enjoyment
- Partnership
- Flexibility
- Enjoyment
- Encouragement
- Openness
- Responsiveness
- A mutual relationship
- Openness
- Responsiveness
- A mutual relationship
The main focus of Home-Start Sheffield’s work is to offer informal, friendly and confidential support to families in their own homes through carefully selected and prepared volunteers, who are usually parents themselves.
Frequently asked questions
It is our aim at Home-Start Sheffield to operate an open referral policy ensuring that support is available to any family who is experiencing stress or difficulty and who has at least one child under the age of five. However, funding restrictions do not always make this possible, and as a result the availability of our service in Sheffield can change from year to year. Information about our current criteria is provided in our Referrers Newsletter which is produced quarterly.
Families can refer themselves, or be referred to Home-Start Sheffield by any agency, e.g. health visitor, social worker, family support worker, CPN, Sure Start, nursery teacher, etc.
We only restrict referrals where there is a lack of resources.
For each referral made a Referral Form should be completed.
Before sending in a referral form families must be consulted, informed of the content of the referral form and show their agreement by signing the form.
Before sending in a referral form families must be consulted, informed of the content of the referral form and show their agreement by signing the form.
All referrals received will be assessed to determine whether or not:
The family has willingly chosen Home-Start Sheffield.
The referral falls within the remit of the scheme.
The referrer needs to provide further information prior to a visit by the co-ordinator.
The scheme is likely to have the resources to support the family.
If the referral does not fall within the remit of the scheme or there are insufficient resources to provide support, the referral with be rejected and the referrer will be informed that Home-Start Sheffield can not help on this occasion.
All referrals that are accepted for Home-Start support will receive an initial visit by a co-ordinator before support is offered to clarify their needs and the support that Home-Start can offer.
Home-Start Sheffield aims to provide support to families as soon as possible, but where there is not a volunteer available immediately the family will be asked if they want to go on a waiting list. The majority of families are linked within two months of referral, however on occasion families may be waiting longer than this, or be told that support is unavailable for the foreseeable future and be taken off the waiting list.
Referrers will be informed by the co-ordinator:
When the referral has been accepted or rejected.
When support is offered to a family, i.e. they are linked with a volunteer or start to attend a group.
A family is placed on the waiting list.
Support to a family ends.
A letter will be sent to the referrer at the commencement of support and at the end of support to a family.
All other contact with referrers is usually made by phone.
All other contact with referrers is usually made by phone.
Referrers are given the opportunity to comment on the service offered by Home-Start Sheffield at the end of support to families via a referrers’ questionnaire.
The co-ordinator pays careful attention to matching volunteers skills and experience to the needs of families. Many factors are taken into consideration, including:
The family’s needs.
The volunteer’s aptitudes, skills and experience.
Practical considerations: geography, transport and time.
Mutual interests or life experience.
What motivates the volunteer.
Issues around culture, gender, background and disability.
The success of Home-Start support is dependent on the relationship that develops between the family and the volunteer, so co-ordinators make every effort to link sensitively and appropriately.
The co-ordinator always accompanies the volunteer on the first visit to introduce the volunteer to the family and set the ground rules for visiting. The co-ordinator will stay as long as appropriate to support the family and volunteer to get to know each other.
All personal information about parents and families is treated as confidential, to be discussed only as necessary with the co-ordinator in support of the volunteer and to assist the family. Any disclosure of confidential information to any other person may only be undertaken with the expressed permission of the parents for the purpose of assisting the family, except where it is considered necessary for the welfare and protection of a child when information shall be shared with the appropriate authority. Home-Start Standards and Methods Practice.
Volunteers provide continuous, regular support for a period of time consistent with a family`s needs. These are assessed initially and reviewed periodically.
Home-Start Sheffield’s aim is to encourage families towards independence so that the volunteer is no longer needed. The review process will determine how long the volunteer’s support is likely to be needed and clear plans will be made for ending the support in discussion with the volunteer and family.
Families are sometimes offered support outside the home, which complements Home-Start Sheffield’s core home visiting support, for example, family groups, outings, parenting courses. This support may be available for families who are supported through home-visiting, those who need a safe stepping stone to move on and for those families for whom support at home is not appropriate or not an option.
Benefits for children include quality play, sharing, making friends and establishing simple routines such as sitting down at a table for snacks and meals, washing hands and listening to a story. All these are helpful both for encouraging positive behaviour as well as preparation for school. Children also appreciate the opportunity to meet together and have fun in a relaxed and safe atmosphere.
Parents respond to and appreciate Home-Start’s approach to support outside the home and begin to enjoy playing and learning with their children in new ways as well as widening their social networks, sharing ideas, enjoying the company of others and having fun together. They value the opportunity to offer support to others and may gain greater self-confidence sometimes leading to taking up new opportunities including volunteering, employment, courses or further education.
For details of support available outside the home please see our Referrers Newsletter.
