Testimonials
"The support offered by Home-Start is invaluable as it is offered in a way that is so acceptable – not by a professional who professes to know all the answers but by a volunteer, another parent who can empathise."
Cherie Booth QC – Patron Home-Start Islington
"Home-Start is simple, cost effective and succeeds because it builds on local community resources. It recognises that neighbours count, that everyone needs a friend and that – given a chance – people will in fact reach out and connect with one another."
Rt Hon Tessa Jowell MP
"Important elements (of home-visit programmes) include parenting support, education, work opportunities and social support. Trained volunteers may be as effective as experts."
Hodnett and Roberts Cochrane Review 2000; Fonagy and Higgitt 2000; Olds
et al 1997-cited in Making the Case for Mental Health Promotion,
Department of Health 2001
"Home-Start uses trained volunteers and has been effective in improving parental self-esteem, reducing demand for Health Visitors support, improving child/parent relationships and increasing use of community services."
Making it Happen – A Guide to Mental Health Promotion, Department of
Health 2001
"interventions which reduce the stress Mothers experience is likely to benefit children indirectly. Voluntary befriending schemes and other social support interventions of mothers of young children-for example Home-Start – can provide essential help. Such programmes should be expanded and funded by adult and children’s services, and by health as well as Social Services."
Cleaver, H. Unell, I. Aldate, J. 2001. "Children’s Needs – Parenting
Capacity. The impact of parental mental illness, problem alcohol and
drug use, and domestic violence on children’s development." Dept of
Health, HMSO, London.
"A child’s experience in the very early years has a crucial bearing on their success at school and beyond. By adopting a clear focus on what happens in the family – with effective, targeted interventions like Home-Start – we will be able to transform the life chances of those youngsters growing up in our most disadvantaged communities."
Rt Hon David Blunkett MP – Six Point Plan for Family Learning
"Home-Start is a brilliant organisation. When I was a GP, I used it as a prescription! It meets the real needs many families have. I’m glad to be associated with Home-Start and will be delighted to support it in any way I can in the future."
Prof. Lindsay Davies – NHS Trent Region
"Parenting is the most important public health issue facing our society. It is the largest single variable implicated in childhood illness and accidents, teenage pregnancy and substance misuse, truancy, school disruption and underachievement; child abuse, unemployment, juvenile crime and mental illness. These are serious in themselves but are even more important as precursors of problems in adulthood and the next generation."
Masud Hoghughi – Consultant Clinical Psychologist
"Home-Start currently operates 235 schemes (in England) providing home visiting services to one in fifty families in each area. The Government intends to bring forward proposals to roll out nationally this level of targeted home visiting support provided through Home-Start."
Government Green Paper