CYP Now - Letter: The vital role of the volunteer

Lisa Harker (Children Now, 21-27 September) says it's hard to imagine a more challenging environment for volunteers than to work supporting vulnerable children and their families. At Home-Start we know volunteers can and do provide effective support for families in these circumstances.

Of the 68,000 children Home-Start volunteers supported last year, 2,300were subject to a child protection plan or on child protectionregisters. That 822 of them were taken off these registers during oursupport is testament to the key role volunteers can play in workingalongside statutory services.

At a time of such enormous changes in the delivery of children'sservices, it is important that those planning local services recognisethe role volunteers can play in providing better outcomes forchildren.

Evidence now shows that families derive substantial benefit from thesupport they receive from volunteers, but the voluntary and statutoryservice providers must not forget to listen first and foremost to thefinal arbiters of the effectiveness of the service - the familiesthemselves.

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