Home-Start Croydon
Key Facts
Location
Project Criteria
Project funding
£69,868
Funding round
Established in 1989, Home-Start Croydon is a voluntary, home-visiting, befriending scheme offering emotional and practical support to families under stress where there is at least one child under the age of five. This support is offered through a team of volunteers, with parenting experience, who undertake a ten day Course of Preparation before being matched to a wait listed family. The volunteer will then visit, usually once a week for approximately 2-3 hours, for as long as the family has a need.
The Parenting Fund grant is providing:
- a new part time Family Support Worker
- the extra hours that will enable us to recruit and support up to 20 more volunteers
- an extra 18 hours a week for our Family Group.
The new Family Support Worker is providing intensive, short term, one to one home support for parents. This includes introducing them to Home-Start, building on their strengths and complementing the work of the matched volunteer, or, supporting them until a volunteer can be put into place. Help and support is usually needed when the parent is under extra stress. For example, there may be problems around domestic violence, child protection, mental health, inadequate housing, isolation or ill health.
The extra hours will open up the Family Group opening to more families. The Group Worker will establish links with isolated and vulnerable families who might benefit from using our Stay and Play Family Group. She/he will arrange a set of home visits and accompany the parent and the children when they make their first visits to the group, until they feel confident to take that step on their own.