Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire (HSRSC) believes that children need a happy and secure childhood and that parents play the key role in giving their children a good start in life and helping them achieve their full potential. However many parents, desperate to do the right things to give their children the best possible start in life, find they are fighting against the odds.
Circumstances beyond their control mean they are faced with isolation, sickness, disability or mental health illness. They might be very young parents, or have given birth to twins or triplets, or be living with domestic violence or are facing the challenges of bringing their children up on their own.
We work closely with other agencies to ensure families receive the widest possible help to become self-sufficient and enjoy being a family. Our work is confidential except where there are safeguarding concerns.
HSRSC provides a weekly home visiting service offering crucial practical support for families in need with young children. The three core aims of our service are to:

• Reduce the pressure on families that leads to stress and depression
• Avoid parental isolation by encouraging involvement in local groups and services
• Improve outcomes for children in terms of health, education and relationship with parents

“I feel that the support I have received from Home-Start has been fundamental in my recovery from serious depression and helping me to cope with severe anxiety and fatigue. The help I received is not available from any other service.” family quote

We recruit, train and carefully match a fully trained volunteer with each family, offering home visits, usually for 2-3 hours a week. Volunteers build a relationship with parents and offer a listening ear; encourage playing and creative activities with children; accompany the family on outings or appointments; support the development of parenting skills and managing behaviour and help signpost other help available.

The nature of the help will vary according to the family’s needs and it is regularly reviewed to ensure it remains relevant and of a high quality. The Volunteer is supervised and supported by HSRSC staff throughout.

View my website http://www.hsrsc.org.uk/