Supporting Families
The Pitch
Problem statement
The families we support have at least one child under five and have either identified for themselves or have been identified by another agency or professional as needing emotional and practical support. They may be experiencing isolation, poverty, dealing with mental ill-health, physical disability, or domestic violence. In 2021/2022 we supported 30 families by home-visiting. The families we support identify what they need help with. In 2021/22 the highest need was for help in being involved in children’s development/early learning and socialisation (84% of families). This was closely followed by help to cope with mental health (80%) and feeling isolated (70%).
Solution
The solution is to provide non-judgemental practical and emotional support and help build the family’s confidence and ability to cope. Our volunteers help struggling parents cope with the stresses and strains of life, ensuring they have the skills, confidence and strength they need to nurture their children. By visiting weekly, volunteers build a strong bond of trust with the family. This has a strong impact on their children and does much to avert a crisis. Support is typically provided for 9-12 months. As a result, happy, healthy children start their education from the strong basis of a family home. Funding will be spent on running costs.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
We have 23 years of experience supporting vulnerable families and a robust monitoring and evaluation system which evidences our success. We recruit and train high calibre and committed volunteers who bring skills and experience to the organisation and the families. Our trustees have experience in education, Children’s Services, fundraising, safeguarding, volunteer management and finance. Our 3 staff are highly qualified in family support and running the organisation. “Home-Start is able to connect with families who would otherwise struggle to gain access to their communities while they are vulnerable and coping with difficult and sometimes complex situations.” (Health Visitor)
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Salaries | £800 |
| Recruiting and training volunteers | £500 |
| Insurance | £200 |
Beneficiaries
147 people
Expected impact
Families will build their capabilities, increase their resilience and tackle the root cause of problems eg. poor parenting skills. All parents will improve their parenting skills, manage children’s behaviour better and be more involved in the children’s development/learning. They will cope better with their physical and mental health. They will feel less isolated and their self-esteem will improve. Of those parents coping with a child’s physical or mental health issues, theyl should report an improvement. Where stress caused by conflict in the family is present, theyl should report it lessened or resolved. Families coping with extra work caused by multiple birth/children under 5, should cope better following support. All families wanting to increase their use of services/facilities in their community should do so.
Track record
Of the 30 families supported in 2021/22, 22 completed their support. All parents improved their parenting skills, managed their children’s behaviour and were involved in the children’s development/learning. All coped better with their physical health and 95% with their mental health. All felt less isolated by the end of support. 88% of parents said their self-esteem increased. All the parents achieved their outcomes in managing the household budget and coping with the day-to-day running of the home. Where stress caused by conflict in the family was present, all reported it had lessened or been resolved. One fifth of supported families wanted to increase their use of services/facilities in their community and all did so. One family said “The support from Home-Start didn’t just help our family situation, it saved my sanity – I don’t know what I would have done without them. My husband feels the same.”