Home-Start Manchester

Who we are

Home-Start Manchester's vision is to give every Manchester child the best possible start in life.

Home-Start exists to:

• Offer support, friendship and practical assistance to families to prevent crisis and the need for statutory intervention

• Be with families, in their own home, in a way that respects each individual and increases our potential to engage with families who may otherwise be hard to reach

• Increase community capacity and, through volunteering, encourage local people to contribute to their community and the wider society

• Open up the support networks available to families including helping them to access health, social and educational services and other facilities available in the wider community and to develop ways for supported families to meet together to enable relationships to form.

All of our amazing volunteers have parenting and life experience, so they can empathise with what families may be going through.

The support volunteers offer is tailored to the needs of the family.

Volunteers:

Can…

• Listen and reassure

• Support activities with the children

• Support families to access the community

• Help families to attend medical appointments

Can’t …

• Provide a babysitting service

• Clean up/ provide practical help at every visit

• Care for children in the absence of parents

• Carry out intimate care of children

Our culture and values

RESPECT 

•        We acknowledge and understand differences

•        We listen and are respectful in words and actions

•        We accept that mistakes happen and foster a learning culture

             HONESTY

•        We are open and honest in our communication

•        We do not shy away from difficult conversations but do so with respect for others’ viewpoints

•        We take time to reflect before communicating in a way that is clear and transparent

             JUST

•        We acknowledge differences and apply equity to the way we treat others

•        We are fair in our decision making

•        We empower, ensuring everyone has a voice that counts

             INTEGRITY

•        We maintain confidentiality within the parameters of keeping each other safe

•        We do what we say we’ll do

•        We respectfully challenge things that don’t reflect our values

             KINDNESS

•        We work as a team and support each other

•        We take interest in and celebrate our individual and team passions and achievements

•        We contribute to making work an emotionally safe and happy place

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Home‑Start is firmly committed to upholding the Equality Act 2010 and the Human Rights Act 1998, embedding these principles into all aspects of its organisational culture. The organisation strives to promote equality and human rights by welcoming and valuing difference, ensuring that every individual is treated with dignity and respect.

To deliver on this commitment, Home‑Start has implemented a comprehensive set of policies and procedures that apply to staff, trustees and volunteers. These are specifically designed to safeguard the rights set out in equality and human rights legislation, and all members of the organisation are required to follow them.

The organisation embraces equality across a wide range of protected characteristics—including age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, political opinion, sex, and sexual orientation—ensuring that individuals are treated fairly regardless of their background.

Home‑Start maintains a culture that does not tolerate victimisation, harassment or bullying, and takes action when any unfair or discriminatory practices are reported. Such behaviour is treated seriously and may lead to disciplinary proceedings, emphasising the organisation’s commitment to a safe, respectful environment.

Overall, Home‑Start’s approach ensures that equality, fairness and diversity are not only upheld in principle, but fully reflected in the everyday experience of employees, volunteers, families and stakeholders.