Getting Support

Many parents need help, friendship, advice or support during those early years. There is no rulebook for raising a family and sometimes it can seem overwhelming, particularly if your family is going through difficult times.

As a parent you might ask for Home-Start's help for all sorts of reasons:

  • You may be in need of a break
  • You may be feeling isolated in your community, have no family nearby and be struggling to make friends
  • You may be finding it hard to cope because of your own or your child's illness
  • You may have been hit hard by the death of a loved one
  • You may be really struggling with emotional and physical demands of having twins or triplets - perhaps born into an already large family

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Help is at hand. We will endeavour to support all families who ask for help where possible and where a support plan is agreed. Support is confidential. All staff and volunteers are required to be members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme (PVG).

How to make a referral

Please contact us in the first instance to ensure there is a volunteer available, then download and complete our referral form and send it to: manager@homestartlorn.org.uk for for all referrals.

Are you unsure about the families Home-Start can support? You may be interested in looking at our booklet “A Referrer's Guide” to the UK's leading family support service.

Home-Start Lorn will accept a referral from any source as long as:

  • the family has at least one child under the age of five
  • the family is suffering stress or experiencing difficulties. See Who we can help
  • the family have given their consent

Home-Start Lorn works alongside other agencies from both the statutory and voluntary sector, and receives referrals from:

  • Health Visitors
  • Social Services
  • Education
  • Nurseries/family centres
  • Community Psychiatric Nurses
  • Other voluntary organisations, e.g. Soroba Young Family Centre, Women’s Aid.
  • Argyll well-being hub
  • Hope Kitchen
  • Families are also able to refer themselves

What happens next?

Once a family has been referred and a referral form has been completed, the co-ordinator will arrange to visit the family to discuss their needs and answer any questions they may have. The co-ordinator will then work with the family to create a support plan to best meet the family's needs and identify which of our three support options will be introduced to meet these needs.

Please donate to Homestart Lorn by clicking one of the donation the buttons below

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