Home-Start
was started in 1972 by Margaret Harrison, a health professional in
The idea spread rapidly and Home-Start schemes were established throughout the
Our
scheme started in 1998 as Crawley & Horsham Home-Start. In 2009 the scheme
was extended into Mid Sussex.
Home-Start
is not a government scheme. It is a charity.
The government has provided funds for use by our national body, but this money
is used largely to enhance the structure and expansion of the scheme as a
whole.
Each individual Home-Start scheme must find sources of finance for its
operation.
The national body provides local schemes with information, expertise, general
support and training opportunities.
No. Sure-Start is a government scheme to
help families who have a child(ren)
under 4yrs and who are experiencing difficulties. Sure-Start Children’s Centres
will exist throughout the country and will be a ‘one-stop’ source of
professional help.
Home-Start is a charity which matches volunteers with
families who have a child under 5yrs. Schemes exist throughout the country and
in the main the emphasis is on providing informal support by matching families
with trained volunteers.
To
become involved simply telephone our office.
TEL: 01293 416327; Fax 01293 416328; email us Crawley, Horsham &
Mid Sussex Home-Start
We
welcome all enquiries.
You will be told of the many ways in which you could help us, including:
Home-Visiting Volunteering
Serving on the Management Committee
Becoming a ‘Friend’ of Home-Start
Contributing to our funds
Anyone
can refer a family to Home-Start, but the family must agree and must complete
the application form (with assistance if necessary). Families may refer
themselves. To receive an application form and an explanatory leaflet simple
contact us: TEL: 01293 416327; Fax 01293 416328; email:
mail@homestartcrhm.eurobell.co.uk We welcome all enquiries.
You must be a parent or have had extensive
parenting experience.
Apart from this you must demonstrate that you have the time to commit to
volunteering and be prepared to undergo training.
You must attend a ten session course, held
one day (or evening) a week for ten weeks. Day courses are held in various
locations between 9.45am and 2.15pm. Volunteers provide their own packed lunch.
If there is a demand we will run a training course in the evening.
Following the initial training, volunteers are provided with other training
opportunities.
Once they have finished their training Home
Visiting Volunteers are carefully matched with a family. They make arrangements
to visit for 2-3 hrs weekly and the arrangement continues for as long as
everyone agrees and providing the family has a child under
five years.
Volunteers are provided with support and supervision by paid staff.
Every Home-Visiting Volunteer visits one
family a week. Some volunteers support two or more families at the same time.
The
arrangement lasts for as long as everyone wants it to and for as long as it is
needed.
Often, when assistance is no longer needed, a volunteer will transfer to
another family but will stay in touch with the first.
The arrangement has to end once the youngest child becomes five.