Make a Referral

We receive referrals from a  wide range of professionals who recognise the need for support within families. This includes health visitors, GPs, professionals from Children’s Services and childcare practitioners. Additionally, individuals involved in mental health services, education, early years settings and the police refer families to us, acknowledging the varying challenges families may face.

Around 25% of families refer themselves to us for support also, which shows our commitment to making our services accessible and creating an environment where families feel empowered to reach out for help on their own terms.

We provide support for families with children aged 9 and under through a combination of Home-Visiting and Family Support Groups.

Each family is matched with a dedicated, highly-trained volunteer who provides free emotional and practical support, which is non-judgemental, compassionate and confidential.  A matched volunteer will then visit their family each week for two hours – tailoring their support to the family’s individual needs.

Our three specialised Family Support Groups meet once a week during term-time in Royston, Buntingford and South Cambridgeshire. Invitations to join these groups come from our Home-Start co-ordinators, and the family’s volunteer (if the family is also home-visited).

It is a structured and supportive setup aimed at creating a positive impact for everyone involved.

If you are working with a family that you believe could benefit from our support, initiate a conversation with them about the potential benefits of our Home-Visiting or Family Support Group services. It is crucial that the family agrees to receive our support before proceeding with any further steps.

Once the family has agreed and is happy to receive our support, please contact us to refer them.

After you have referred a family, we will:

• Set up an initial visit with the family to discuss their needs
• Carefully match the skills and experiences of a volunteer to the needs of the family
• Introduce the volunteer to the family
• Let you know when our support starts and ends
• Monitor and assess support to measure progress
• Keep you informed to ensure a joined-up approach to support

Contact us on 01763 262262 if you wish to make a referral.

Or you can email a completed ‘Referral Form‘ to admin@hsrsc.org.uk (please remember to password protect the form before sending, and send the password in a separate email – this is to ensure that the information contained remains confidential).