Home-Start volunteers are being given access to new online resources that will help them support parents in laying the foundations for a healthy, happy family life.

Making sure volunteers have fantastic training and ongoing support is one of the important ways that Home-Starts ensure they can give families the best support possible.

Healthy Happy Home is the newest set of resources available to families. The online learning programme has been developed with The John Lewis Partnership and other leading charities, and adds to a wealth of bespoke Home-Start volunteer training and resource packages.

Healthy food, safer sleep and family finances

The new training programme is based on insights from volunteers across the country around three key areas that families struggle with –sleep, healthy eating and finances.

Peter Grigg, Chief Executive of Home-Start UK, said: “This fantastic project will equip our volunteers with practical advice so they can support families to be healthier and happier. By building the confidence of our Home-Start volunteers’ around healthy food, safer sleep and family finances, the Healthy Happy Home programme will provide a real boost to family wellbeing and help parents with the everyday challenges that all families face.”

Available through Teachable, the programme was developed following a survey of our volunteers which found the families they support often have challenges around health, food and nutrition. Our survey showed:

• Almost 8 in 10 volunteers know families with issues relating to healthy eating and food or nutrition.
• Almost half know families with issues relating to sleep, in both parents and children.
• One in four families need support managing their household finances. 
• Eight in 10 volunteers have supported families with mental wellbeing challenges.

Recipes, videos and expertise links

The e-learning toolkit helps tackle the three key areas and includes videos, recipes, downloadable content and links to recognised bodies of expertise. There is guidance on healthy eating, sleep and finance.

The content, all tailored especially for the Home-Start network, has been pulled together with support from The Lullaby Trust, The Sleep Charity, The Money Charity, Waitrose Cookery School, John Lewis Finance and Wellbeing Services.

Invaluable input also came from the Home-Start UK volunteering, learning and development and perinatal teams.

Through building knowledge and resources in healthy food & nutrition, sleep and also family finance, the programme ultimately aims to contribute towards the positive mental health of the thousands of families supported each year by the Home-Start network.

Register your interest in volunteering for your local Home-Start. 

If you are already a volunteer for your local Home-Start and would like to find out how you can access the Healthy Happy Home training, speak to your coordinator who will have more information. Teachable is our online e-learning tool which volunteers can sign up to using their profile on Time to Spare.

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