Home Start Rochdale and Bury

Our volunteers help parents going through difficult times including:

• Loneliness and isolation
• Relationship difficulties
• Coping with twins, triplets or several pre-school children
• Poor health
• Disability or special needs
• Lone parenting
• First time parenthood or new babies
• Postnatal illness
• Children's behavioural problems

We have a team of dedicated, skilled volunteers who all have parenting experience, who visit families at home for 2-3 hours per week. Volunteers are trained and checked by the Disclosure and Barring Service prior to being matched with families.

You could benefit from Home Start if:

• You are feeling lonely, or isolated in your community, have no family nearby and are struggling to make friends.
• You are finding it hard to cope if your child is ill or because you are ill.
• You have been hit hard by the death of a loved one.
• You are struggling with the emotional and physical demands of having a baby, young children, twins or triplets.
• You need help with practical things like budgeting or healthy eating.
• You’d like to get to know what is available for parents and children locally but don’t know where to go or don’t have the confidence to find out or join in.
• You’d like to find out about local further education courses but don’t know where to start.

What happens next?

1. After asking for our support you will meet one of our local Coordinators or Support Workers who will carefully match you with one of our volunteers.
2. Your volunteer will visit you at home for a couple of hours a week.
3. You choose to have a Home-Start volunteer and you decide when Home-Start support should stop.
4. You can also join in our family group or social activities if you want to.

Home visiting support

Home visiting support is available for families with children pre-birth to 12 years, who have an Autism Spectrum Condition. We also support families who are on the Autism Pathway and going through assessment process.

Our experienced Manager, Support Workers and also our trained parent volunteers all live or work with children who are on the spectrum, so they understand how difficult and challenging this can be. Emotional support and practical help is offered to families whilst introducing coping strategies and tools to help reduce stress.

Weekly group support for families across Heywood, Rochdale, Middleton and Pennines. 

Sam’s Sibs support group

This group is for children aged 6 to 15 years who have a sibling on the Autism Spectrum.

We will:

• Help children and young people to understand more about how their sibling sees the world.
• Provide a safe environment where they can make time for themselves, “make friends and have fun”.
• Encourage participation in events such as sports, arts and crafts and other group activities.
• Deliver group support sessions during term time, free of charge.

For further information contact Sam Freeman (Manager for Autism and Behavioural Difficulties)

Tel: 07582 785639 
Email: sam@hsrb.org.uk

Any family referred to Home Start for support to help improve their emotional wellbeing will be visited by one of our Coordinators within one week, subject to being able to book an appointment.

We have a dedicated Family Support Worker and experienced volunteers who can provide help with anxiety, depression, isolation, phobias, relationship difficulties and attending appointments.

Emotional and practical help will be provided initially for 6 weeks and then reviewed to assess any additional support which may be required. Parents who want to continue with additional support, may then want to access help from one of our parent volunteers.

Supporting positive mental health and relationships. For every parent, carer and infant.

Are you expecting a baby or do you have a baby under 2 years of age?

We run a small friendly group for parents and babies in Rochdale, Middleton, Pennine and Heywood. This is for parents who are socially isolated and/or anxious who would benefit from meeting other local parents in small groups.

We can offer:

• Practical support and a listening ear from our Parent Infant Mental Health Wellbeing coordinator and volunteers
• An opportunity to meet other parents locally in a way that feels right for you
• A safe space to talk about whatever you want
• Play opportunities for you and your baby
• Refreshments available

Please contact our PIMH Coordinator (Ali) to find out group sessions times/dates also to book a place for you and your baby.

Tel: 077493 60686 
Email: ali@hsrb.org.uk

For any parent/carer of neurodiverse children, no diagnosis required.

Groups are free to attend and refreshments are provided. Resources and book library are available at all sessions. Sensory play and readiness for school activities for under 5’s and home educated children.

Please contact our Autism and ADHD manager (Sam) to find out more about the sessions.

Drop-in support groups for March 2024 – December 2024

Milnrow Tuesday group 9.30am – 11.30am

Tuesday 14^th May
Tuesday 4^th June
Tuesday 2^nd July
Tuesday 1^st October
Tuesday 5^th November
Tuesday 3^rd December
Tuesday 17^th December

Location: Butterworth Hall, New Street, Milnrow, OL16 3PQ

Middleton Friday group 9.30am – 11.30am

Friday 3^rd May
Friday 21^st June
Friday 19^th July
Friday 20^th September
Friday 18^th October
Friday 22^nd November

Location: Burnside Community Centre, Burnside Crescent, Langley, M24 5NN

Heywood Monday group 9.30am – 11.30am

Monday 20^th May
Monday 10^th June
Monday 8^th July
Monday 9^th September
Monday 7^th October
Monday 11^th November
Monday 9^th December

Location: Trinity Methodist Church, Bethel Street, Heywood, OL10 1HU

Rochdale Thursday group 6.30pm – 8pm

Thursday 9^th May
Thursday 27^th June
Thursday 25^th July
Thursday 26^th September
Thursday 24^th October
Thursday 28^th November

Location: St Georges Church Hall, Bury Road, Oakenrod, Rochdale, OL11 4ED

Tel: 07582 785639/01706 629651 
Email sam@hsrb.org.uk