Volunteer guides

Diary Guide

Download a PDF Version of this guide here.

You’ll be sent a link to your matched family’s diary. This links directly to our database, so please check your answers are factual and correct before you submit.

Once you receive the link, please keep the email safe and add the link to your bookmarks. We strongly recommend you rename the bookmark to the family name, guides on adding bookmarks and renaming can be found here for google chrome, and here for iPhone. We've also created our own bookmark guide for Chrome you can access here.

Once support has ended, the link will be expired, and you can remove the bookmark.

You need to fill a diary entry after every visit; the link will take you to a form that looks like this.

Fill in a diary entry even if the visit doesn’t take place. You’ll need to enter:

Your name
Planned Visit Date
Visit Took Place?
Reason visit did not take place

If the visit did take place, please fill the full form with the guidance below.

Visit details
Please fill all the boxes, except ‘Reason visit did not take place’ and ‘Other’, using 24-hour time for the ‘Start Time’ and ‘End Time’.

Who did you see?
Switch the option to ‘Yes’ on those who were there during your visit. Use the ‘Other’ box to list anyone else who was there e.g. Aunt.

Activities
Switch the option to ‘Yes’ on the activities you did with the family this visit, some examples are below:

Practical support: Budgeting, Phone Calls, Cooking, Shopping, Improving Hygiene, Respite, Taking Family Out.
Activities with children: Playing, Reading, Listening, Fun Outdoor Activities, Assisting with Routine/Behaviour.
Emotional support: Listening, Empathising
Support to use other service: Telling them about a service, accompanying them to a service, discussing other services.
Other: List anything here that doesn’t fit the other categories.

Did you help the Family access services using any of the following methods?
Switch the option to ‘Yes’ if you carried out any of the following:

Signpost: Tell the family about other services or give them leaflets.
Transport to service: Giving them a lift to another service.
Accompany on appointment: Went with them to any appointments.
Discussed information about the service prior to or following use.
Looked after children while parents used service.
Other: List anything else you did in relation to other services.

Services Accessed
If you helped the family access services in any way, please switch the option to ‘Yes’ on any services you assisted with, or spoke about.

Comments
This is the box where you talk about your visit using P.L.A.N.T.S, considering the child’s voice. You don’t need to write a lot.

Play; are there toys, age appropriate, opportunities to play, child led play, variety of activities.
Love; attachment, affection, positive praise, warm interactions.
Appearance; clean clothes, weather appropriate, regularly bathed.
Nourishment; hydrated, healthy food, variety.
Thrive; Fresh air, mix with others, health care needs met.
Safety; safe from harm, extra measures outside the home, home environment, car seats, does the parent respond to danger.

Has the family had a recent life event?
If the family has experienced any of the options listed, switch the option to ‘Yes’ and put in a date when it happened (or an approximate date if you’re unsure, just make sure to let us know in the Notes box). You can speak to your coordinator if the family has experienced a life event.

Double check your answers, make sure they are factual and correct then click ‘Save Details’ and you’re done!

If you need assistance or support with your diary entries, please contact your coordinator, or the administrative team at admin@homestart-teesside.org.uk, 01642 501811.

Expense Guide

We ask all volunteers to submit their expenses so we can accurately understand the cost of running the charity. Claiming your expenses helps ensure that volunteers are not personally subsidising the charity, and it still allows us to record the true cost of delivering our services.

You should be claiming an expense every time you do a visit, alongside your diary entry. The deadline for the month's expenses is the 1st of each month for expenses incurred in the previous month, you will be paid the expenses on the 10th of every month.

Volunteers may claim the following expenses when involved with Home-Start Teesside:

Petrol allowance of 0.55 pence per mile up to a radius of 15 miles
[30 miles round trip]
Bus fares
Telephone calls: please use cheap rate when possible. Mobile phones: up to a limit of £1.50
Stamps
Any other expenses to be negotiated through your project organiser

You can access our expense form through the volunteer portal; the form looks like this:

Filling in the form

Enter your full name
your email address
the date the expense was incurred.

IMPORTANT - Our system groups expense reports based on your email address.
Please enter your email exactly the same every time, including capital letters (e.g. if you begin your email with a capital letter once, you must continue to do so).

Mileage
From: Write the postcode where your journey starts.
To: Write the postcode where your journey ends.
Miles (if driving): Enter the full distance of the visit. You can use Google Maps or other apps.

Calculating Mileage
Calculate how much money you can claim for your trip. We reimburse 55p per mile, maximum of 30 miles per week.

e.g. If you did 4.6 miles, the calculation would be:

4.6 x 0.55 = £2.53

Other expenses
Item Expense: Fill this for a bus ticket or car parking expenses. You must email a copy of your ticket(s) to admin@homestart-teesside.org.uk

Reason for journey or item expense
State the reason for the expense e.g. Home Visit

Total Claim (£)
This is the box for the total claim.
If you are only claiming mileage, this will match your mileage calculation.
If you are claiming mileage and another item, add the amounts together.

Donating your Expense
The form will ask if you would like to donate your expense back to the charity.
This is entirely optional.

Submitting your Expense
Please double‑check your answers, read and tick the declaration, then click Submit.
You will be emailed a copy of your expense for your records.
If you have any issues, contact admin@homestart-teesside.org.uk.

Alternatively, you can request paper copies of the expense form with free post envelopes by emailing admin@homestart-teesside.org.uk or calling us on 01642 501811. Once complete, return to:

Home-Start Teesside
35 Marshall Avenue
Brambles Farm
Middlesbrough
TS3 9AX

Your information is only used for processing your expense and maintaining accurate charity records.

There will be a new section in the volunteer diary called ‘safe and warm futures’, you do not need to fill this out unless you have done the safe and warm futures e-learning.

If you have done the e-learning, please use the information learned on visits and fill the section using the guidance below.
Remember: only tick activities that took place during this visit. Don't tick items because you plan to do them later, have done them previously, or intend to follow up after the visit.

Field guides:
Loneliness and Isolation –
Yes if the family needs support around this.

Carbon Monoxide (CO) Conversation –
Select "Yes" if you discussed carbon monoxide safety with the family.

CO Leaflet Given –
Select "Yes" if you gave them a Carbon Monoxide leaflet.

CO Alarm Given –
Select "Yes" if you gave them a Carbon Monoxide Alarm.

Energy Efficiency Conversation –
Select “Yes” if you had a conversation around energy efficiency.

Condensation and Damp Conversation –
Select “Yes” if you’ve had any conversations around condensation and damp.

Energy Efficiency Leaflet Given –
Select “Yes” if you gave an energy efficiency leaflet.

Slow Cooker Advice –
Select “Yes” if you talked about slow cookers.

Slow Cooker Given –
Select “Yes” if you gave the family a slow cooker.

Priority Services Register (PSR) Conversation –
Select “Yes” if you talked about the priority services register.

PSR Sign Up –
Select "Yes" if the family signed up during the visit or because of your advice.

PSR Leaflet Given –
Select “Yes” if you gave a priority services register leaflet.

Welfare/Benefits support –
Select “Yes” if you provided support of any kind around welfare and benefits.

Debt Management support –
Select “Yes” if you provided support of any kind around managing debt.

Tariff Switching –
Select “Yes” if you provided any support around switching their suppliers.

Online Benefits calculator –
Select “Yes” if you used the online benefits calculator.

Referral - Green Doctor –
Select “Yes” if you made a referral to the green doctor.

Referral - Debt Management –
Select “Yes” if you made a referral to any debt management services.

Referral – Other –
Select “Yes” if you made any other relevant referral.

Scenario 1:
While chatting, Mum mentions that they have a gas boiler but isn't sure when it was last serviced. You discuss carbon monoxide safety, explain the symptoms of CO poisoning and provide a free CO alarm. You also intend to give a leaflet, but you've run out.
Diary entry:
✅ Carbon Monoxide (CO) Conversation
❌ CO Leaflet Given
✅ CO Alarm Given
✅ Carbon Monoxide Awareness Survey (if completed)

Scenario 2:
Mum tells you about mould growing in her bedroom. During the discussion, you explain
how drying clothes indoors can increase condensation and share tips on ventilation.
You also provide an energy efficiency leaflet.
Diary entries:
✅ Condensation and Damp Conversation
✅ Energy Efficiency Conversation
✅ Energy Efficiency Leaflet Given

Scenario 3:
A family is struggling with rising food costs and often buys expensive ready meals. You
discuss how a slow cooker can help save money and reduce energy costs. You arrange
to provide a slow cooker at your next visit.
Diary entries:
✅ Slow Cooker Advice
✅ Energy Efficiency Conversation
❌ Slow Cooker Given – Do not tick this yet. You would tick this at the visit when you actually give the slow cooker to the family.

Scenario 4:
A parent explains that they are struggling financially and finding it difficult to cover
household costs. While talking through their situation, you realise they may be entitled
to additional support. Together they use an online benefits calculator to check what
help may be available and discuss the next steps for making a claim.
Diary entries:
✅ Welfare/Benefits Support
✅ Online Benefits Calculator