Home-Start volunteers are trained, carefully matches and supported by the expert teams in each local Home-Start.

How are home-visiting volunteers supported?

Home-Start volunteers are thoroughly trained and supported before and during their time with a family, and can expect:

• an induction to Home-Start’s service,
• 40 hours of preparation training, run weekly, before meeting your first family,
• regular support and supervision sessions with staff at your local Home-Start,
• paid expenses during the training and while you support a family

Many Home-Starts also offer the opportunity to gain a formal qualification (sometimes known as accreditation), as well as additional training to supplement your preparation and induction.

How does Home-Start support volunteer trustees?

Trustees are fully inducted into Home-Start before beginning their new role; they will receive:

• an induction day, introducing Home-Start’s service and your responsibilities
• safeguarding training: providing an overview of safeguarding children in Home-Start, how to respond to concerns about a child and understand where to go for advice and support
• training on providing a high-quality service to families (quality assurance)
• paid expenses
• access to Home-Start’s intranet – full of information and guidance on running a local Home-Start
• the support of specialist staff at Home-Start UK

Additional training may be available depending on the role of the trustee – check with your local Home-Start.

How does Home-Start support other volunteers?

Many local Home-Starts run additional services to support their work, such as playgroups, toy libraries, organising social activities, helping with fundraising etc. Training will vary depending on the role – please check with your local Home-Start.

How will volunteering benefit you, as well as the families your support?

People volunteer for Home-Start for many reasons. But they all want to give their time to support families. And Home-Start’s research has shown that our volunteers have:

• better health and well-being
• improved personal and skills development
• improved chances for work
• and are more self-confident

This is true and it's from the heart.  I have never, ever had better training from any organisations than I have had from Home-Start.  I thought when I first went 'it will be just the same again'.  But it wasn't.  It was workshop based and they gave us lots and lots of time to think through how we would approach the problems we might meet.  The other thing that is absolutely marvellous - I had a fantastic volunteer co-ordinator who used to contact me without fail every month to see how things were going.  And those two things working hand in hand make Home-Start an absolutely superb organisation.

Veronica, home visiting volunteer from Home-Start Nottingham