Home‑Start Colchester, Jaywick and Clacton is an independent local charity committed to making a real difference to the lives of local babies, children and families.

We support families with children under 5 years, providing early help and preventative services that respond to the needs of local parents and young children across Colchester and South Tendring. The period from conception to age two is globally recognised as critical for building strong, healthy societies, and our maternity and early years services play a central role in our work. Our offer of support consists of home visiting one to one support and group support. When funding is available, we also offer additional support for the  children of families supported aged 5–11, focusing on building life skills, confidence, self‑esteem and aspiration.

  Our mission is that families build skills and knowledge to manage independently and that  children achieve their full potential.

Our Home-Start scheme is rooted into the local community we serve. As an independent local charity we are managed locally. However, we form part of a network of Home-Start charities that align themselves to a tried-and-tested model – that of volunteer home visiting. Through this network our work is supported by the national organisation, Home-Start UK, that provides advice, training, information and guidance to schemes to ensure a consistent and quality support service for parents and children.

In 1993, local partners and professionals fought hard to create a Home-Start scheme in Colchester. In 1996 a successful Lottery bid enabled the scheme to begin to develop the Home-Start service, recruiting local volunteers to benefit local families. The scheme has continued to sustain a Home-Start service locally for over 22 years. We now deliver services in both Colchester and South Tendring.

What services do we offer?

• Maternity- Antenatal Education workshops
• Baby groups alongside baby weigh in.
• Under 5’s
• Toddler groups in the community.
• Forest School
• School readiness and play opportunities, help with education.
• Parenting support one to one and groups
• Information and advice
• Wellbeing services
• Benefit advice
• Foodbank vouchers including collection and delivery of food where needed
• Healthy-eating iniatvies
• Family events
• Children workshops for children 5 – 11 years
• Holiday fund

Volunteer support

• We can match you with a trained volunteer to provide weekly mentoring assistance in your own home to provide support at difficult and challenging times with your under5’s.