What is one-to-one support?
Support can look like a whole load of different things. You might just want someone to call you every week to have a chat or to help you find information you need. Or maybe your volunteer will come round and play with the children, or help you get the children out of the house and off for a play in the park. They could go along with you to a group you're new to, help you get to a medical appointment, or just sit and have a cup of tea and a talk.
It can take a while to work out what is most helpful to you and it can change over time. The coordinators at HomeStart will check in with you regularly to make sure the support you are getting is working for you.
Support is always free and confidential.
Who is it for?
Anyone who needs it! We cover the West and South-West of Edinburgh and provide our services to families with at least one child under 5. People need support for many different reasons. You might be parenting alone, new to the area and without a support network, struggling with health issues, dealing with a bereavement or life change, dealing with financial worries or family stress, parenting twins, or be in another situation that makes parenting harder for you. Parenting small children is hard work and there are many reasons why parents sometimes need some extra help.
Here are some of the ways parents may benefit from HomeStart support. If you think our help would benefit you then just get in touch with us or your Health Visitor
What happens if I'm referred for support?
Whether you refer yourself, or a Health Visitor or other professional makes a referral for you, the first thing we will do is call to have a chat and suggest what might work best for you. If you think one-to-one support might be helpful we will arrange a meeting to introduce your volunteer - in person or over a video call. After that it will be between you and the volunteer to arrange whether you'd rather meet up outside, have them come to your home or just talk over the phone, and what you'd like to do.