Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire

Support for families with young children

Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire is a voluntary organisation committed to promoting the welfare of families with at least one child aged five years or under. It has helped families in Southern Oxfordshire since 1989, and today supports families across most of South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse, through volunteer home-visiting and support groups.

Families struggling with postnatal depression, isolation, illness, bereavement, family breakdown and many other issues receive the support of a trained volunteer, who spends around two to three hours a week in the family's home helping in the ways they need. There is no judgement: it is compassionate, confidential help and expert support. A small team of paid staff recruits, trains and supervises the volunteers and runs the groups.

Home-Start Southern Oxfordshire is a registered charity (number 1113941) and company (number 05443274), managed by a volunteer Board of Trustees chaired by Jan Rimmer. As part of the Home-Start network it is assessed under the Home-Start Quality Assurance Standard. Its office is on the 1st Floor of Didcot Library, 197 Broadway, Didcot OX11 8RU, open Monday to Friday, 9am to 4.30pm.

Help at home from a trained volunteer

Being a parent can be lonely, frustrating, heartbreaking and overwhelming. Families ask for support for many reasons, including poor mental or physical health, bereavement, multiple births and feeling isolated.

Volunteers offer one-to-one home-visiting and a wide range of targeted support for parents and their children, such as playing and reading with the children, sharing experiences, listening, helping to arrange appointments and other emotional and practical support. All services are free and confidential.

To get support you must generally have at least one child aged five years or under, and there must be a volunteer available to support you: help depends on volunteer and Co-ordinator capacity.

Groups for parents and young children

Home-Start's groups give children the chance to play, learn and have fun, and give parents the chance to meet other families, pick up advice and feel less alone. Both groups meet at Great Western Park District Community Centre, 1 Gentian Mews, Didcot OX11 6GR.

Baby & Me Group: Tuesdays, 10am to 11.30am. A weekly drop-in group for expectant parents and parents with babies up to 15 months old, with a calm environment, toys to explore, coffee, and support and advice from staff and volunteers. There is a voluntary £2 donation per family per session.

Best Starts Group: for parents and their child aged 1 to 4, especially parents who find large groups intimidating, parents with anxiety or low confidence, and parents concerned about their child's development. The group is kept to a maximum of eight families, there is no fee, and you join through a short referral form (self referral or from a professional). The Get Support page lists it on Tuesdays, 1pm to 2.30pm, but also mentions Wednesdays, so check the day when you are invited. To chat about the group first, email admin@homestartso.org or call 01235 511152 and ask for Annie, the Group Worker.

Become a home-visiting volunteer

No special qualifications are needed. Volunteers are usually parents or grandparents with an interest in, and experience of, young children and family life, and Home-Start welcomes volunteers from all sections of the community. As a volunteer you:

• visit a family at home for around two to three hours a week
• commit at least one year of your time
• have a non-judgemental attitude and understand the pressures of parenting
• complete the free Volunteer Preparation Course before meeting your first family: five morning sessions, usually in the Didcot office, plus about 12 hours online, covering child development, community resources, confidentiality, relationships and safeguarding children
• have an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check
• get travel expenses paid, and regular support from a Family Co-ordinator

Other ways to help: volunteer at one of the groups (email admin@homestartso.org), join the Friends of Home-Start fundraising group, which meets monthly over a coffee (email Faye, the Development Manager, at faye.golding-king@homestartso.org), or join the Board of Trustees, which looks for skills such as business management, finance, law, IT, HR, PR and early years knowledge. Call 01235 511152 or email admin@homestartso.org.