We believe that children need to feel loved and secure as they grow-up to be the best that they can be and that parents are the best ones to provide that. All we are trying to do is help you do this.
For those going through a tough time and would like someone who is there just for you and your family, a friendly Home-Start volunteer is what you need.
Home-Start support is voluntary and flexible and we will never force support on you. It involves a volunteer visiting you in your own home for around 2 hours per week, once a week to offer you support to help you get through tough times.
You can speak to someone in the office or you can ask your health visitor to refer you.
One of our coordinators will visit you in your own home at a mutually convenient time, to have an informal chat about what Home-Start involves, what you feel your support needs are and what we can do for you. If you are happy to take up the support, we match you with a volunteer and make arrangements for volunteer visits. Once the support has started, your coordinator will contact you to make sure that everything is going okay and you have a review visit about 4-6 weeks after the support has begun. After this, your support is reviewed every 4 months to make sure that the support you are receiving is benefitting you.
No - it is completely free.
We take confidentiality very seriously and all information we hold is kept securely and in the strictest of confidence. Home-Start volunteers will respect your privacy and never forget that you have invited them into your home. Home-Start Caithness is a charity and is not a statutory service and all of our staff and volunteers are members of the Scottish Government Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme (it used to be known as an Enhanced Criminal Records Check), so you know that you can trust us.
This really depends on what your reasons for support are, but generally volunteers will help by:
Why not read following story to find out how Home-Start Caithness helped a local family or watch Home-Start's latest YouTube video.