All Home-Start UK programs must fulfill eight quality standards:
- Governance and Strategic Planning: Home-Start governs itself effectively and responsibly, ensuring that its legal and financial obligations are met. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and trustees have the necessary qualities, skills, and knowledge to fulfill the mission and objectives of the charity. Planning is based on the needs of the communities served and on the Home-Start approach and ethos. Clear priorities and targets are set, reviewed, and regularly updated. All activities maintain the Home-Start ethos and focus on providing high quality support to families.
- Learning and Improving: Home-Start maintains and improves the quality of its services to families by using the Home-Start quality assurance system. Home-Start assesses the impact and outcomes of its work. Collecting the views of families, volunteers, and other agencies is integral to the work. Monitoring and evaluation informs decision making and shapes and promotes the services.
- Managing Resources and Finances: Home-Start manages its money and resources effectively. Budgets are carefully monitored and risks assessed. Trustees ensure reliable financial controls are in place and are compliant with regulatory and legal requirements. Adequate funds are secured to ensure financial viability.
- Managing Staff: Home-Start recruits and supports the appropriate staff to achieve its mission. There are adequate numbers of staff to carry out the work undertaken. Staff have the appropriate skills, know to whom they are accountable, and understand their roles. All legal, regulatory, and employment requirements are met.
- Managing Volunteers: Home-Start works with its volunteers for the benefit of families and the volunteers themselves. Suitable volunteers are recruited, selected, trained, and appropriately matched according to their skills and experience. Volunteers understand their roles and responsibilities, are valued, supervised regularly, and supported.
- Managing Information: Home-Start demonstrates that confidentiality, dignity, and respect are fundamental principles. Relationships with families are built within clear confidentiality and information-sharing guidelines. The scheme stores and manages information effectively, complying with relevant legislation. Home-Start records and analyzes data accurately to assess the impact and outcomes of its work.
- Welfare of Children and Supporting Families: Home-Start offers volunteer support to families within their own homes. The service is focused on identified needs and is well managed and regularly reviewed. Additional services are offered where there is an identified need and it complements the core work of Home-Start. The welfare and rights of children are central to all Home-Start support to families. The scheme deals with safeguarding/child protection issues effectively, backed by robust policy and procedures. All activities with children are carried out safely, managing risk appropriately.
- Working in Partnership: Home-Start engages with the wider Home-Start network and with local agencies and professionals to ensure best practice in family support.
Home-Start Worldwide has developed a statement of principles and practices that guides implementation of Home-Start internationally. The guidelines cover aspects of Home-Start’s target population, philosophy, principles of service delivery, staff training, and local and national program structure and staffing.