Home Start Cymru is a charity committed to empowering parents to make sustainable changes and build resilience, together with guided support from our team of trained volunteers and staff.
We work alongside families offering compassionate and confidential support, tailored to suit the family.
We run charity support services across the majority of local authority areas in Wales working as a team, with parents and carers, providing emotional and practical support. For more information on how to access family support, scroll down to the bottom of the page.
How we help
We offer support to parents and carers in a number of different ways:
- Home Visiting
- Community Support
- Peer Support
- Group Support
- Targeted Support Programmes
In addition to our core support, we offer specialised support through various additional projects. These include specific services in certain areas of Wales and cover the following services:
Neurodivergent support
We provide staff-led targeted 1:1 support for families on the neurodivergent pathway, including ongoing peer group support. Information is shared with families as well as signposting to existing services for more specialised neurodivergent support.
Behaviour Management
Qualified staff deliver targeted sessions to support parents to understand their child’s behaviour challenges and explore ways to manage it. Sessions are delivered with both the parent and child.
Peer Support Groups
We facilitate group support sessions where families come together, share experiences, and build social connections. These groups address specific topics or challenges, allowing parents to learn from one another and provide mutual support.
Refugees/Asylum Seekers
We offer 1:1 staff support for families seeking sanctuary. Families are supported to identify support networks in their communities, build wider and healthy relationships and support their children to transition into education. Ongoing support is offered by volunteers.
Housing and Financial Support
A specific project to support families with housing challenges, as well as financial maximisation guidance. Our family housing support is delivered by trained staff in Wales.
Dad Matters
Supporting dads with children during the perinatal phase, we encourage attachment and bonding and the building of healthy relationships with newborns.
Early Years Communication
Our qualified staff offer targeted sessions to support communication, the building of healthy relationships and supporting parents to understand how best to meet their pre -school children’s needs
Our local areas have a range of different support services:
Caerphilly:
Supporting People Project
About the project
If you’re looking for support with the following, we can help:
- Housing challenges – if you need support relating to challenges you may be experiencing with your housing situation.
- Managing your money – we can support you to ensure you have access to the right benefits and financial assistance.
- Explore access to training and/or employment – if you’re looking for support accessing training or you’re looking for employment, we can support you in widening your network in your own community.
Volunteer Led Support Project
About the project
Our volunteers offer support to help improve families emotional wellbeing. We do this by encouraging them to engage with their local communities and existing local resources.
We provide a non-judgemental approach supporting the family’s needs. We can help you to meet others who understand the challenges associated with family life.
Who we support
Any family living across Caerphilly Borough with at least one child under the age of 11 can request our support. This can be directly or through the support of a practitioner who may already be supporting them.
Referrals must have the consent of the parent.
Referrals must be made directly to the email below and will be allocated to HSC under the Supporting People project at: caerphillyconnect@caerphilly.gov.uk
Children In Need Project:
Working with children under 5
About the project
Our Coordinator works with parents and children to support their overall development.
This includes strengthened relationships, communication and early language skills.
How we support parents
Through a set number of targeted sessions (up to 8) the Coordinator develops an action plan with the family to support the overall development needs of the child. These sessions will include floor play, baby massage, singing and positive interaction to strengthen relationships.
The sessions are designed to support learning and development for children in readiness for accessing nursery and school settings. With sessions taking place in the home, parents and children are better placed to be able to engage in the activities. For more information on available support for this project email: info@homestartcymru.org.uk
Cardiff and The Vale of Glamorgan
ND Support for families with children up to age 11
About the project
Home-Start Cymru understands that it can be a challenging time when a child is on the Neuro Development pathway. Our dedicated staff can support parent/s to manage some of these challenges through 1-1 support.
How we support parents
Our support is tailored to families’ needs and together, we can:
Support parents/carers to understand their and their children’s ND needs.
Provide information, resources and practical tools to support the family
Behaviour Support for Families with children up to age 11
About the project
Our Coordinator works with parents and their children to address behaviour/s that are causing challenges for the family. Working alongside parenting teams and other practitioners, we can provide additional targeted support that can reduce the need for more intensive intervention.
How do we support parents
Through a set number of targeted sessions (usually up to 6), the Coordinator develops an action plan with the parent/s and child that looks at ways to equip both with coping strategies. Together with the family, we endeavour to strengthen relationships, identify realistic expectations and enable families to communicate more effectively and provide opportunities to improve emotional wellbeing through peer support/parents. with shared experience.
Newport
Seeking Sanctuary Project
About the project
Our project provides advice and support with services (such as housing, benefits, health, employment and English skills), working with each refugee and asylum seeker on a tailored basis we hope to inspire independence and integration.
How we support parents
We help refugees and asylum seeker families to rebuild their lives using the resilience, strength and skills acquired on their journeys. We provide emotional and practical support whilst ensuring families understand local customs, have access to healthcare and education at the same time as introducing them to local people – gaining confidence and independence.
To find out more, email: seekingsanctuary@homestartcymru.org.uk
How to access support
We work closely with local health professionals including Midwives and Health Visitors, GPs and Community Mental Health Teams and Early Help Teams. Additionally Social Workers, Family Support Workers and Pre-Schools/Nurseries can also refer families to us for support. You can self-refer if you feel like you need some additional support. Please speak to your healthcare professional about getting Home-Start Cymru support. Or if you prefer, get in touch with us directly and we’ll tell you more about how to be referred to our service. info@homestartcymru.org.uk