But the co-ordinators that recruit, train and help these volunteers to support struggling families are now at the mercy of local authority spending cuts. Ross Watson investigates.
Home-Start Blackburn with Darwen has been running for almost 20 years, providing volunteer support to struggling families with pre-school-age children. Annie Akhtar, one of the co-ordinators who oversees the scheme, says managing the programme efficiently is essential in order to keep the volunteers free to focus on those families in need: "We recruit volunteers, deliver their training and attend child protection meetings with other agencies," she says. "We don't want volunteers to concentrate on anything other than supporting families."
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
