Introduce
Home visits support family engagement within a range of different settings. The aims of a home visit will depend on the role of a practitioner but there can be many positive outcomes, such as:
- improved child health and development
- support for school readiness
- reduction of risk of abuse and neglect
- increased understanding of a child’s needs
- holistic support for the family as a unit
Home visits can help to establish trusting relationships between families and practitioners. Some families are much more relaxed in the comfort of their own home but this is not the case for everyone so home visits need to be approached sensitively. Practitioners can gain insight into how children and parents interact at home, as well as identifying any potential safeguarding issues. There may also be an opportunity to gain an insight and understanding of the family culture.
Top Tips for Home Visits
Select each of the hotspots on the image below to reveal the tips:
Hear more about how you might approach home visits with these top tips from Kate Berry who manages an Early Help service (Salford City Council):
Develop
When working closely with families, it is important to prioritise your own emotional wellbeing. Sara Jackson & Julie Pendrill, team leaders from Start Well in Stockport, explore this further in the next video:
Reflect
Stop and Reflect: Home visiting is relationship-based work. It is important to reflect on what you observe and how you interact with children and families.
– In what ways do home visits help to establish partnerships in your role?
– Is there anything that you could do differently to make home visits more effective?
– How might you encourage parents to be reflective during home visits?
– How do you prioritise your own wellbeing when working to support families?