Home-Start Bristol
& South Gloucestershire
There for parents when they need us most, because childhood can't wait
We support families to help them thrive and give children the best possible start in life
Home-Start Bristol and South Gloucestershire is a local charity that supports and empowers parents who live in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, who are struggling and have at least one child under the age of five. We recruit and train volunteers and then carefully match them with an appropriate family. All our volunteers have parenting experience themselves, so they understand some of the challenges of family life. Our volunteers are at the heart of the work that we do supporting families, we couldn’t do our work without them.
A volunteer either supports the family in their own home, outdoors or by phone, once a week or they support a Home-Start staff member at a group. Parents tell us Home-Start support makes a huge difference to them and the lives of their children to have that support at a time of need.
“I don’t know where I’d be without Home-Start. I’m sad the support is coming to an end because they’ve been such a crucial part of my life, but I know I will be alright because they’ve given me the strength and confidence to know that I will cope.”
The Home-Start Network
Home-Start Bristol is affiliated to the national organisation, Home-Start UK, but we are an independent charity responsible for our own management and our own funding. Home-Start UK provides advice and support to over 300 Home-Start schemes around the UK and manages a rigorous Quality Assurance process to make sure that all local schemes operate effectively.
Home Start Bristol is governed by an experienced Board of Trustees, there is a staff team of 11, together with a network of trained volunteers.
Our Services
Groups
- Best-Start : These peer support groups are delivered in South Gloucestershire helping families with children under three to give their children the best start in life. The structured programme is led by our highly trained group staff and supported by volunteers. Sessions focus on up-to-date advice on topics such as teething, first aid, supporting early relationships, play, baby massage, routines, self-care and sleep.
- Mothers in Mind (MiMs): This is a perinatal mental health programme to support women affected by mental health issues in the first two years of their parenting journey. They are based on a peer support model, offering reassurance and support to women who are struggling.
For up to date times and locations of groups please see our pages for groups in Bristol and groups in South Gloucestershire. You can make a referral or a self referral to a group here.
A huge thank you for all your care and support these last few weeks at MIMS. Your ideas for the sessions have been just lovely and we have enjoyed these Thursday mornings.
Home visiting
Specially trained volunteers with first-hand parenting experience are carefully matched with families. They can support families through visiting them in their own homes, meeting in outdoor spaces and/or or by telephone and text.
They can offer:
- Support, friendship and practical assistance
- Reassurance to parents that their problems are not unusual or unique
- Encouragement to strengthen parents’ emotional well-being for the benefit of their children
- Help to put the fun back into family life
- Help to increase the confidence and independence of families
- Precious time for listening and talking
- Help with the children
- A break for parents
- Support to use local services and resources
Through our services we aim to:
- Empower parents to feel better able to cope with family life
- Support parents and children to improve their confidence, health and wellbeing
- Connect parents to other parents, services and networks in their community to combat loneliness and isolation
- Encourage parents to recognise and build on their strengths and skills
Downloads
Click on the button below to download and view the Annual Report and Annual Review documents for the respective periods. These documents are stored as PDFs.
Next: Meet the team
We are proudly supported by
