Community directory

Home-Start (East Herts)

Home-Start East Herts is a voluntary organisation that offers informal, confidential support to parents to enable them to give their children under 5 the best possible start in life. Our volunteers visit families in their homes for 2-3 hours a week to provide friendship, emotional support and practical help in whatever way is needed. It may be an extra pair of hands to enable a parent of twins and a toddler to go shopping, playing with one child while mum/dad spends quality time with the other or offering a listening ear to parents with quite complex problems. Our families are often isolated and lack confidence and volunteers can encourage them to make friends in the community.

Volunteers are fully prepared and police checked and work to Home-Start's Code of Conduct for Safeguarding and Promoting the Welfare of Children. They receive ongoing supervision, support and training from their Home-Start co-ordinator. They also support each other in group meetings and can attend Home-Start social events. Some volunteers join the Board of Trustees, fundraise with Friends of Home-Start or become drivers. New volunteers are always needed to support families and our preparation courses (10 weekly 4 hour sessions) are held regularly.

Families can ask for support themselves or be referred by a professional working with them. Our organisation covers the whole of East Herts District Council area and the Borough of Broxbourne.

Parent organisation: Home-Start UK.

Registered charity number 1107069