Early Start is staffed by home visitors (called Family Support Workers/Whanau Awhina), a general manager, a registered social worker, supervisors, and administrative support staff.
Programs employ home visitors with educational backgrounds in nursing, social work, early childhood education, teaching, or related fields. Home visitors must also have an awareness of relevant cultural issues, experience working with high-risk families, and evidence of good interpersonal skills and sound judgment. The Early Start Project Ltd. recommends, but does not require, that supervisors have an undergraduate degree in a social service or health area.
Home visitors receive, on average, two hours of supervision each week from trained supervisors. During these sessions, the pair reviews the home visitor’s caseload and case notes. They also discuss future plans for families. In addition, the supervisor provides time for the home visitor to discuss challenges or concerns.
Home visitors undergo four weeks of training that provides background on a wide range of issues relevant to family support work. Supervisors participate in a supervision training course. Please contact the model developer for additional information about the pre-service training requirement.
Each home visitor must receive a minimum of 20 hours of in-service training per year. Please contact the model developer for additional information about the ongoing professional development requirements for home visitors and supervisors.