Statement
Home-Start response to Children Now article of 21 September 2005
Lisa Harker's opinion piece (Sept 21) "Why a volunteer can be a friend
in need", says its hard to imagine a more challenging environment for
volunteers than to work alongside social workers supporting vulnerable
children and their families and says the Community Service Volunteers'
decision to set up a child protection initiative looks 'brave'.
As Home-Start knows, volunteers can and already do provide effective support for families in these circumstances. Although child protection is not the main focus of our work, of the 68,000 children Home-Start's volunteers supported last year, 2,300 were subject to a child protection plan and on child protection registers. That 822 of them were taken off these registers during our support is testament to the key role that volunteers can play in working alongside the statutory services. At a time of such enormous changes in the delivery of children's services in England, it is important that those planning local services recognise the vital role that volunteers can and do play in providing better outcomes for children and ensuring no child 'falls through the net'.
The challenge for Home-Start will be to work with other voluntaries to make sure the services we provide and the difference volunteers make to children and families' lives are very clearly articulated.
A consistent body of evidence now shows that parents and children derive substantial benefit from the support they receive from volunteers. But the outcomes of home-visiting support are broad and long term, and as the Joseph Rowntree Research showed, can be difficult to measure with standard research tools. There is more to be learned and Home-Start is pleased to be in at the beginning of evaluating and understanding support services for children and families.
But in all this, the voluntary and statutory service providers alike must not forget to listen first and foremost to final arbiters of the effectiveness of the service - the families themselves. Home-Start's own monitoring and evaluation systems annually assess the outcomes of around 9,000 families who no longer need the charity's support. The services' satisfaction rate is well over 80%, with many parents reporting that Home-Start had made a significant difference to the way they dealt with their children's behaviour, and on their child's physical and emotional wellbeing. Not only do Home-Start parents talk positively about the impact of being supported by a non-professional during times of family stress, many of them go on to become home-visiting volunteers themselves, a huge endorsement of the vital role that volunteers play with families.
As Home-Start knows, volunteers can and already do provide effective support for families in these circumstances. Although child protection is not the main focus of our work, of the 68,000 children Home-Start's volunteers supported last year, 2,300 were subject to a child protection plan and on child protection registers. That 822 of them were taken off these registers during our support is testament to the key role that volunteers can play in working alongside the statutory services. At a time of such enormous changes in the delivery of children's services in England, it is important that those planning local services recognise the vital role that volunteers can and do play in providing better outcomes for children and ensuring no child 'falls through the net'.
The challenge for Home-Start will be to work with other voluntaries to make sure the services we provide and the difference volunteers make to children and families' lives are very clearly articulated.
A consistent body of evidence now shows that parents and children derive substantial benefit from the support they receive from volunteers. But the outcomes of home-visiting support are broad and long term, and as the Joseph Rowntree Research showed, can be difficult to measure with standard research tools. There is more to be learned and Home-Start is pleased to be in at the beginning of evaluating and understanding support services for children and families.
But in all this, the voluntary and statutory service providers alike must not forget to listen first and foremost to final arbiters of the effectiveness of the service - the families themselves. Home-Start's own monitoring and evaluation systems annually assess the outcomes of around 9,000 families who no longer need the charity's support. The services' satisfaction rate is well over 80%, with many parents reporting that Home-Start had made a significant difference to the way they dealt with their children's behaviour, and on their child's physical and emotional wellbeing. Not only do Home-Start parents talk positively about the impact of being supported by a non-professional during times of family stress, many of them go on to become home-visiting volunteers themselves, a huge endorsement of the vital role that volunteers play with families.
Parental involvement in the form of ‘at-home good parenting’ has a significant positive effect on children’s achievement and adjustment in school
Prof Charles Desforges
Department for Education and Skills
Home-Start has an excellent track record of being able to support all families with young children including the most vulnerable and isolated, within whichever community they happen to live
Naomi Einstadt
SureStart
We’ve found this model of community support very effective. Sometimes what’s wanted doesn’t warrant having a professional in – it’s about tailoring the support to the family.
Natalie Cronin
policy advisor, NSPCC
