Protect spending on family support, chancellor urged
Leading family support charity, Home-Start UK, has urged George Osborne to protect spending on family support and early intervention when he gives his budget on Wednesday 8 July.
Rob Parkinson, chief executive of Home-Start, said “As well as improving the lives and opportunities of families and children, early intervention is far more cost effective than spending much larger sums of money on supporting families when their problems become more challenging.”
The charity is also recommending the government invest further in voluntary organisations allowing them to work with local authorities and provide support for families.
Home-Start volunteers support families experiencing challenges with insecure housing, physical and mental health problems, and isolation.
Rob Parkinson continued, “Home-Start’s home-visiting volunteers have shown that by taking the time to develop long-term, voluntary relationships built on trust, they can provide a critical additional service to families. Across the UK, Home-Starts are reporting an increase in the number of referrals and so we call on the government to work with local authorities to ensure volunteers, and home visiting relationships, become an integral component of family support service.”
Home-Start supports 29,170 families and 63,308 children across the UK. With over 40 years’ experience, Home-Start has shown that working with families on a non-judgemental and voluntary basis can have a transformative effect on the lives of parents and children.
