Home Visits

Introduction

The Thrive Coordinator has been doing home visits since 2021. Home visits are for the purpose of offering practical support, pastoral support, or simply building relationships and learning. The visits often involve conversations around people’s experiences, what’s most meaningful to them, and questions of faith – and are always a time of curiosity, learning, and connection. 

Now, in 2026, there is appetite and opportunity for approved Thrive volunteers to engage in home visits too. There are some circumstances where it would be possible and appropriate for volunteers to join Kat (Thrive Coordinator) on home visits, and some where it would not. Approved and safely-recruited volunteers are welcome to instigate and offer home visits themselves too, within the guidelines laid out below and with appropriate safety and supervision structures in place.

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Instigating visits

Volunteers are encouraged to build relationships with people in the ladies’ group, and may potentially offer practical or pastoral support, or may ask to visit the person. These are the best circumstances for volunteers to engage in home visits. 

• If someone expresses a need or asks for help, volunteers may offer to visit the person to help with the issue expressed. 
• Volunteers who make a good connection with someone in the ladies’ group may offer to exchange phone numbers and keep in touch, and may say, “Can I visit you?”. The person is well within their rights to decline the offer of a visit at any time.

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Practical support

Visits that involve practical support are the simplest way for volunteers to engage with home visits. Approved volunteers may be able to join the Thrive Coordinator on practical support visits, and can also take a lead on arranging such visits themselves. This may include delivering practical needs bits or household items, Baby Basics referrals, or taking someone to the Hope Hub for clothing. It may also include helping someone with paperwork, supporting someone to complete application forms or registration processes, supporting someone to write or edit their CV, helping someone understand emails or letters that they have received, and similar. This could also include English conversation practice where requested. Approved volunteers can offer these things and instigate home visits themselves, for example during conversations in the ladies’ group – or the Thrive Coordinator may be able to arrange for such visits to take place.

When offering practical support, the volunteer is responsible for ensuring that they have sufficient information to be able to help with the presenting issue. If the issue is a particularly difficult or stressful one, or if further needs are expressed, the volunteer should discuss it with the Thrive Coordinator to discern together the best way forward. It is good to avoid creating dependency, and safeguard the volunteer from burnout and compassion fatigue, from taking on too much or agreeing to support people in ways that may become overly burdensome to either party.

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Gifts

Volunteers can join in with the distribution of Christmas gifts, and bringing birthday gifts and the like, to people’s homes. This is also an activity that approved volunteers may be able to undertake without the Thrive Coordinator present. 

If a volunteer would like to accompany the Thrive Coordinator on such a visit, they may need to be prepared to articulate their role and why they came. This is especially important if the volunteer does not already have an existing relationship with the host. The volunteer should think through how they would like to introduce or explain their presence on the visit, then discuss and agree it with the Thrive Coordinator in advance of the visit.

Possible ways of articulating it could include (if truthful and appropriate):

I [the volunteer] am volunteering with Thrive and

• …would like to understand people’s lives and situations better so that I can learn to support people well.
• …would like to get to know your culture better.
• …am interested to understand the issues faced by asylum seekers and refugees.

Volunteers are responsible for thinking through in advance of the visit what they will say about why they are there – especially if they don’t know the host particularly well. The host may not explicitly ask, but for the sake of building and maintaining trust we should offer clarity and honesty about it.

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Pastoral visits

It may not always be appropriate for volunteers to join with existing pastoral support visits with the Thrive Coordinator, and/or visits where there is an anticipation of talking about faith. The addition of a new person into the room can add to a power imbalance and make people feel uncomfortable or suspicious. This can have a detrimental effect on relationships that have been built up over time, and may prevent the interaction from being as supportive, open and fruitful as it might otherwise be. This is especially the case when there is trauma and vulnerability in the life of the host, which is true of many of the women and families we support. There may be exceptions in terms of tangible offers of specific support from the volunteer, articulated upfront and/or discussed in advance of the home visit.

However, if a volunteer has built up a good relationship with someone during group activities and the person has expressed an implicit or explicit need for pastoral support, approved volunteers can arrange to meet with the person and potentially visit their home. Again, the person is entitled to decline the offer of a visit or ongoing contact at any time.

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Volunteers’ responsibilities 

There are some things we expect all volunteers and representatives of Thrive to abide by on every home visit. These include conducting themselves according to Thrive’s Code of Conduct at all times, and interacting only in ways that align with Thrive’s Values. Volunteers must also follow Thrive’s Confidentiality policy, Data Protection policy, Health & Safety policy and Safeguarding policy during all visits, group interactions and at all other times. 

Volunteers are also responsible for following all of the below security and support protocols and the Dos and Don’ts for home visits.

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Security and support protocols

• All visits should be discussed with the Thrive Coordinator. Approved volunteers are welcome to arrange visits themselves, and must let the Coordinator know. 
• The volunteer must share with the Coordinator the date, time and address of each arranged visit.
• In specific situations of concern the Thrive Coordinator may ask the volunteer not to go ahead with the visit, or may need to accompany the volunteer on the visit. This is unusual and would always have specific reasons. The volunteer must do as advised.
• Volunteers should check in with the Thrive Coordinator before and after each visit. Briefing and debriefing are profoundly important for reasons of security, appropriate support for volunteers, recording visits, and discussing any concerns that may arise.
• If any concerns arise, the volunteer should describe these in detail to the Coordinator in the debrief. This may be over the phone, by message, or in person. The volunteer should try to be as open as possible, even if something is only a little niggle.
• If something noticed or discussed on the visit has affected the volunteer emotionally (as is possible and particularly likely if any traumatic life events are disclosed), the volunteer should discuss this with the Thrive Coordinator and with their identified Pastoral Supervisor, as soon as possible. If the volunteer requires additional support, Thrive can signpost to resources that may be helpful, and potentially to counselling.

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Dos and Don’ts for home visits

(Where ‘you’ is written below, this refers to all approved volunteers undertaking visits.)

Do:

• Prior to the visit, establish your intentions and hopes for the visit. It might be helpful to write down anything you’re nervous about or any particular expectations you might have, and discuss these with the Thrive Coordinator prior to the visit. 
• On the morning of the visit, check in by text/WhatsApp with the Thrive Coordinator, and also with the person you’re due to visit: clarify that they still hope to see you at the specified time. 
• Be prepared for possible last-minute changes. They have the right to cancel the proposed visit at any time. Do not express annoyance or shame the person if this happens.
• It’s usually a good idea to bring something to give the host – e.g. a packet of biscuits, a bottle of soft drink, some chocolates or flowers etc. This is at your own cost unless otherwise agreed; the Thrive Coordinator can offer suggestions of appropriate things to bring if desired. (Never bring anything containing alcohol, or anything containing meat products unless Halal.)
• Be polite, friendly and respectful at all times.
• Remove your shoes in the doorway of the house.
• Share in the refreshments provided (unless there is a significant reason not to e.g. allergies or dietary requirements).
• Listen well (listen more than speaking) – with openness, kindness and curiosity.
• Be ready and willing to learn, to be surprised, and to potentially be a little outside of your comfort zone.
• Ask open and appropriate questions. E.g. “how was your week?” / “how are your family doing?” / “do you have brothers and sisters?” / “are there any differences you’ve noticed between UK culture and your culture?” etc. 
• Try to be attentive during the visit, not distracted by your phone. 
• Communicate in a way the host can understand. E.g. if they aren’t fluent in English, try to speak in simpler words and shorter sentences, and/or use translation apps to help. 
• ⁠Try to show appreciation for their hospitality, with words and body language. It’s a real privilege to be invited into someone’s home and may have felt costly for them. 
• Offer to pray for the person if you’d like to – and ask what’s on their minds for you to pray for. They always have the right to decline the offer.
• …Enjoy the visit!
• [If the host discloses harm (past, present or future) against a child or vulnerable adult in the UK, write down the disclosure in their own words and in as much detail as you can. You can ask clarifying questions, but it’s not your job to investigate the claims. Listen with compassion. As soon as possible after the visit discuss it with the Thrive Coordinator who will determine the appropriate course of action to follow up, in accordance with the Thrive Safeguarding Policy, UK legislation and best practice.]
• Debrief with the Thrive Coordinator after every visit – by message, phone call or in person. Be prepared to share any concerns or niggles that may have arisen, how you feel about it, and discuss any potential next steps (e.g. another possible visit).

Don’t:

• Don’t make physical contact with the husband or male relatives if present, e.g. hand-shaking, unless the man extends his hand first. A hand-on-heart gesture is usually more culturally appropriate.
• Don’t ask inappropriate questions, e.g. “why did you come to the UK?” / “why are you seeking asylum?” / “what is the worst thing you have experienced?”.
• Don’t offload your own stresses or burdens. You can say how you’re doing, but don’t talk at length about your struggles or difficult situations.
• ⁠If you offer to pray with them, try not to use jargon, lengthy prayers or phrases that could cause confusion or distress (e.g. “covered by the blood of the Lamb”). 
• If discussing questions about faith, don’t express judgment or condemnation of the person’s religion, beliefs or practices. (E.g. don’t criticise any of the Prophets.)
• Don’t make promises on behalf of Thrive, other than what we already publicly offer to everyone e.g. the Wednesday ladies’ group.
• Don’t make promises on behalf of God. E.g. we may long for God to answer prayers but we cannot guarantee how or when He will do so.
• Try not to be alone in a room with a child. If the host, for example, walks into the kitchen to make tea and leaves you with her children, you should follow her into the kitchen and talk with her there. 
• Don’t give unsolicited advice. It can be tempting to try to ‘fix’ a situation by making suggestions – but it’s usually best not to tell them what you think they should do unless they ask.
• ⁠Don’t take any photos without consent. If you do take photos of/with someone, don’t share those online anywhere, or with WhatsApp groups other than the Thrive volunteer team group. This is for the host’s security and protection. 
• Don’t gossip about the person. Don’t share details about their lives with anyone outside the Thrive team. We must honour each person and conduct ourselves in a trustworthy manner. 

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Conclusion

Home visits are an immense privilege, and not to be undertaken lightly. We must never take for granted the opportunity to enter someone’s life, sit in their private space and potentially talk in some depth about their situations, skills, experiences, hopes, dreams, fears and joys. At all times, we as volunteers and representatives of Thrive should conduct ourselves in a way that honours the gift that people offer us in being willing to invite us into their homes. We hope that each home visit will play a small but significant part in supporting those we visit to increasingly thrive in life. And as we learn from the conversations and the things that arise during the visits, may we also grow in our understanding of life and faith; grow in wonder and in love, and increasingly thrive.

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