Make a difference to parents in need How to apply
Being a parent of young children can be tough — but having a friendly face to offer support can make a huge difference.
Dedicated volunteers at HomeStart help mums and dads across Renfrewshire tackle issues associated with mental health, loneliness and isolation.
It can be as simple as making a cup of tea and letting struggling parents know they are doing a good job.
The charity, which was launched in 2001, currently visits 70 families in the area who have one or more children under five.
They are now appealing for people in the community who think they might have what it takes to become a volunteer.
Devoting just a few hours a week to support a struggling parent can make all the difference.
Manager of the Paisley- based organisation Iain MacDonald said: “It’s very much a community befriending service that we offer.
“Having just that little bit of support can make such a difference to families.
“It can mean that someone has got up and got dressed to go out when they would maybe have just stayed in all day with the curtains drawn.
“For some, it has saved their relationship with their partner or stopped their children being taken into care.
“Sometimes all it takes is a chat to let them know that they are not alone and what they are going through is completely normal.
“Mental health is a large part of why we are there to help.
“It affects everyone at some point.” Run entirely by volunteers, it is the only service of its kind in Renfrewshire.
Working alongside other support services, such as health visitors and social services, they are there to lend a hand to anyone who may need help coping day to day.
They help parents with a number of issues, including illness, disability, relationship breakdowns, bereavement, challenging behaviour, multiple birth or having lots young children in the home, as well as housing and financial issues.
By visiting a few hours every week, volunteers hope to have a positive impact on families so they can learn to cope independently.
Iain added: “We see such a big difference in people as they engage in the service.
“A lot of the time we rely on referrals, but we have people who phone up to ask if they can have some help.
“Having someone go into the home and spend that time helps develop a sense of trust and they open up to you.
“We can get to the root of the problems and really try to help.
“We can see that over the weeks in online forms that people fill out.
“They start to become more honest and that is really positive.”
Those at Home-Start are now hopeful they can continue to expand the services they deliver.
They are appealing to anyone who would like to become a volunteer.
Iain said: “Being a parent yourself is a huge part of being a volunteer.
“It’s important to know what life can be like for parents with young children.
“Having that empathy and being To become a Home-Start home-visiting volunteer:
You must be a parent or have parenting experience
You can commit two to three hours once a week
You should be able to commit at least six months of your time to Home-Start
You should have a non-judgemental attitude and understand about the pressures of bringing up a family
You should enjoy meeting new people and spending time with adults and children
You can commit to attending a free Volunteer Training Course — 30 hours over several days/weeks — before meeting your first family
You can expect to be reimbursed travel expenses during training and while you support a family
You must understand that your support for families is completely confidential
You will have to become a member of the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme, and
You will be supported by your local Home-Start scheme coordinators during the time you are visiting families.
If you would like to become a Home-Start volunteer, email theteam@home-startrenfrewshire.org.uk or visit www.home-startrenfrewshire.org.uk for more information.
able to be non-judgemental when going to visit families is so important.
“You could essentially be that bridge who helps someone get out the house for the first time all week.
“It can be such a rewarding experience for everyone involved.
“Some volunteers go on to become friends with people they help once their services are no longer needed.
“It can make such a huge difference.”