Established in Croydon 1989, Home-Start is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child under the age of five. Volunteers offer regular support, friendship and practical help to families under stress in their own homes helping to prevent family crisis and breakdown.

Volunteers, with parenting experience, undertake a Course of Preparation before being matched to families referred to the scheme. The volunteer will visit the family usually once a week for between 2-3 hours, developing a relationship with the family in which time can be shared and understanding can be developed. The approach is flexible to take account of different needs.

The volunteer will reassure parents that difficulties in bringing up children are not unusual. They will encourage the parents’ strengths and emotional well-being for the ultimate benefit of their own children and will encourage them to widen their network of relationships and to use effectively the support and services available within the local community.

The range of referrals or self-referrals accepted is not limited but all families are required to sign their consent on the referral form. All information about parents and families is treated as confidential. 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 protection of a child when information shall be shared with the appropriate authority.

Family support groups are offered to referred families at Ramsey Court and Thornton Heath Children’s Centre.

Annually Home-Start Croydon supports an average of 170 families and 395 children. Typical reasons for referral include families with concerns around the emotional or physical health or well being of a child or carer, managing the children’s behaviour, isolation, multiple births, coping with conflict within the family, child protection issues, and housing problems to name but a few.