Supporting early years with Shelley Roberts

Meet the Mancunian-9.6- Shelley Roberts -transcript

Intro

Hello listeners, and welcome to season nine of the Meet the Mancunian podcast: social impact stories from Manchester. I'm your host, Deepa Thomas Sutcliffe, offering you a warm Mancunian welcome. This season is extra special as I'm collaborating with the Spirit of Manchester Awards, celebrating the city's voluntary and community sector. Throughout the season, I'll be featuring interviews with award winners and nominees, shining a light on the incredible work happening across our city.

Every Tuesday, I bring you the stories of Manchester's community champions, individuals working for a range of causes and making life better for the people of Manchester. My hope is to inspire you to discover your own purpose, whether through volunteering or by getting involved in the social impact sector, while also celebrating good causes and spreading positivity.

You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or my website at meetthemancunian.co.uk. Stay tuned for a season full of inspiring social impact stories.

Episode 9.5- Interview with Shelley Robert

Passionate about supporting families in the community, we hear from Shelley Roberts, CEO, Home-Start Manchester and Spirit of Manchester Award winner for Volunteer Involving Organisation.

[00:01:23] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Shelley, for taking the time today.

[00:01:26] Shelley Roberts: It's my pleasure to be here. Thanks for having me.

Shelley's Journey and Passion

[00:01:29] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Now, looking forward, tell us first about how you found your passion for supporting children. When did that start?

[00:01:35] Shelley Roberts: Oh gosh, I think in my own childhood, I always knew that I wanted to make a difference and work with children. And then in my early twenties, I did a degree in early childhood studies and really learned and got to grips with how crucial those first couple of years really are in terms of lifelong outcomes. And that, that's where the passion began.

[00:01:57] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I think that's something that people are just developing awareness now that it's such an important time and like you said, there's lifelong good things or challenges that can come up from those early years.

[00:02:11] Shelley Roberts: Yes.

[00:02:12] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: How did you get involved with Home-Start Manchester and what does it do?

[00:02:15] Shelley Roberts: I actually began my career with Home-Start at the Rochdale branch and there was a very small South Manchester Home-Start, but it didn't cover the whole of the city and a lovely group of local community members in North Manchester had got together to try and create a new citywide Home-Start and contacted the neighbouring Home-Starts.

And my manager at the time obviously saw the promise in me and the enthusiasm and gave me an opportunity to be seconded over to Manchester to try and get things going. And 18 and a half years later, we've gone from me part time to 17 staff and 90 volunteers. And we're going from strength to strength.

Home-Start Manchester's Mission

[00:03:01] Shelley Roberts: In a nutshell, Home-Start provides peer support via local parent or people with parenting caring experience who become volunteers for us. So, we really carefully recruit and train and support those local volunteers. And they're matched with a family with at least one child under five. And sometimes that family is a pregnant mum, without children yet, without the children that have been born.

We really carefully match the volunteer to the family considering personality and experience. We have a bit of a knack for that, what we think is going to work in terms of that human connection. And then that volunteer will visit that family in their own home every week for two to three hours for as long as that family needs them.

And the crux and at the core of the model is parents supporting parents. We are very professional in approach, but that very simple, non-invasive, informal befriending. I know what it's like to struggle as a parent and I want to come and be with you and help you through your struggles.

It's a very empowering approach. And I'm just, 18 and a half years on continue to be blown away when I see that volunteer and family relationship work. And the power of what can happen and the change that can happen in that relationship is just amazing. It's incredible.

[00:04:38] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: That sounds really interesting, and I like that you're creating, like you said, this peer-to-peer support and a befriending relationship.

Challenges and Overcoming Them

[00:04:46] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Have there been challenges you've had to overcome on that journey?

[00:04:50] Shelley Roberts: Many. Let's not talk about COVID because we're a home visiting support service. So, we had to completely turn the service on its head when COVID hit, as did all services and charities. I suppose for us funding as it is again, across the third sector has always been a challenge.

That being said, I think through a lot of hard work and actually building trust and relationships and almost mirroring our peer support offer with our commissioners and funders and building trust and proving worth and impact, we've got really strong relationships now.

And whilst funding, for local authorities is always uncertain and short term. We're in a really healthy position in that respect now, but it's hard and the landscape is always uncertain for staff. I think volunteer recruitment is particularly post Covid, is really difficult and I think because we ask an incredible amount of our volunteers, so there's quite intensive training and then 12 months minimum commitment.

And we're asking people to go into very often very vulnerable families’ homes. And whilst we wrap a lot of support around that and a lot of supervision around safeguarding and emotional wellbeing, it's a huge ask. So, volunteer recruitment is a challenge.

But I think overwhelmingly is the increasing needs of the families we support. Housing is a huge issue. The cost-of-living crisis is having a detrimental effect. We've got lots of families not eating, not adequately warm in the winter, or adequately clothed. We've got an increasing number of children that are at risk. Lots and lots of families living in unsuitable temporary accommodation. Lots of families that are newly arrived with uncertain immigration status that feel completely ostracised from the community they've been landed in. Very isolated.

And I think mental health needs are on the increase, which is no surprise. And, we're hearing about it all the time in the media. We're supporting now parents with really significant, complex mental health needs. Lots of challenges there.

[00:07:11] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: One of the reasons I ask these questions is also to see if you can maybe zone in on a couple that you want to see how you've overcome them, so that people can get some inspiration from how you've done that. So, I don't know if you want to pick. A couple of them, maybe volunteer recruitment and building those trusting relationships and talk about how you've tried to overcome those.

Impact Stories and Volunteer Contribution

[00:07:35] Shelley Roberts: I can give you an example.

[00:07:36] Shelley Roberts: Over half of the support that we provide, over half of our capacity is to provide parent infant relationship support from conception to the age of two. And when I started this conversation, I talked about those crucial early years, and we talk about early years being from nought to five and absolutely we can make a difference in those years.

But for me, I'm very passionate about those first two years from in utero up to a child's second birthday because that's when 80 percent of brain development happens, and those neuro pathways are created. And we absolutely know the science is concrete that, the biggest factor, modifiable factor and influencing factor in healthy mental being and all outcomes for children is the relationship they have with their main caregiver or caregivers.

So we are really passionate about supporting that early attachment. So let me tell you about a mom that we supported that was new to Manchester. She had come with a history of depression and anxiety, and she was about eight months pregnant when we started supporting her. Because she was new to the area and she didn't have any family in the area, she was very isolated, not engaged with any services.

Practically very prepared for baby. So, she had physically everything she needed ready to go. But she'd not really been emotionally prepared for what was about to come and she'd come off all of her mental health medication. So when she gave birth to baby and again she was on her own giving birth and that was quite a traumatic birth, she was discharged from hospital with this baby that didn't sleep.

And as you can imagine, it would be no surprise that her mental health plummeted significantly and very quickly. Thankfully, we had already matched a volunteer with her before baby had been born, so there'd been the start of a relationship and trust being built, but there was no wider support network. So initially the volunteer would go, and mum would go back to bed for an hour and volunteer would just hold baby for an hour and that was all mum needed.

And sometimes I think, I'm passionate about the simplicity of Home-Start support because that's really simple but so desperately needed for a sleep deprived mum that's depressed. But what other service can provide that if mum's got no family and no friends?

What other service can provide that? Things like just letting mum have a shower cleaning some bottles. And, the most powerful thing saying, Do you know what? I've been there. Sleep deprivation is torturous. I've had some of the thoughts you're having. This is all really normal. It's horrid, but it's normal.

Let's talk about what additional support you can get. So a lot of what we do is around hand holding families to engage with other services. GP, counselling, etc. So over the coming weeks it was like crisis intervention and then slowly mum got to a place where she was back on medication. The volunteer had helped to access infant feeding support because she was struggling to breastfeed and really wanted to.

And really it was just around friendship at that point and guidance and just affirming that this is a really hard point when you've just had a baby. And also normalising the fact that it's okay to not feel joyous and for it to feel like you've been hit by a bus and also to not necessarily have very instant natural warming nurturing feelings towards your baby. Because media tells us that you know you will instantly see this baby and you would die for them but that's not the experience for everybody for the majority probably so a lot of normalising of the experience.

And then over the months the handheld mum to the local children's centre to access groups to start to meet other mums that were had babies of a similar age and just build that kind of sustainable community network of support.

We're helped with loads of other things like food banks and finding a nursery and mum exploring her options for returning to work and all of those things. But she had support for around nine months and then we left her really in a really good place. So baby had got a place in nursery and she got part time work.

And then she contacted us about two months after support ended to say, I can't not be involved with Home-Start because it saved my life. And she trained to become a volunteer with us. And she's now matched with a family going through pretty much the same experience that she went through. So not only is she using her parenting experience and lived experience of being on her own as a new mom, but of receiving that home visiting support.

So that adds another layer of, I know what it feels like to have a stranger come into my home and I'm going to make sure this mum feels comfortable. And we actually have a lot of supportive mums and dads that become volunteers with us. And quite often volunteers that become staff members. So about 60 percent of our staff team started as volunteers with us. So, that's one story.

[00:12:54] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: For helping walk through the experience of what it could be like. Like you said, so isolating, but lovely to have somebody saying they've been there, giving them practical support and just helping them feel confident in a new place, going through a very big life stage change like a new baby.

And, I can understand what you're saying about two people, two different experiences. Some people might feel that nurturing right away, and some people might feel, the pressure of having another person to look after. So really powerful. And I also love the fact that you said so many of these volunteers come from people you've supported and then they've become staff members. And you're an example of somebody who's become a staff member who's then stayed on to lead Home-Start Manchester.

So what would you say is a big impact that you've made so far?

[00:13:51] Shelley Roberts: For me, and we don't necessarily ask this question, I'll measure it in a data way. But I want all parents to know that whatever their experiences, it's okay. And it's normal. So it's normalising taking away this romantic idea that we should always feel really grateful and happy. And. and that parenthood, that everyone's got it and they're doing a great job because we're all winging it.

And there are times when we imagine what life would have been like without children. And it is a huge challenge. It's a massive blessing, of course it is, but it's also a huge challenge. So for me, I think the biggest impact is normalising that parenthood is difficult.

But I suppose in terms of children. And fundamentally we exist to give children the best possible start in life. We're having a huge impact on their early years, which we know will have a huge impact on the lifelong outcomes. So we know that 85 percent of the families we support report improved parent infant relationships. We know that around 80 percent of the children we support have improved emotional well-being, are physically healthier and more well. And that's a huge issue in terms of dental decay and obesity. So we do a lot of kind of health support and education.

Our children are less isolated and less ostracised because maybe they've not got the best clothes or, they, they've not got the newest iPad or whatever. We make sure children feel resilient and able to cope. We have reduced incidences of domestic abuse, a reduction in parental substance misuse, improved mental wellbeing of parents, improved financial situation. So there's loads and loads of benefits because our support is quite widespread and generic and we design our support around the individual needs of the family. There's a huge range of impacts that we can have really.

[00:16:02] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Can see that there is a real range of impact and starting with the baby or the child itself having better being and better physical health that is itself, setting it up for success in later years and so many other aspects that you've talked about is so important.

What does being nominated for Spirit of Manchester Awards mean to you?

[00:16:26] Shelley Roberts: I think really because it's around volunteers, it's for our volunteers because we wouldn't exist without local people giving up their time. And as I've said, a huge commitment. They're just amazing. Absolutely incredible. All of them. So it's around recognition for our volunteers first and foremost, but then I suppose it's validation for us as an organisation that we co produce with our volunteers, that their voices are listened to, that they feel a sense of belonging to the organisation and that they're valued.

And I think that's really important because I think sometimes there's a misconception that volunteer led organisations or support is free or easy. And that it's really straightforward. And, there are some organisations that have contacted me that have said, we've tried to recruit volunteers to help us deliver services, but it's just not worked.

And I think there's a real lack of appreciation for and quite rightly, the amount of resource and time and attention and support that volunteers deserve and need to do their volunteering really well. The award kind of encompasses all that and, it would just be fantastic to get it.

[00:17:45] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Shout out to all your wonderful volunteers and all the support that they provide.

Advice for Starting Similar Movements

[00:17:51] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What advice would you have for people looking to start a similar movement in another part of the world?

[00:17:57] Shelley Roberts: Decide your vision. You need to start with your vision and your vision has got to be informed by the voices of the people that you want to serve don't make any assumptions because the richest information you will get is from the people for whom you want to deliver services.

So always start with them and take them with you on the journey. And that's not easy, always and what I would say is as you go on that journey, Don't just listen to the voices of those beneficiaries that engage, because actually what you really want to listen to is the voices of the beneficiaries that you're trying to reach, but you're struggling to reach because you really need to know what they need from you to make a difference to them.

So I think that's really critical. And then if, my advice, if you were going to develop a volunteer led organisation is do not underestimate the kind of the package of recruitment, selection, training, support and supervision that volunteers need to do a really good job and feel and to keep them. And you need to really understand the motivation of your volunteers and really get to know them and be interested in them and supporting them personally and rewarding them in a way that they would value so that you retain them, and you keep them.

And I'm really passionate about building a team of staff that belong to the local community and have received support or have volunteered as well. I think that brings such a rich tapestry and in that includes making sure that your workforce is diverse and that it represents the communities that you're serving.

And we're working really hard on that because Manchester is so diverse, and we've got a volunteer team that is really diverse. And we're seeing movement in our staff team becoming more diverse as well. And passion.

So if you've got a chief executive that has started out as a one man job, And they slowly move away from the frontline delivery because the organisation grows, make sure that your chief executive keeps dipping back into the frontline to remember why they're there and what they're doing. And that's what I love spending time with families and volunteers because they remind me why we're doing what we're doing really.

[00:20:18] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I think there's such great advice, so much to unpack there. One thing that really stood out to me was how do you reach those underrepresented communities and people who don't want to engage? How do you try to understand their needs, which may be sometimes not stated as well? And then this bit about how a senior you are in the organisation, how do you go back to the roots and the real cause of what you're trying to do and, be part of that volunteer and family experience. Really important tips. Thank you so much.

[00:20:54] Shelley Roberts: You're welcome.

Signature questions

[00:20:55] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: I'll now move to the signature questions I ask all my guests. If you could choose a famous landmark in Manchester to represent you, what would it be and or which one would it be and why?

[00:21:08] Shelley Roberts: So on a personal level it would have to be the town hall, because I got married there eight years ago. And shortly after getting married, they closed it down to renovate it. And I thought 2026 seems such a long time away to take my kids now to see where mummy and daddy got married. And we're not far off now.

So for me, it's an iconic building. We've had Home-Start events in there in the past. So that would definitely be the place. And I get the pleasure of going into the Town Hall extension nearly on a weekly basis, which is not quite the same, but it's close.

[00:21:42] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Yeah, I think the town hall extension is where I went for my citizenship ceremony. Just a very nice place, but I'm sure this town hall itself must be very

[00:21:52] Shelley Roberts: Beautiful, beautiful.

[00:21:53] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: What's the most important life lesson you've learned so far?

[00:21:57] Shelley Roberts: Don't be afraid to fail and don't be afraid as a leader to show your vulnerabilities. I think it's really powerful. I, Lead an organisation that has a really strong learning culture. And I love it because people will just ring me up and just say, Shelley, I've really messed up here. And I'm like, brilliant.

Thank you. It's fine. We'll sort it out. And I just love that culture of openness because I've experienced, in work in the past times when I didn't feel like I was able to admit when I'd not quite got it right. And also, I think I've got a personality that means that I naturally want to be a perfectionist as a mum and in work. And I'm working really hard on pushing against that because it's just not possible and it's unnecessary pressure. Not being afraid to fail and embracing vulnerability.

[00:22:49] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Really powerful life lessons. And I think, this resilience that you talked about a little earlier is really so important because after you fail, how do you bounce back and learn the lessons? Absolutely right. And also, like you said, showing your vulnerable side to people you work with and partner with. It's so important. That's what makes us human.

How can people get in touch with you and how can people get in touch with Home-Start Manchester?

[00:23:15] Shelley Roberts: So the easiest way is on our website. If you just google Home-Start Manchester, you'll find us. What sometimes confuses people is Home-Start is a national brand. So we've got over 190 independent Home-Starts organisations across the country. So it's really important just to Google Home-Start Manchester and you will find us.

So our website's the easiest place. We've also got a Facebook and an Instagram and I'm on LinkedIn, but we've also got a Home-Start Manchester LinkedIn page. Or you can pick up the phone and our numbers easy to get again off the website.

The website, if you're interested in volunteering, there's a really simple contact me form and we'll get in touch with you. You're not committing to anything at that point, just a conversation. And equally families can refer themselves on a simple inquiry form or they can ring up and speak to us as well.

[00:24:10] Deepa Thomas-Sutcliffe: Thank you so much, Shelley for sharing that. I'll make sure it's in the show notes so people can find it very easily as they listen to this podcast.

And thank you for taking the time. It's been a real pleasure. And thank you for sharing how important those early years are and how you support both parents and children through the early years.

[00:24:31] Shelley Roberts: Thank you for having me. It's been a real pleasure to talk to you. Thank you.

Outro

Thank you for listening to the Meet the Mancunian podcast, social impact stories from Manchester. I hope today's episode has inspired you to reflect on your own purpose and how you can contribute to making positive change.

Next week on Tuesday, 3rd December, we hear from Beth Powell talking about supporting women and youth.

I'm truly grateful for this amazing community of listeners. Your stories inspire this podcast and I look forward to hearing more of them. If you'd like to share your story or connect, visit my website meetthemancunian.co.uk or find me on social media @MeettheMancunian on Instagram and Facebook. @MancunianPod on X, and @MeettheMancunianPodcast on YouTube.

Thank you again to my wonderful listeners. You inspire me. Together, we are a community dedicated to uplifting Manchester and supporting Mancunians.

Remember, we can make an impact together. Thank you for tuning in and being a part of this incredible community. Your involvement helps amplify the voices of those making a difference.

Together, we can inspire even more positive change in Manchester and beyond. Remember, no act of kindness is too small, and by working together, we can truly make a meaningful impact.

Thank you for listening.