Our home visiting service, supports families in the home for up to 6-months. Familes are matched with the right volunteer for them to empower and stand beside them as they navigate positive outcomes fromt he struggles they are facing.
Family Story – Home Visiting
The family consists of mum and dad, originally from Timor Leste in South East Asia, and their two‑year‑old daughter. They are currently seeking asylum in the UK. The family recently moved to the area and had no local support network. Mum was experiencing significant isolation, low confidence, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Dad works night shifts, leaving mum alone for long periods with limited opportunities to socialise or access community support.
We received a referral from one of our Family Hub Champions, who recognised that mum needed emotional support and help to build confidence in getting out into the community with her daughter.
We put the following support plan in place:
Regular emotional support through home visiting
Reducing isolation with weekly visits
Confidence‑building by accompanying mum and A to local stay‑and‑play groups and supporting her
to engage with other parents
Family Factors
Parental mental health challenges
Insecure immigration status
Impact to date
Home visiting began in September 2025, although mum had already been receiving support from a Family Hub Champion since January 2025. Due to illness, the first volunteer match could not continue, so staff provided additional support during the transition, including contacting the Mental Health Hub on mum’s behalf and issuing a food bank voucher.
A new volunteer was matched with the family one month later, and the relationship developed quickly.
Within the first month they had:
Attended a stay‑and‑play group
Visited soft play
Joined the family for a Sunday church visit, which the family now attends regularly
During the midway review visit Mum reported a noticeable increase in confidence. She was:
Going out independently with her child
Meeting a new friend she had made at our stay‑and‑play group
Feeling an improvement in her mental health
Accessing Talking Therapies for additional mental health support
The volunteer also helped mum join the local library. Mum now reads regularly in the evenings, which she finds calming when feeling anxious while dad is at work.
During the end review in February 2026 at the final home visit, mum expressed sadness that the support was ending but shared how grateful she felt. She described Home‑Start as her “saviour”. In addition to
emotional and practical support, we were able to provide:
A free monthly bus ticket
A Christmas hamper
Easter eggs
Mum and child continue to attend our Wednesday stay‑and‑play group every week, where mum has formed two close friendships that she maintains independently.
One of the strongest indicators of mum’s progress is her desire to give back. She has enrolled on our next volunteer induction course starting 16 April, with the aim of volunteering at our stay‑and‑play
groups. This is a notable transformation for someone who, at the start of support, rarely left the house and felt unable to speak to other parents. Mum is now confident, connected, and ready to support other
families in the community.