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Home-Start KennetStronger Families – Stronger Communities
Evaluation ReportSeptember 2015
This Evaluation Report
introduces the reader to Home-Start Kennet;
addresses how we have met the four outcomes
agreed with the Big Lottery Fund;
answers the five key questions that we asked ourselves
at the beginning of the project;
explains what we have learnt from our own and some external
evaluation, how we have responded to issues raised
and how we propose to move forward in the future.
Contents
Executive Summary 2
Evaluation
Home-Start Kennet and the community we serve 10
Stronger Families – Stronger Communities: Project outcomes 11
Methodology 12
Outcome 1 14
Outcome 2 18
Outcome 3 21
Outcome 4 23
Referrers and partners 24
Learning and responding 27
Challenges and next steps 35
Executive Summary
Home-Start Kennet and the community we serve
Home-Start Kennet (HSK) is managed locally; however, Home-Start UK provides
advice and guidance, a monitoring and evaluation system (MESH) and quality
assurance.
Our families are mainly referred by health visitors, but also social workers,
children’s centres, the Army Welfare Service, GPs, community midwives, parent
support advisors and other community organisations; families can also self-refer
where appropriate.
Our team of 37+ volunteers visit families weekly in their own homes.
All have parenting experience and are professionally trained and supported.
We offer support based on the family’s identified needs and are early years
focused. Our main role is to prevent family crisis and promote family resilience.
HSK currently serves Devizes, Marlborough, Pewsey and Tidworth
as well as other areas of Wiltshire where our work is in demand.
The areas we cover include pockets of
disadvantage and child poverty resulting
from inequality of income and the
added cost of living in a rural area.
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Stronger Families – Stronger Communities (project background)
HSK was funded £266,378 by the Big Lottery Reaching Communities Fund for a
three year project - 2013/16.
Our overall aim was to work with more vulnerable families in their own homes.
Using the skills of trained volunteers, our hope was to build family resilience, help
parents develop coping strategies and gain confidence to participate in their
communities, and to strengthen the family support network so that hard-to-reach
families were not missed.
We planned to do this by restructuring our staff, enhancing the senior management
role, recruiting and training additional volunteers, increasing stakeholder feedback
and strengthening user involvement and partnership working.
Evaluation methodology
HSK used the following methods to evaluate our project:
• MESH monitoring and evaluation system (Home-Start UK) provided
quantitative data on needs identified and progress made on meeting those
needs; also provided data on wider family circumstances e.g. housing, lone
parent, with/without transport, military/veteran
• End-of-service evaluation forms from families and referrers
• Online surveys from volunteers, referrers and families
• Peer group meetings – families and volunteers
• External evaluation through 2014 QA procedure by HSUK.
We faced limitations such as poor response to some online surveys; losing contact
with families due to house moves and military deployment; families leaving the
area for long periods to visit extended family. We continue to source solutions to
these difficulties.
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Executive Summary cont
Project outcomesHSK identified four main outcomes for the project. Each of these outcomes has
provided success as well as lessons learned.
Outcome 1: Vulnerable families build up effective strategies and resilience to cope with problems and avert crises and family breakdown
I got to know new things, to knowing about what children need to learn and
how to cope with them. And also they have been very helpful in the way of
handling children.
After receiving HSK support, MESH data tells us that 92% of our families are
coping better – whether fully or partially. Our family evaluation forms also show
that 96% of families are satisfied or very satisfied with HSK support, with 75%
valuing being able to talk over their problems confidentially to a third party.
From QA external evaluation we know that 95% of families felt more confident as
a result of our support. Family members talked about feeling that they could get
help and weren’t alone; they also reported doing things that they hadn’t done
before: “I can now go out and I can now cook”.
Outcome 2: Volunteers’ skills increase through on-going training to meet families’ needs, improving their employability prospects and contributing to Wiltshire’s workforce development
Broadened my skills and showed me I can try new things even when they scare me.
Made new friends. Shown me I prefer working in a team rather than on my own.
According to our survey data, 93% of home-visiting volunteers found their work
with HSK extremely or very meaningful and 93% found various training sessions of
great use.
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In addition to the preparatory course training of 40 hours - with optional CERTA
accreditation - home-visiting and trustee volunteers have been offered a range of
training opportunities such as first aid/recognising the sick child, welfare reform,
depression, domestic abuse, mental health first aid, post-natal depression, learning
through play, emotional well-being and routine safeguarding updates.
Nine volunteers have either moved to employment using their volunteering
experience or added HSK experience to their CV/”Linked in” as new employability
skills. One volunteer is engaged in further training, and one is doing additional
hospital voluntary work.
Our volunteers view their work as a learning as well as a giving experience:
“I feel I have gained as much as I have given.”
Outcome 3: Hard-to-engage families who would otherwise not use Wiltshire’s family support network benefit from the relationship with an HSK volunteer
Home-Start has encouraged me to get out and about to use local services.
By the end of their support, 89% of hard-to-reach families were coping better with
isolation, 92% felt their self-esteem had improved and 93% were coping better
with accessing services independently.
On occasion, our volunteers have provided additional support for this cohort
outside planned visits. Such help included outings and accompanying to various
services in the community. One had “acted as a scribe on visits to solicitor and
CAB,” another had supported meetings with the school.
A respondent whose husband was deployed on military service described how
HSK had helped her through the deployment by: “being able to chat over my
feelings of anxiety and depression and my feelings of feeling isolated.”
Our referrers also state how HSK volunteers have helped families to move outward
into the community: “In each case, mothers started going to social groups,
recently a mother went into her child’s classroom to give support.”
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Outcome 4: The number of families supported is increased by 50% promoting stronger, healthier communities
Since February 2013, 145 families have been supported by Home-Start Kennet,
well on the way to achieving and/or passing our target of 157 families over the
course of the three years of Stronger Families – Stronger Communities; this target
represents a 50% increase in the number of families supported. With funding from
the Big Lottery Fund we have been able to respond to growing demand and have
increased our family numbers steadily since February 2013.
More families are reporting improved coping skills over the range of needs
identified. Support has enabled them to look outwards beyond their immediate
family situation and given them the confidence to access services and other
community activities.
Referrers and partners
To create a comprehensive service for vulnerable families in Wiltshire, we have
tried to ensure that these families are reached as early as possible. Partnership
working has been undertaken with 4Children, the British Red Cross, and our
neighbouring Home-Start South Wiltshire scheme.
Referrers called HSK an invaluable service and one which provides a vital support
system for families who do not fit the criteria for other services.
They describe our volunteers as friendly, understanding and supportive. One
referrer had met the volunteer in the family’s flat and “saw how well they
interacted, and she was accepted”. Another described “fantastic volunteer/family
matches”.
We are delighted that 100% of our referrers would refer families again to HSK and
we continue to invest in maintaining this successful referral network and sharing
effective approaches to family support.
Executive SummaryProject outcomes cont
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Learning and responding
The overwhelming nature of the feedback we received from all our sources was
positive; however, negative comments and suggestions for improvement allow us
to learn and respond appropriately.
In response to feedback from families we have:
• Made it clearer from the beginning of, and throughout support what the boundaries are that families and volunteers must both respect
• Provided activity sessions during the school holidays
• Designed extra training sessions for volunteers in response to family needs
• Devoted increased attention to matching volunteer to family
• Strengthened our system of consultation on when it is appropriate for our service to the family to end
• Tried to ensure that families are not kept waiting for a volunteer.
In response to feedback from referrers we have:
• Clarified the process by which we will pass referrals back if no volunteer is available
• Created a better system for keeping referrers up to date with HSK’s position
• Ensured that all referrers are asked for feedback after HSK service has ended.
In response to feedback from volunteers (home-visiting and trustee) we have:
• Introduced the ‘Voice of the Volunteer’ to provide opportunities for feedback and the sharing of views and ideas
• Developed our website and introduced a Facebook presence
• Conducted an assessment of how we use, protect and provide training and opportunities for volunteers (Care & Support for Volunteers, 2015)
• Strengthened our sub-committee structure to distribute the workload more evenly among trustees
• Introduced case studies to our Scheme Manager’s reports to the Board to keep trustees informed about day-to-day operations
• Introduced 1:1 trustee interviews with the Joint Chairs to enable any problems
to be identified and views expressed
• Introduced a skills audit and trustee ‘Bios’ to inform all in the organisation about
the skills and experience of our team and for use in promotional material.
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In response to identification of unmet need we have:
• Made contact with referrers (health visitors, children’s centres, housing associations) in the Chippenham/Calne area of Wiltshire who are requesting our service
• Amended our Memorandum & Articles to permit expansion
• Undertaken pilot work for Public Health Wiltshire to provide a service to military families under the Army Rebasing Programme
• Identified the need to develop more effective engagement strategies for certain specific user groups, and to find more innovative ways of reaching families that would benefit from our support. To this end we have:
• revised our Communications and Media Strategies
• engaged in the development of a new Marketing Strategy.
Challenges and next steps
As a result of our evaluation, we have identified eight challenges towards which we
will be directing our attention in the coming months:
• How to respond effectively to need in new areas and from new groups of
beneficiaries
• How to improve design and response rates to our evaluation procedures
• How to increase the take-up rate of additional volunteer training sessions
• How to improve our strategies for engagement with families where difficulties
have been identified
• How to minimise the impact of unplanned endings
• How to recruit volunteer and family member trustees
• How to achieve succession planning
• How to access more sustainable sources of funding.
Executive SummaryLearning and responding cont
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Evaluation
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Home-Start Kennet and the community we serve
Home-Start Kennet (HSK) helps parents give their children the best possible start in life by offering support, friendship and practical help to parents with young children in our local communities. Our trained volunteers visit families at home and offer them informal, flexible and confidential support. Our work with families at times of difficulty promotes family resilience and improves children’s life chances.
Although managed locally and rooted in the community we serve, Home-Start Kennet is affiliated to the UK-wide organisation (HSUK) that offers direction, training, information, guidance and quality assurance to local schemes to ensure consistent and effective support for parents and children wherever they are.
HSK was awarded 100% compliance in its HSUK Quality Assurance Assessment in 2015.
Our volunteers, all of whom have parenting experience, are drawn from the local community and go through a 40-hour preparatory training course with optional accreditation. They are offered additional training during their volunteering. We currently have 37 active volunteers. Our main referrers are health visitors, but we also receive referrals from children’s centres, the Army Welfare Service, Unit Welfare Officers, housing associations, parent support advisers, social workers, GP surgeries, community midwives, health trainers, or self-referrals.
Wiltshire contains pockets of disadvantage due to inequality of income and the added cost of living in a rural area. There is considerable social isolation due to the rural environment. Many families are referred to HSK from local social housing areas. Our way of working means we are able to reach families who do not normally access other forms of support.
Our community has a significant, and growing, military population with plans for Army Rebasing concentrating an extra 4,000 military servicemen/women, reservists and their families in this area by 2020. Military families experience challenges particular to their circumstances, often moving into new areas, living in isolated accommodation and with separation anxiety associated with their partners’ deployment to war zones. We aim to build on the awareness and take up of our service in the military community, to continue and expand our support for military/veteran families and help them integrate with the local community.
Only 3.4% of Wiltshire’s population is of black or minority ethnic groups. The area we serve is mostly below average in its minority populations, although the Tidworth community area shows 7.5%, linked to the military presence. As their numbers are small and the families are dispersed amongst the indigenous population there is a risk that they may be particularly isolated socially and that their specific needs will be overlooked.
Among the challenges we have identified for the coming three years, we aim to find more innovative ways to reach isolated families, and, through our new Marketing Strategy, to inform the general public, as well as partner and potential partner organisations, of the service we offer to families.
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Stronger Families – Stronger CommunitiesProject outcomes
In January 2013, Home-Start Kennet was awarded a 3 year Big Lottery Fund grant of £266,378 to carry out a project entitled Stronger Families – Stronger Communities as part of the Reaching Communities programme.
This funding provided about three quarters of the cost of the project, and about two thirds of our total expenditure. The overall aim of our project was:
To work with an increased number of vulnerable families in their own homes using the skills of trained volunteers to build family resilience, help parents develop coping strategies and gain confidence to participate in their communities, and to strengthen the family support network so that hard-to-reach families are not missed.
We are currently half way through Year 3 of the project, and this evaluation report is to accompany our Stage 2 application for a further three years of funding. We provide regular monitoring of outcomes and numerical indicators to the Big Lottery Fund as part of our routine reporting to them and will not replicate that data here.
Our identified outcomes are:
Outcome 1Vulnerable families build up effective strategies and resilience to cope with problems and avert crises and family breakdown
Outcome 2 Volunteers’ skills increase through on-going training to meet families’ needs, improving their employability prospects and contributing to Wiltshire’s workforce development
Outcome 3Hard-to-engage families who would otherwise not use Wiltshire’s family support network benefit from the relationship with an HSK volunteer
Outcome 4The number of families supported is increased by 50% promoting stronger, healthier communities
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Methodology
This Evaluation is compiled from two main sources – our own internal evaluation toolbox and external evaluation conducted in September 2014 for our Home-Start UK Quality Assurance assessment. Case studies are included in this evaluation to illustrate various points. These are anonymised and in some cases details have been changed to prevent identification. Evaluation instruments are available on request from HSK.
HSK evaluation toolbox
We routinely monitor and evaluate the work that we do in a range of ways to providequantitative and qualitative information. This evaluation draws upon evidence collectedduring February 2013 to July 2015.
FAMILIES
MESH
MESH (Monitoring and Evaluation System Home-Start) system developed by HSUK gives us quantitative data on the families supported. Results from initial, review and end visits to families are entered into this database by our administrator and give information on the degree to which needs identified by the family have been met or partly met. This system also provides data on the wider family circumstances for example housing, lone parent, with/without transport, military/veteran. We have been required by the Big Lottery Fund to use MESH data on families that have a planned ending and an end visit for the purpose of meeting our numerical targets. The stability of many of our families is fragile, and on occasion they move without notice, or cancel the service unexpectedly. In this evaluation, we will use some data from the latest review visit or contact with some families, noting where this is the case (See p. 17).
Family evaluation forms
At the end of their support, every family is asked to complete an evaluation form giving feedback on the service and the aspects that they have found most useful, and giving them the opportunity to comment on strengths and weaknesses of the organisation and changes that they would like to see made. We are using the results of 79 of these feedback forms for this evaluation, gathered between February 2013 and July 2015.
Longer term feedback
At the beginning of the Stronger Families – Stronger Communities project we felt that the aspect of evaluation missing from our toolbox, was an attempt to document more lasting effects of HSK support. We have anecdotal evidence from referrers that, without the HSK service, families would have required statutory intervention, but we felt the need for some stronger data. We therefore instigated a follow-up evaluation 6-12 months after support has ended. This was initially conducted as a telephone interview, but this method proved inefficient in terms of staff time and was replaced with online questionnaires. We are using the results of 14 telephone reviews and 4 questionnaires for this evaluation. Families can also give verbal feedback at any time to members of staff and to volunteers, or via the website.
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REFERRERS
Referrer evaluation forms and online surveys
At the end of support for the family they have referred, referrers are asked to complete a feedback form that requests information on how satisfied they are with the work done by HSK and the benefits to the families. They were also contacted by online survey in 2015. We are using the results of 37 responses (between February 2013 and June 2015) for this evaluation.
HOME-VISITING VOLUNTEERS
Peer group meetings/ Online surveys
The main forum for volunteer feedback is at Volunteer Peer Group Meetings, or in supervision sessions with their FSO (Family Support Organiser). They have also been surveyed on-line in 2012 and again in 2015. We are using the results of the 2015 online survey (17 responses) in this evaluation.
Voice of the Volunteer
A new initiative – the Voice of the Volunteer – developed as a response to volunteer disquiet about lack of opportunities for feedback, gives volunteers the chance to voice views and ideas to members of staff and trustees who attend these meetings.
TRUSTEE VOLUNTEERS1:1 interviews
Following feedback from individual trustees, a regular feedback process has been introduced. New trustees have 1:1 interviews with the Chair(s) after 6 months in the role, and all trustees have 1:1s about once a year. These enable the Chair(s) to pick up at an early stage any problems that trustees might be having with the way in which the organisation is working. Trustees also engage with the home-visiting volunteers at the ‘Voice of the Volunteer’ sessions.
StaKeHolder uSer groupS
Cross-stakeholder meetings have not been pursued as we have explored other groupings - referrers, family, volunteers, partner feedback. However where meetings naturally occur e.g. at AGMs when volunteers, partners, referrers connect, feedback is taken from 1:1 discussion and contributions to the meeting. Families have attended a recent craft session and within that we have gathered their feedback on HSK support.
ExTERNAL EVALUATIONHSuK Qa assessment
In 2014 HSK came to the end of a year-long Quality Assurance assessment by Home-Start UK based on self-assessment of 8 key standards, followed by external verification and challenge. This procedure is endorsed by the Charities Commission and mirrors the PQASSO process. In Summer 2014, questionnaires designed by Home-Start UK were sent to families, volunteers, referrers, as well as staff and trustees. Two families, volunteers and referrers selected by Home-Start UK were also contacted for telephone interviews. Home-Start UK then used the information gathered for the purposes of their QA assessment. We are using analysis of responses from 22 families, 21 volunteers and 10 referrers for this evaluation to complement our own data.
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Outcome 1: Vulnerable families build up effective strategies and resilience to cope with problems and avert crises and family breakdown
By regular weekly visiting, trained volunteers aim to help families build up strategies and resilience to cope with problems. As can be seen from the MESH data shown in the table below, high percentages of families felt better able cope by the end of their support. At the end of HSK support, families gave the following responses to being asked whether the needs they had expressed at the beginning of support had been achieved or partly achieved:
need % achieved by end visit fully partially
1 Managing children’s behaviour 96% 65% 31%
2 Being involved in the children’s development/learning 97% 73% 24%
3 Coping with physical health 89% 53% 36%
4 Coping with mental health 95% 61% 34%
5 Coping with feeling isolated 89% 65% 24%
6 Parent’s self-esteem 92% 50% 42%
7 Coping with child’s physical health 93% 84% 9%
8 Coping with child’s mental health 96% 70% 26%
9 Managing the household budget 85% 59% 26%
10 The day-to-day running of the home 93% 55% 38%
11 Stress caused by conflict in the family 93% 50% 43%
12 Coping with extra work of multiple children under 5 89% 50% 39%
13. Use of services 93% 72% 21%
What were families hoping for?From MESH data, the needs most commonly expressed at the initial visit related to coping with isolation, parents’ physical and mental health together with self-esteem.
From QA questionnaires, the needs most frequently cited were coping with children (36%) and coping with emotional needs/depression (32%). Following these expectations, 27% asked for emotional support and 32% for help with children. However, there were a wide variety of other requests that illustrate just how broad the needs of families can be. There were requests for help with budgeting and debt, with dealings with the Council, for company and friendship. One respondent said she wanted help with “enjoying things again”.
Family Evaluation FormsHSK family evaluation response forms completed at the end of support also reveal high satisfaction ratings. 96% of families were ‘very satisfied’ or ‘satisfied’. Two families were ‘fairly satisfied’ and one family recorded dissatisfaction.
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How HSK helpedFamilies mentioned several elements of support that they found particularly useful - the regularity of the volunteer visits, the opportunity to chat socially and the time to talk over problems with someone who was non-judgmental.
Our experience with Home-Start has been truly fantastic and we as a family have been lucky and grateful to have received all the support that we have! We have never felt pressured or judged and the whole experience has been great.
The regularity was clearly valued: “knowing that there was reliable help on a set day”, “knowing someone was coming to help”, “knowing that the volunteer was coming regularly”.
Knowing there was reliable help on a set day unlike friends and family who often change plans I was able to look forward to the visit and plan how we could make the most of the time ... A fantastic organisation who were there in a flexible way just when I needed them and when I couldn’t access help from the RAF base.
One respondent described “looking forward to seeing the volunteer each week – someone to talk to and go out with”. Another said:
Knowing that my volunteer was coming regularly to help unconditionally with both my twins and practical jobs – it helped me feel calm and in control … The confidentiality and listening skills were also really helpful. Knowing I had a sounding board who was impartial to family/friends was brilliant and helped maintain sanity!
Families were grateful for “a friendly face to talk to”. One mother described having a giggle with the volunteer who had become a good friend.
Being able to talk confidentially to someone outside the family was mentioned by 75% offamilies and was clearly very important. Volunteers were described as ‘friendly’ and ‘nonjudgmental’; ‘listening not judging’, ‘very helpful, very understanding’. One respondent felt she could “talk openly and get things off her chest”; another that she could “talk about options in life”; another said that the volunteer helped her to “identify her own needs better”. Another said:
I can honestly say that without the help and support of [...] I would not have got through this most difficult time of my life. I am so thankful to Home-Start for helping me get my life back. [Volunteer] gave me the motivation and selfbelief I needed to get my jobs done and my life back on track.
HSK volunteers are trained and experienced in the provision of stimulating play activities for children. The expertise of volunteers in entertaining children and providing interesting play activities was recognised and appreciated. Experience with babies was mentioned by one respondent. One parent mentioned help with one particular child and reported that the school had noted changes in the child’s behaviour. The insight of the volunteer into children’s needs had helped them in bringing up their children. One described the help as “invaluable in helping raise young children”; another mentioned “having someone to talk to with more knowledge of children”. One mother said:
I got to know new things, to knowing about what children need to learn and how to cope with them. And also they have been very helpful in the way of handling children.
By helping with practical tasks the volunteer can model strategies and give ideas for managing tasks better. Respondents appreciated this. One talked about help with household routines; another that their volunteer “gave practical help and advice”.
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There are a number of more general comments that form a major aspect of the responses. They present a picture of families feeling enabled to cope better with their problems, to venture out into the community and to feel more confident about their own skills. Many of the respondents talked about feelings of increased confidence, with 95% expressing greater confidence, in the QA data.
The emotional and practical support had, for many, resulted in their feeling reassured about their skills and their ability to bring up their families. One respondent, talking about how she valued the non-judgmental attitude of her volunteer, said “we are now an amazing family unit”.
36% of families surveyed during the QA process had had a new life event whilst the volunteer had been visiting. 3 babies had been born, 2 new relationships, 1 operation, 1 pregnancy, 1 house move and 1 loss of job by partner – an indication of the sorts of stress families receiving HSK support are under. These changes influence the length of support time from the volunteer, often extending it, as they impact on a family`s coping strategies.
We can illustrate a family’s journey from the coping skills given at their initial, review and end visits during the course of their support. These scores reflect how the family felt “on that day”.
FOUR DOMAINS OF FAMILY LIFE
ord how the family felt “on that day”. This family had suffered a setback in the middle of support, but was coping
well by the end visit.
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for helping me get my life back. [Volunteer] gave me the motivation and self-belief I needed to get my jobs done and my life back on track.
HSK volunteers are trained and experienced in the provision of stimulating play activities for children. The expertise of volunteers in entertaining children and providing interesting play activities was recognised and appreciated. Experience with babies was mentioned by one respondent. One parent mentioned help with one particular child and reported that the school had noted changes in the child’s behaviour. The insight of the volunteer into children’s needs had helped them in bringing up their children. One described the help as “invaluable in helping raise young children”; another mentioned “having someone to talk to with more knowledge of children”. One mother said:
I got to know new things, to knowing about what children need to learn and how to cope with them. And also they have been very helpful in the way of handling children.
By helping with practical tasks the volunteer can model strategies and give ideas for managing tasks better. Respondents appreciated this. One talked about help with household routines; another that their volunteer “gave practical help and advice”. There are a number of more general comments that form a major aspect of the responses. They present a picture of families feeling enabled to cope better with their problems, to venture out into the community and to feel more confident about their own skills. Many of the respondents talked about feelings of increased confidence, with 95% expressing greater confidence, in the QA data. The emotional and practical support had, for many, resulted in their feeling reassured about their skills and their ability to bring up their families. One respondent, talking about how she valued the non-judgmental attitude of her volunteer, said “we are now an amazing family unit”. 36% of families surveyed during the QA process had had a new life event whilst the volunteer had been visiting. 3 babies had been born, 2 new relationships, 1 operation, 1 pregnancy, 1 house move and 1 loss of job by partner – an indication of the sorts of stress families receiving HSK support are under. These changes influence the length of support time from the volunteer, often extending it, as they impact on a family`s coping strategies. We can illustrate a family’s journey from the coping skills given at their initial, review and end visits during the course of their support. These scores record how the family felt “on that day”. This family had suffered a setback in the middle of support, but was coping well by the end visit.
(Four domains of family life; A – parenting skills; B – parental wellbeing, C - children’s wellbeing, D – family management)
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This parent had the greatest need in parenting skills and had made the most improvement in that area.
Asked, for QA, about how the volunteer had helped, many of the replies focused on building up resilience, a key aim of the Home-Start service. Family members talked about feeling that they could get help, that they weren’t alone, that they were doing things they hadn’t done before:
I can now go out and I can now cook. As explained in the Methodology section, unplanned endings result in incomplete MESH data. The following short case study taken from the Scheme Manager’s report to the Board (February 2015) reveals how feedback can be captured:
The second unplanned ending was the family mentioned in the last report who were living in very damp conditions. They moved away unexpectedly at Christmas, during the holiday close down period. They have since emailed in to say that they have been allocated a much better property in […], which is where they wanted to live and they gave very positive feedback about Home-Start Kennet support.
The positive feedback from families described above is confirmed in Family Support Organisers' regular visits to families and reviews of volunteer diaries in volunteer supervisions. Follow-up evaluation Out initial attempts at 6-12 month follow up were by telephone interviews. 13 out of 14 family members contacted felt that HSK support had made a difference and benefitted them in a variety of ways that were broadly similar to those expressed in the end of support evaluation forms. There were indications that scores on coping with access to services had improved. Two respondents felt that their support had ended too early and this will be addressed on p. 28. Telephone follow-up proved too costly in staff time to provide an effective evaluation instrument, so In 2015 we introduced an online survey to be sent to families whose support had ended 6-12 months previously - all families who had agreed to be contacted and who had given us their email address. Response to this survey has been very disappointing. It is one of our challenges for the future to develop an effective follow-up tool (see p. 32). Stakeholder user group A craft session for families, their children, volunteers and FSOs was arranged during the school holidays in July 2015. Feedback was captured in an informal way from parents as
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Parenting skills
Parental wellbeing
Children’s wellbeing
Family management
This family had suffered a setback in the middle of support, but was coping well by the end visit.
Parenting skills
Parental wellbeing
Children’s wellbeing
Family management
This parent had the greatest need in parenting skills and had made the most improvement in that area.
Asked, for QA, about how the volunteer had helped, many of the replies focused on building up resilience, a key aim of the Home-Start service. Family members talked about feeling that they could get help, that they weren’t alone, that they were doing things they hadn’t done before:
I can now go out and I can now cook.
As explained in the Methodology section, unplanned endings result in incomplete MESH data. The following short case study taken from the Scheme Manager’s report to the Board (February 2015) reveals how feedback can be captured:
The second unplanned ending was the family mentioned in the last report who were living in very damp conditions. They moved away unexpectedly at Christmas, during the holiday close down period. They have since emailed in to say that they have been allocated a much better property in […], which is where they wanted to live and they gave very positive feedback about Home-Start Kennet support.
The positive feedback from families described above is confirmed in Family Support Organisers’ regular visits to families and reviews of volunteer diaries in volunteer supervisions.
Follow-up evaluationOur initial attempts at 6-12 month follow up were by telephone interviews. 13 out of 14 family members contacted felt that HSK support had made a difference and benefitted them in a variety of ways that were broadly similar to those expressed in the end of support evaluation forms. There were indications that scores on coping with access to services had improved. Two respondents felt that their support had ended too early and this will be addressed on p. 28.
Telephone follow-up proved too costly in staff time to provide an effective evaluation instrument, so in 2015 we introduced an online survey to be sent to families whose support had ended 6-12 months previously - all families who had agreed to be contacted and who had given us their email address. Response to this survey has been very disappointing. It is one of our challenges for the future to develop an effective follow-up tool (see p. 34).
Stakeholder user groupA craft session for families, their children, volunteers and FSOs was arranged during the school holidays in July 2015. Feedback was captured in an informal way from parents as they and their children engaged with the creative materials. They were also given the opportunity to feed back anonymously through post-it notes.
For the past year Home Start have been my main supportive factor and have been brilliant. In the future I would like to volunteer for this organisation to be able to give something back in return for all their hard & ongoing work/support.
Home Start gives me confidence to pursue my dreams.
We intend to repeat this way of collecting feedback in the future.
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Outcome 2: Volunteers’ skills increase through on-going training to meet families’ needs, improving their employability prospects and contributing to Wiltshire’s workforce development
Home-visiting volunteersAll newly recruited volunteers undertake the Prep Course. This consists of 40 hours of preparation for volunteering and carries an accreditation option (CERTA). This course is administered locally but verified centrally by HSUK with internal cross-verification by other HS scheme staff who are themselves course deliverers. Five courses have taken place training 34 new volunteers since February 2013. 13 have achieved CERTA accreditation.
In addition to the Prep Course we have provided additional sessions of volunteer training to ensure that volunteers are kept up-to-date with existing and developing family needs.These needs have changed as the economic situation and associated stress has worsened for many families. In 2012 there was a focus on debt management with input from CAB. Since 2013, mental health issues have been identified as a priority. Volunteer Course Title Provider Date attendance
First Aid/Recognising the Sick Child British Red Cross/HSK 19.2.13 11
Welfare Reform Session Turn2Us 4.6.13 9
Depression MIND 17.9.13 11
Domestic Abuse SPLITZ 17.12.13 22
Mental Health First Aid Mental Health First Aid England 29.4.14 8
Emotional Wellbeing Wiltshire Wildlife Trust 8.7.14 10
Mental Health First Aid MHFA England 11.9.14 7
Safeguarding Update Elizabeth Price 5.11.14 12
Post Natal Depression Louise Webb 16.12.14 22
Safeguarding updates Angela Hughes 6.3.15 1 16.3.15 2
Learning through Play Wiltshire Council Org/ Development & Learning Service 30.4.15 14
Volunteers are routinely asked to evaluate these training sessions. As a result of very positive feedback from the Mental Health First Aid course, with volunteers expressing their increased awareness of mental health needs of both adults and children in the families they visited, this course was repeated later in 2014. K, one of our experienced volunteers, attended a volunteer training session in relation to Domestic Abuse…
• K attended a session on domestic abuse run by Splitz on 17/12/13• She worked with a family where Dad has physically and mentally abused mum• The training helped K to have a better understanding of why Mum stayed in an abusive
setting• It also helped her to support Mum to set better boundaries and access Splitz• K has been successful in encouraging Mum to attend a Freedom course which will
hopefully have a positive impact on the whole family• K was able to discuss the impact on the two young daughters having witnessed the
domestic violence.
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Trustee volunteersTrustees have participated in many of the training sessions detailed above. In addition five trustees attended HSUK Induction Days, HSUK Link Events, an Early Years Conference, Safeguarding Training and Updates and a Quality Assurance briefing.
Home-visiting and trustee volunteers moving forward using HSK experienceNine volunteers – home-visiting and trustee - have either moved to employment using this experience or added HSK experience to their CV/”Linked In” as new employability skills. They are encouraged to do this by HSK. One volunteer is engaged in further training, one volunteer is doing additional hospital voluntary work. Two new volunteers are undertaking CERTA accreditation. This involves a considerable amount of written work in the preparation of an assessed file. Dyslexic trainee volunteers are given additional support and one volunteer achieved a level 1 certificate in this way - the first certificate this adult had ever received.
The following comments come from our new feedback sessions (The Voice of theVolunteer) where home-visiting volunteers and trustees can voice opinions either in theopen session, or anonymously.
Looking forward to a career working with families – hopefully Home-Start.
Allowed me to experience new things and enjoy doing them.
Broadened my skills and showed me I can try new things even when they scare me. Made new friends. Shown me I prefer working in a team rather than on my own.
Feedback from home-visiting volunteersUsing data from the on-line survey conducted with home-visiting volunteers in 2015, the first question asked how meaningful to them was the volunteer work they undertook for Home-Start Kennet. 93% found the work extremely or very meaningful.
Asked about how easy it was to receive the required training at Home-Start Kennet, 93% found it extremely or very easy. The volunteers clearly found the training sessions at Home-Start Kennet of great use. 93% recorded very positive responses here. 53% found it extremely or very easy to attend peer group/training sessions, but 40% only moderately easy and 7% not at all easy. We are aware that some volunteers attend almost every training session, but some are infrequent attenders and this is something that we are addressing. We may well be able to make a difference by changing times, venues, etc. Apart from Safeguarding training, attendance at training sessions is not compulsory, and we do not wish to make it so. We work on an encouragement model where volunteers recognise skills/ knowledge gaps in their supervision sessions.
94% of the volunteers were extremely or very satisfied overall with their volunteer experience. Their general levels of satisfaction were reflected in whether or not they would like to continue volunteering. 80% said they were extremely or very likely to. Most volunteers would also be likely to recommend HSK to others as a place to volunteer. 80% were either extremely or very likely to.
This is generally very positive feedback for Home-Start Kennet. We are clearly providingthe volunteers with the training and support that they feel that they need.
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Asked about whether they felt their views influenced how HSK works, 53% felt that their views were influential and the comments recorded below reflect this.
I cannot think of specific instances, but I know that ideas, suggestions or thoughts I convey to my organiser are taken on board and considered within the fixed framework.
I think the whole organisation is open to individual views and are very open to on-going discussions on different topics.
On a less positive note: 40% of the volunteers responding to this question felt that their views did not influence how Home-Start Kennet works.
Not sure whether it does or not.
Doesn’t really apply.
In contrast to the online responses, 100% of the volunteers responding to the QA written questionnaire felt that they were encouraged to feedback views and ideas about the running of the service. (See p. 29 for further discussion of this issue)
This is a very happy and well-managed group. The regular meetings and prompt responses to queries give me confidence On-going training opportunities are very good. I love doing this.
HS provided excellent and thorough briefing course. The staff are a good balance of friendly and professional. They are very supportive and efficient, and inspire confidence in their volunteers.
Volunteers listed the support they were offering to families. Replies were varied but there was a core of types of support that reflect very closely the needs identified by the families. Volunteers felt that they were:• giving emotional support• listening and encouraging• trying to instil confidence• modelling positive play activities and discipline• encouraging the family member to go out• signposting to suitable activities and sources of information, and• attending these with the family where appropriate.
68% felt that families were more involved with activities with their children since visiting started and 55% felt that the family was coping better, with an additional 23% giving a qualified ‘yes’ answer to this question. Additional support provided outside the routine visits was again closely in line with family responses, focusing on assistance with benefits/debt agencies, accompanied visits to community services.
95% felt that their Family Support Organiser (FSO) discussed on-going training/learning/development needs and provided suitable opportunities. However, not all volunteers take up these training opportunities and this remains a challenge for the future (see p. 29). Volunteers view their work as a learning as well as a giving experience.
I love working for HSK (volunteering) and making a difference, and getting to learn new skills.
I feel I have gained as much as I have given.
New research from Home-Start UK (The Impact of Volunteering on Volunteers, June 2015) has shown that volunteering gives people greater understanding of different cultures and ideas, as well as improving their work skills, self-confidence, and health and well-being.
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Outcome 3: Hard-to-engage families who would otherwise not use Wiltshire’s family support network benefit from the relationship with an HSK volunteer
Families are referred to HSK when they are feeling isolated and are not engaging with the wider family support network. Their circumstances may encompass social/rural isolation, lack of confidence, disability or emotional/physical health problems. 76% of families cited support with isolation issues as a key need with 49% of families citing support to use other services as a need.
89% of those who identified isolation as a need felt that this need had been met or partly met, and 93% who mentioned accessing services felt that this need had been met or partly met by the end of support.
The increased confidence and improved self-esteem described by families and referrers are all part of reducing isolation and giving families the support and opportunity to get out of the house and mix with others in the community.
Families giving feedback to HSK, either through their evaluation forms or by QA questionnaires indicated various ways in which the volunteer had supported them. Planning and accompanying on shopping expeditions was found useful, as was help with transport. Going on outings with the volunteer was part of the support for many families and valued by them.
In addition to providing information about, and encouragement to attend local community groups or activities, many parents were helped by going to groups with their volunteer, leading to independent access.
She’s brought me out my shell more. Going to baby groups.
Feelings of isolation were ameliorated by being enabled to “get out and about” and by having “someone to talk to when feeling lonely”.
Home-Start has encouraged me to get out and about to use local services.
Respondents felt that HSK support had helped them to make new friends, and take up new interests.
Volunteers had, on occasion, provided additional support outside planned visits. Such help included outings, and accompanying to various services in the community. One had “acted as scribe on visits to solicitor and CAB”. Another had supported meetings with the school:
My support helper was extremely good, very knowledgeable regards to autistic spectrum and helped loads … talking about children’s behaviour, coming to support me with meetings with school.
Another described HSK as an
… extremely helpful team of people who helped me to turn my life around. I feel more confident and get out more, have more friends with children and take part in local groups. Couldn’t of done it without them.
A respondent whose husband was deployed on military service described how HSK had helped her: “being able to chat over my feelings of anxiety and depression and my feelings of feeling isolated.”
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A mother of twins said:
I have had a lovely experience. The having twins thing has been an intense first year. With my Home-Start volunteer on a Friday I have felt less overwhelmed and less isolated, and gained lots of reassurance from the support she provided.
The family journey illustrated below shows a parent with low coping skills initially in parental wellbeing (includes isolation and emotional health), but a stronger score by the end of support.
FOUR DOMAINS OF FAMILY LIFE
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A mother of twins said:
I have had a lovely experience. The having twins thing has been an intense first year. With my Home-Start volunteer on a Friday I have felt less overwhelmed and less isolated, and gained lots of reassurance from the support she provided.
The family journey illustrated below shows a parent with low coping skills initially in parental wellbeing (includes isolation and emotional health), but a stronger score by the end of support.
(Four domains of family life; A – parenting skills; B – parental wellbeing, C - children’s wellbeing, D – family management) 68% of families consulted by QA questionnaires had been helped by their volunteer to access other services such as children’s centres, English classes, CAB. The volunteers had clearly provided help in all these categories: in addition they had supported the family at housing/school/hospital appointments. MESH data revealed the services being used by families at the end of their support. Apart from family doctors, dentists and health visitors, children’s centres, baby and toddler groups, mother and baby clinics were the most frequently used, but CAB, housing services, benefit offices, foodbanks, debt relief agencies, libraries, swimming pools and adult education classes were also being accessed. This is important because the family then recognises their own strategies and sources of support that they can use when HSK support has ended. Sometimes, HSK intervention can avert crises:
I placed our volunteer [xxx] with the family and the match has gone well. We have both attended two Child in Need meetings, and the family’s Social Worker is very pleased with Mum’s progress. [xxx] has managed to help Mum put together budget meal plans, and she is encouraging her to get out with C2 to various groups. [xxx] even managed to get Mum along to one of our First Aid courses. Mum and [xxx] are also working through the parenting literature that she received on her courses and re-enforcing some of the positive ideas. Mum and Dad are going out with the children more and seem to be enjoying their time with them. Our support is on-going. This family was on the brink of being stepped up to Child Protection, and I know that having our support in place has been a big part in preventing that from happening. The agencies involved with the family are very appreciative of our support. (Case Study from Scheme Manager’s report April 2015)
68% of families consulted by QA questionnaires had been helped by their volunteer to access other services such as children’s centres, English classes, CAB. The volunteers had clearly provided help in all these categories: in addition they had supported the family at housing/school/hospital appointments.
MESH data revealed the services being used by families at the end of their support. Apartfrom family doctors, dentists and health visitors, children’s centres, baby and toddler groups, mother and baby clinics were the most frequently used, but CAB, housing services, benefit offices, foodbanks, debt relief agencies, libraries, swimming pools and adult education classes were also being accessed. This is important because the family then recognises their own strategies and sources of support that they can use when HSK support has ended.
Sometimes, HSK intervention can avert crises:I placed our volunteer [xxx] with the family and the match has gone well. We have both attended two Child in Need meetings, and the family’s Social Worker is very pleased with Mum’s progress. [xxx] has managed to help Mum put together budget meal plans, and she is encouraging her to get out with C2 to various groups. [xxx] even managed to get Mum along to one of our First Aid courses. Mum and [xxx] are also working through the parenting literature that she received on her courses and re-enforcing some of the positive ideas. Mum and Dad are going out with the children more and seem to be enjoying their time with them. Our support is on-going. This family was on the brink of being stepped up to Child Protection, and I know that having our support in place has been a big part in preventing that from happening. The agencies involved with the family are very appreciative of our support. (Case Study from Scheme Manager’s report April 2015)
Parenting skills
Parental wellbeing
Children’s wellbeing
Family management
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Referrers consulted during the QA process also gave examples of how the volunteers hadhelped the family to move outward into the community:
In each case, mothers started going to social groups, recently a mother went into child’s classroom to give support.
Definitely helped families to access CAB, Children’s Centre, groups, local shops and library, local facilities – to meet others, helping mum & child.
Feedback from another referrer after support for the family she had referred had ended, described Home-Start as providing:
Practical and emotional support, listening, ideas, strategies, positive affirmation. Enabling parent to access other services and plan her own support.
All of the above detail and examples highlight the fact that families having accepted HS support, who have felt distanced from services/contacts in the initial stages, know what is available locally and also recognise their own strengths and strategies for coping. This enables them to independently access this support and feel less isolated.
These gains by families initially unable or unwilling to make use of services underline the value of Home-Start’s unique in-the-home work. Their experience of engaging with their volunteer, and increased readiness to access wider community services, will stand both parents and children in good stead when their relationship with their volunteer ends.
Outcome 4: The number of families supported is increased by 50% promoting stronger, healthier communities
Since February 2013, 145 families have been supported by Home-Start Kennet, well on the way to achieving and/or passing our target of 157 families over the course of the three years of Stronger Families – Stronger Communities. This target represents a 50% increase in the number of families supported. With funding from the Big Lottery Fund we have been able to respond to increasing demand and have increased our family numbers steadily since February 2013.
More families are reporting improved coping skills over the range of needs identified. Support has enabled them to look outwards beyond their immediate family situation and given them the confidence to access services and other community activities.
As will be seen in the next section, HSK contact with referrers in the community has increased in scope and number, widening our footprint in Wiltshire and broadening the range of families that would benefit from our support.
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Referrers and partners
In order to contribute more fully to a comprehensive service for vulnerable families in Wiltshire, we have restructured our staff, enhancing the senior management role.
Our Scheme Manager has been active throughout the project within the wider voluntary sector and Wiltshire Council, positioning HSK and co-operating with partner organisations to provide a comprehensive service, particularly trying to ensure that vulnerable and isolated families are reached as early as possible. Partnership working has been undertaken with 4Children, the British Red Cross, and our neighbouring Home-Start South Wiltshire scheme resulting in successful delivery of funded projects and the development of project monitoring tools and working together agreements.
ReferrersOur referrers are predominantly health visitors, but children’s centres are increasingly seeking our support. Other referrers include education (parent support advisors), Social Services, the Army Welfare Service and other community organisations. A small proportion of families self-refer each year.
Of the 34 completed referrer evaluation forms received between February 2013 and June 2015, 97% indicated that HSK had responded efficiently and effectively to the referral. The one respondent who did not answer this question positively felt that HSK had been slow to allocate a volunteer to the family.
100% of responses indicated a willingness to refer families again to HSK.
Although there were a few occasions (9%) when the referrer felt that the HSK support had failed to assist the family - “family not fully engaged”; “mum reluctant to engage”; “different agendas” - the majority (91%) felt that the family had been helped by HSK (see also pp.31, 32).
The benefit most commonly ascribed by the referrer to HSK’s contribution was an increased feeling of confidence within the family, generally in the Mum, resulting in reduced isolation and increased interaction with the community – a willingness to go out more, attend groups and engage with other agencies.
Emotional and practical support was also mentioned frequently. Other responses were specific to individual families, but nevertheless gave a picture of the sort of family-focused help that HSK is able to give. In one family, the referrer mentioned the benefit of the volunteer’s help in enabling the mother to focus on her elder child and that the school had noticed changes in his behaviour; another school had noticed a change in a child’s behaviour following the volunteer’s support with homework.
When asked if they would like to make any further comments, referrers called HSK “an invaluable service”. HSK was felt to be “a vital support system”, a service that “took a lot of pressure from welfare staff”. HSK was described as “a fantastic service” and “a vital support system for families who do not fit the criteria for other services”. Volunteers were described as “friendly, understanding and supportive”. One referrer had met the volunteer in the family’s flat and “saw how well they interacted, and she was accepted”. Another described “fantastic volunteer/family matches”.
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In summary, responses from referrers were overwhelmingly appreciative of Home-Start Kennet’s involvement with families and all will continue to refer to HSK. Inevitably, some matches do not work as well as others, and some families’ situations are not conducive to interaction with a volunteer. However, there was a general feeling that HSK provided a service that was not available from any other source, and as such was of great value to the stretched resources of the statutory services. We greatly value our positive partnerships with referrers.
An online survey sent to referrers in May 2015 received only 3 responses. We are reviewing the use of this evaluation tool as we have also not found it successful in followup with families (see p. 34).
From QA consultation with referrers, 10 replies were received (4 health visitors, 3 children’s centre outreach workers, 1 support worker, 1 school nurse, 1 parent support adviser). Asked about what HSK offered families that other services in the area didn’t, the focus of the replies was on the individualised, in-the-home nature of the support; the personal and practical nature of that support, and support that did not carry the “stigma” of a “professional”.
Reasons for referral centred around isolation, depression and the need for confidence building. The only instance of a rejected referral was from an inexperienced HV who referred a family for whom HSK support was not appropriate. All 10 referrers felt that the scheme had helped to meet the needs of the families, with support to access a range of services being cited several times as well as support with child behaviour, management routines, boundaries, household budgeting leading to improvements in self-esteem. Referrers had noted increased coping skills and confidence after HSK support.
9 of the 10 referrers said they had been asked for feedback about HSK’s service; one did not reply to this question.
The Scheme Manager’s reports to the Board, using MESH data, show an increased diversity of referrers whilst maintaining health visitors as key referrers. These encompass self-referral, children’s centres, range of health workers, education and social workers (Scheme Manager report April 2015)
SOURCE OF REFERRALS
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the stretched resources of the statutory services. We greatly value our positive partnerships with referrers. An online survey sent to referrers in May 2015 received only 3 responses. We are reviewing the use of this evaluation tool as we have also not found it successful in follow-up with families (see p. 32). From QA consultation with referrers, 10 replies were received (4 health visitors, 3 children’s centre outreach workers, 1 support worker, 1 school nurse, 1 parent support adviser). Asked about what HSK offered families that other services in the area didn’t, the focus of the replies was on the individualized, in-the-home nature of the support; the personal and practical nature of that support, and support that did not carry the “stigma” of a “professional”. Reasons for referral centred around isolation, depression and the need for confidence building. The only instance of a rejected referral was from an inexperienced HV who referred a family for whom HSK support was not appropriate. All 10 referrers felt that the scheme had helped to meet the needs of the families, with support to access a range of services being cited several times as well as support with child behaviour, management routines, boundaries, household budgeting leading to improvements in self-esteem. Referrers had noted increased coping skills and confidence after HSK support. 9 of the 10 referrers said they had been asked for feedback about HSK’s service; one did not reply to this question. The Scheme Manager’s reports to the Board, using MESH data, show an increased diversity of referrers whilst maintaining health visitors as key referrers. These encompass self-referral, children’s centres, range of health workers, education and social workers (Scheme Manager report April 2015)
Partners Work with Home-Start South Wiltshire is longstanding as we are the only two HS schemes in Wiltshire. HSK scheme size and strategic focus has meant that we are in a stronger position with regard to funding sources and positioning. With this in mind, HSK has been a lead partner for various joint pieces of work in the past 3 years. In particular with Armed Forces Covenant and Public Health Army Rebasing work. Work with the British Red Cross is into its 4th year as a result of Public Health funding. Once again HSK are lead partners in setting up Paediatric First Aid/Child Injury prevention free 2 hour sessions in local childrens centres. Work with children’s centres - 4Children, The Rise Trust, Barnardos and Spurgeons- is part of the work above but also essential as locality partnerships to give wider support to families. Supporting families to use other agencies – a key one being the local children’s centres - is a main focus for our working together. All of the partnerships have Working
65%10%
6%1%
5% 5%4%
3%1%
SourceofReferrals
HealthVisitor
SelfReferral
Children'sCentre
OtherCommunityOrg
OtherHealth
Midwifery
25
the stretched resources of the statutory services. We greatly value our positive partnerships with referrers. An online survey sent to referrers in May 2015 received only 3 responses. We are reviewing the use of this evaluation tool as we have also not found it successful in follow-up with families (see p. 32). From QA consultation with referrers, 10 replies were received (4 health visitors, 3 children’s centre outreach workers, 1 support worker, 1 school nurse, 1 parent support adviser). Asked about what HSK offered families that other services in the area didn’t, the focus of the replies was on the individualized, in-the-home nature of the support; the personal and practical nature of that support, and support that did not carry the “stigma” of a “professional”. Reasons for referral centred around isolation, depression and the need for confidence building. The only instance of a rejected referral was from an inexperienced HV who referred a family for whom HSK support was not appropriate. All 10 referrers felt that the scheme had helped to meet the needs of the families, with support to access a range of services being cited several times as well as support with child behaviour, management routines, boundaries, household budgeting leading to improvements in self-esteem. Referrers had noted increased coping skills and confidence after HSK support. 9 of the 10 referrers said they had been asked for feedback about HSK’s service; one did not reply to this question. The Scheme Manager’s reports to the Board, using MESH data, show an increased diversity of referrers whilst maintaining health visitors as key referrers. These encompass self-referral, children’s centres, range of health workers, education and social workers (Scheme Manager report April 2015)
Partners Work with Home-Start South Wiltshire is longstanding as we are the only two HS schemes in Wiltshire. HSK scheme size and strategic focus has meant that we are in a stronger position with regard to funding sources and positioning. With this in mind, HSK has been a lead partner for various joint pieces of work in the past 3 years. In particular with Armed Forces Covenant and Public Health Army Rebasing work. Work with the British Red Cross is into its 4th year as a result of Public Health funding. Once again HSK are lead partners in setting up Paediatric First Aid/Child Injury prevention free 2 hour sessions in local childrens centres. Work with children’s centres - 4Children, The Rise Trust, Barnardos and Spurgeons- is part of the work above but also essential as locality partnerships to give wider support to families. Supporting families to use other agencies – a key one being the local children’s centres - is a main focus for our working together. All of the partnerships have Working
65%10%
6%1%
5% 5%4%
3%1%
SourceofReferrals
HealthVisitor
SelfReferral
Children'sCentre
OtherCommunityOrg
OtherHealth
Midwifery
Health Visitor
Self Referral
Children’s Centre
Other Community Org
Other Health
Midwifery
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PartnersWork with Home-Start South Wiltshire is longstanding as we are the only two HS schemes in Wiltshire. HSK scheme size and strategic focus has meant that we are in a stronger position with regard to funding sources and positioning. With this in mind, HSK has been a lead partner for various joint pieces of work in the past 3 years. In particular with Armed Forces Covenant and Public Health Army Rebasing work.
Work with the British Red Cross is into its 4th year as a result of Public Health funding. Once again HSK are lead partners in setting up Paediatric First Aid/Child Injury prevention free 2 hour sessions in local children’s centres.
Work with children’s centres – 4Children, The Rise Trust, Barnardos and Spurgeons – is part of the work above but also essential as locality partnerships to give wider support to families. Supporting families to use other agencies – a key one being the local children’s centres - is a main focus for our working together. All of the partnerships have Working Together signed agreements stating key principles for our partnership. Wiltshire’s children’s centres will be recommissioned in June 2016, with likely cuts to providers and premises. HSK is committed to continuing to work closely and creatively with children’s centres.
New demand is coming from outside of our Kennet area. Referrers, in particular health visitors, previously in Kennet but who have moved to new areas in Wiltshire are contacting the scheme to ask about making family referrals. One said “she wished she could take HS with her…”
Outside of the Big Lottery funded project we have used small donations/funding to begin supporting outside of the Kennet area. In July 2015, 6 families are supported who are outside the Big Lottery Fund project and more requests are being made. We have not responded to further demand, as yet, to ensure complete focus on achieving Big Lottery Fund outcomes. This will be a focus of future bids.
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Learning and Responding
The overwhelming nature of the feedback we received from all our sources was positive, and we have welcomed comments and suggestions for improvement that have provided us with opportunities to respond and learn in order to improve the service we offer.
Using the framework of the Key Questions posed in our bid to the Big Lottery Fund in 2012, this section reports on how we have responded to reflections and ideas from our stakeholders.
Key Question 1: To what extent have user parents shown improved mental/emotional state, parenting ability, willingness to engage with other community supports and facilities?
FAMILIES
Issue:
Several respondents felt they should have been able to contact their volunteer directly
HSK’s response (lesson learned): We reviewed our policy prohibiting families making direct contact with their volunteer, which supports our rigorous safeguarding policy and procedures and is in line with HSUK policies. We decided not to change our clear communication guidelines, but to reinforce the rationale for these through on-going information and advice to families and volunteers.
Issue:
Delay in allocating a volunteer
HSK’s response (lesson learned): We have tried to ensure that families are not kept waiting in anticipation of getting a volunteer. If it appears that a volunteer will not be available, the family is passed back to the referrer to ensure continuity of Safeguarding monitoring and other agency support. The family is informed if no volunteer is available. The family are told that the referrer will remain their main support until a volunteer match can be made.
Issue:
One family expressing dissatisfaction felt that the HSK service “wasn’t as expected. The volunteer was often rushed or at times unavailable. No help with the isolation issues our family is experiencing. Contact ceased without notice.”
HSK’s response (lesson learned):HSK took this case very seriously and looked into the detail of the engagement. The volunteer diary showed a month of solid visiting followed by one week of volunteer holiday and then three weeks of family cancellations or not contactable. The family was offered another volunteer but declined. A match with a different volunteer might have solved this problem and will always be considered if the relationship is not proceeding satisfactorily.
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Issue:
Families needed activities during the summer holidays
HSK’s response (lesson learned):Although not mentioned specifically in the feedback forms, volunteers and FSOs are frequently asked by families to provide more support during the long weeks of the summer holidays. During the school holiday of 2014 and again in 2015, we have provided two sessions focused round activities for children – Scrapstore “Creative craft with low cost materials”– in response to these requests. One parent who attended the last session said:
I have learned that my social skills have improved and my interpersonal skillsare better than I expected them to be.
We have also ensured volunteer contact is maintained as widely as possible during these periods. This may be a visit or a telephone support call. It is important to also get the balance right for volunteers who themselves have family/holiday commitments.
Issue:
Wide range of needs for which families look for support
HSK’s response (lesson learned):We have designed extra training sessions for volunteers to meet specific needs. For example, in the current economic climate, welfare reform (including benefit cuts) has become an increasing pressure on many families and we have provided volunteers with input from Turn2Us in a training session that was very well received. Volunteers are directed to source information for families from specialist debt relief agencies rather than giving advice themselves. In this way, the views and needs of the families are fed back into the planning of our service. Additional training modules during the past two years have included sessions on post-natal depression, mental health first aid, emotional wellbeing and domestic abuse.
Issue:
Families feel that support has ended too soon
HSK’s response (lesson learned):In relation to the feeling of two recent families that their support ended too soon, our staff have kept under review at team meetings their decision-making about the appropriate time to withdraw support. One of our key aims is to enable families to build up and feel secure in their own strategies for managing their lives, and allowing a family to become dependent on a volunteer is not part of that. This remains a matter of careful judgement and all decisions about endings are taken cautiously and in consultation with the Scheme Manager and with the family concerned.
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Key Question 2: To what extent have volunteers increased their skills base and their career/employment potential?
Increased training opportunities and the encouragement to participate in the development and direction of the organisation are all part of increasing the skills base of volunteers. The provision made for volunteers to contribute to the direction and running of HSK is part of providing useful experience for employment or career development. As has been seen, volunteers view their work as a learning as well as a helping experience. However, several issues have arisen that have required a response from us.
HOME-VISITING VOLUNTEERS
Issue:
Some volunteers feel that their views do not influence how HSK works
HSK’s response (lesson learned):The Voice of the Volunteer: we have introduced feedback sessions at volunteer peergroup meetings, where volunteers raise key points for discussion, and a trustee who is in attendance then passes back comments and ideas to the Board. In case some volunteers find this intimidating, volunteers are also able to raise issues anonymously via a post-it note system during the meeting. We will monitor this new approach and report on how well it is working. We have already responded to the first recommendation from this new forum – the need to engage with social media – and have developed a Facebook page and have reported back to the volunteers on the take-up of their idea.
Issue:
How to recruit and retain more volunteers
HSK’s response (lesson learned):At a time of difficulty in the recruitment of volunteers, the Board of Trustees agreed a new volunteer recruitment strategy and HSK’s Community Fundraising & Publicity subcommittee have widened the scope of their advertising for volunteers to include Facebook, local charitable websites, school newsletters, the WI newsletter, local radio, as well as all local poster sites. Joint Chairs and staff have recently conducted an assessment of how we use, protect and provide training and opportunities for our volunteers (Care and Support for Volunteers, 2015 – available on request from HSK). The recruitment of a volunteer or ex-volunteer trustee, always an aim of the Board, is ongoing and constitutes a challenge for the future. Volunteers are offered an exit interview when they decide to stop volunteering – another opportunity for their views to contribute to the working of the organisation.
Issue:
Take-up of extra training opportunities is not evenly spread across all homevisiting volunteers
HSK’s response (lesson learned):We regard this situation as a challenge for the future as we are concerned that all volunteers should be able to develop their skills base substantially during their time with Home-Start Kennet. We will consult with volunteers about whether it is time-constraints, distance to travel or subject matter of the training that are the main barriers to attendance and will move on from there to address these issues.
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TRUSTEE VOLUNTEERS
Our trustees also regard their work with HSK as a learning experience and many have found their experience useful in their working lives. As our local profile has been raised by the Big Lottery funding, we have recruited more trustees from a range of backgrounds and thereby increased the diversity of the Board. Several trustees have a military background or close connections with the military and this has greatly increased our expertise just at a time when the Army Rebasing programme is hitting Wiltshire. Non-military trustees have learned from the experience of their military associates. The Board Joint Chairs responded to two concerns raised by trustees:
Issue:
Trustees felt that they had a lack of knowledge of the workings of the organisation
HSK’s response (lesson learned):The sub-committee structure has been strengthened. Most trustees belong to at least one sub-committee, and the work of the Board is thus shared. Sub-committees take responsibility not only for promoting work in their own area of choice (e.g. communications and local fundraising) but also in the regular review of documents such as the Risk Register, policies and the Strategic and Operational Plans that are core agenda items at Board meetings.
The Scheme Manager’s report to the Board now contains a section where the FSOs and the Administrator describe situations that have arisen in their work and how they have been dealt with. Trustees have welcomed this increased knowledge about the families that are being supported (all details are, of course, confidential). The Board Development Day in January 2015 included a session delivered by FSOs and Administrator where trustees were able to become even more informed about the work of the organisation.
A new trustee involvement protocol has been instituted. Trustees take it in turns to visit the office, sample volunteer and family files, attend staff team meetings and participate in the Voice of the Volunteer.
Trustees now have a greater sense of involvement with HSK and this provides them with a feeling of ownership and therefore making more of a difference to the families we serve.
Issue:
Trustees felt they wanted to know more about each other
HSK’s response (lesson learned):In response one of our trustees has undertaken to produce a skills audit of trustees, which is shared, together with short biographies, enabling trustees to learn about each other’s backgrounds and strengths. Mini-bios have been created from these with information that trustees are happy to have published on the website or in newsletters.
Regular feedback has been introduced. New trustees have 1:1 interviews with the chair(s) after 6 months in the role, and all trustees have 1:1s about once a year. These enable the Chairs to pick up at an early stage any problems that trustees might be having with the way in which the organisation is working. One issue that arose at the Board Development Day in January 2015 and again in 1:1 feedback, was that Board Meetings were too process-driven, and should be more strategic and visioning led. We are looking into how to attend to more process issues by email, leaving meetings freer for discussion. We still struggle to recruit home-visiting volunteer and family member trustees, and this remains a challenge. As with the recruitment of volunteers we have extended our range of promotional outlets.
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REFERRERS
Issue:
The process of passing referrals back
HSK’s response (lesson learned):We have clarified with referrers the process by which we will pass referrals back to them if we do not have a suitable volunteer available. Our Family Support Organisers and Scheme Manager have also undertaken contact visits with a wider range of referrers and ensured that they are kept up to date with HSK’s position. We have ensured that all referrers are asked for feedback after HSK service has ended.
Key Question 3: What has HSK learned about factors leading local vulnerable families to be ‘hard to engage’ and which inputs improve ability/willingness to engage?
Issue:
Willingness to engage
HSK’s response (lesson learned):We have learned that it is vital that all contacts with the family - referrers, HSK staff and other agencies - give a consistent message about what HSK can offer in order to give the family confidence in the service they are offered. Inconsistencies of message mean that different expectations may arise and, when clarified, families may decide the support is not as expected. Unplanned endings sometimes reflect difficulties with engagement and reducing their number remains a challenge for the future.
Issue:
Military families feel referral can affect career prospects
HSK’s response (lesson learned):Military families can feel that receiving support when they are struggling will affect partner career prospects or security clearances. Ensuring referral through non-military routes e.g. health visitor can alleviate this concern and enable families to engage. Scheme Manager and FSOs have increased their contact with military sources such as Army Welfare Service and Unit Welfare Officers which aids mutual understanding.
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Issue:
Matching Volunteers to Families
The matching of volunteers to families is a key part of the FSOs’ role and can be the critical factor in whether the family engages with HSK support and also to whether the volunteer feels able to contribute in a positive way. Families do on occasion express dissatisfaction with their volunteer. One respondent said:
I feel that some volunteers may not be suitable for certain families, so I would suggest Homestart reviews more often, to keep closer eye on some situations
HSK’s response (lesson learned):The following extracts from The Scheme Manager’s reports to the Board give an idea of the care and attention that is paid to this key aspect of the service and to moving them on as HSK support comes to an end:
This family came to us from a referral via the school Health Nurse. The family live in a remote area and has three children, one of whom has additional needs. We carefully selected one of our most experienced volunteers who among other things had been a teacher previously and also had experience in working with children with additional needs. We have supported this family weekly now for a little over 6 months and in this time mum has developed a very close relationship with our volunteer. She has brought much laughter and joy back into the household lifting mum’s spirits and making light of the day-to-day hardship she encounters. My regular reviews and continuing contact with our volunteer have enabled me to see how far the family have come. On my last visit mum said she had a brilliant summer with the children, often one of the most stressful times of the year for any family!!! Mum has scored well and has continued to go from strength to strength. After discussion with the Scheme Manager it was agreed that our family had flourished through our intervention and it was time to come to an end. Mum has engaged MENCAP support to move forward. (FSO report in Scheme Manager’s report to Board Sept 2014)
This time round, I have decided it might be useful to explain the importance of matching a suitable volunteer with a family and what factors we have to take into account. I recently did a referral with a relatively young mother who lives in one of the local villages with her mother. The home is quite disorganised and there are two dogs. Mum was recently diagnosed with a mental health condition. Mum’s needs are many, in that she is very isolated and finds it difficult to leave the family home without help. She also wants help in organising her new home and possibly setting a budget for her own finances, which she has not done before. The volunteer I introduced to the family is very used to dogs; this is always an important factor when matching! She has also worked with several families before and has been very successful in helping them to attend a local group, which is what Mum wants to do. (FSO report in Scheme Manager’s report to Board July 2014)
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Key Question 4: is HSK meeting known need?
HSK has responded to need within the Kennet area, as the funding from the Big Lottery Fund has enabled us to take an increasing number of referrals. Indeed the numbers have exceeded Big Lottery Fund targets because we have tried to meet need as it arose.
During the course of the three years of Stronger Families-Stronger Communities, we have become aware of current and future areas of unmet need. Geographically, we are increasingly receiving requests from the Chippenham/Calne area to the west of Kennet where there is currently no Home-Start service. We are also very aware of the gathering pace of the Army Rebasing Programme taking place in Wiltshire over the next five years. An increasing number of military/veteran families are already needing our support and these numbers will grow by an extra 4,000 military servicemen/women, reservists and their families in this area by 2020.
Key Question 5: in the light of the above do we need to a) alter our service delivery or b) alter our service aims?
In the earlier part of this section, we have identified need for changes in our service delivery, for example improving endings, listening to volunteers, facilitating greater involvement of volunteers in training.
At our AGM in October 2014 we amended our Memorandum and Articles of Association by Special Resolution to include other areas of Wiltshire beyond Kennet where there was demand for our services. We will aim to do this through expansion, rather than by reducing the volume of service in our current area. Through extending the role of our Scheme Manager, we have strengthened our strategic position in Wiltshire with the Council and the Voluntary Sector. We have spread our contacts with referrers further afield, with particular attention to sources of military referrals. Health visitors moving into new areas take the need for HSK with them and identify referrals in those areas. We have made contact with children’s centres, housing associations and health visitors in the Chippenham and Calne area. We are hoping for small donations of funds via housing associations, where we contribute to social cohesion and “good neighbour” initiatives. Children’s centre links will continue to be strengthened as the recommissioning of children’s centre contracts takes place in Wiltshire, hopefully leading to HSK recognition as contributing to and possibly receiving funding for children’s centre outreach.
We have been commissioned by Public Health Wiltshire to undertake a pilot project to provide support to military and veteran families during the course of 2015/16, with a view to an extension of this contract if the pilot proves successful. The growth in Army families over the next 3 years together with HSK’s existing strong commitment and links to service families, maintains our position as a key support to military and veteran families. We have also extended the range of our local funding applications.
Working in these ways we are continuing to focus on sustainable funding for the future.
In terms of altering our service aims, we feel that our core model of in-the-home support from a trained and professionally supported volunteer best suits our rural area, but will remain flexible about new initiatives to fit changing needs in Wiltshire.
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EVALUATION PROCEDURES
Issue:
Difficulties with evaluation procedures
At several points during this Evaluation Report we have drawn attention to difficulties we have encountered with the evaluation procedures themselves. These mainly arose during our attempt to launch a longer-term follow-up evaluation to assess continuity of progress when support had ended. Our initial method of a telephone interview was successful when contact was at last established, but this frequently took several phone-calls and several missed appointments. We did not have the staff resources to pursue this method.
Having taken advice we designed an online survey asking similar questions to the telephone interview. However we have had a very poor response to this method. It is, of course, the case that HSK came into families’ lives when they were at a low ebb, and they may not want to be reminded of this 6 or 12 months further down the line.
HSK’s response (lesson learned):We will take professional advice on the design of a future follow-up procedure, considering options such as following a small sample of families through their support and beyond it and the use of an external evaluator.
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Challenges and next steps
As a result of the evaluation we have been undertaking,
we have identified eight challenges towards which
we will be directing our attention in the coming months:
1 How to respond effectively to need in new areas
and from new groups of beneficiaries
2 How to improve design and response rates to our evaluation procedures
3 How to increase the take-up rate of additional volunteer training sessions
4 How to improve our strategies for engagement with families
where difficulties have been identified
5 How to minimise the impact of unplanned endings
6 How to recruit volunteer and family member trustees
7 How to achieve succession planning
8 How to access more sustainable sources of funding
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Home-Start KennetEvaluation Report
September 2015
Written by Dr Alison Millett in association with the staff and trustees of
Home-Start KennetSsi House
Fordbrook Business Centre Pewsey, Wiltshire, SN9 5NU
Tel: 01672 569457. E: [email protected]
W: www.homestartkennet.co.uk
© Home-Start Kennet