Feedback From Professionals

Family life can be tough and comes with all sorts of challenges, so it's fantastic to have a local service that provides free practical and emotional support to help people cope with tough times. It really is vital to know that people have somewhere to turn to and that help will be available, free of charge, when they need it most. Family Friends provides that helping hand that can make all the difference - long may it continue to do so.  

During my time as a Health Visitor in Maidenhead I have referred a number of families to Family Friends for support; I know that they have all found the service very helpful.  All of the volunteers are friendly and professional; many families have found them to be a lifeline when things have been particularly difficult for them at home. The support that Family Friends gives have prevented difficult situations deteriorating further and have allowed families to flourish.

We have made a number of referrals, for various reasons, and each has been met with a professional and speedy response.  In our busy school environment their referral system suits our needs perfectly. The Family Friends team are extremely approachable and our pupils have responded well to their care, enthusiasm and compassion.  The blocks of sessions work well and knowing that the door to Family Friends is always open gives the pupils the strength and confidence to face their individual challenges.

My experience of volunteering with FF has been amazing! The training opportunities are varied and well delivered, the support and mentoring is always there when needed and the chance to help a family at a time of need is an absolute privilege.

Family Friends offers extremely valuable services to families in the Borough. Parents talk about them being ‘a lifesaver’ and they feel their situation would have rapidly deteriorated if they had not had a Family Friends Volunteer. The Children’s Centre has worked closely with the Family Support Worker (Children's Centres and Early Years) from Family Friends. They have provided an excellent information service to parents that use the Children’s Centre and also work in partnership with us to encourage parents who, for a variety of reasons, may find accessing a Children’s Centre a challenge. Family Friends provides a really good top quality service to parents at the times when they need it most.

Support from Family Friends is so accessible because parents can approach the service to ask for help themselves. Family Friends also works with parents and other professionals to support people to be the best parents they can, and for children to have the best quality of life possible.