Volunteer Family Connect: A matter of trust

Low levels of trust between funding agencies and service providers can have a detrimental effect on outcomes for service users. Volunteer Family Connect: A matter of trust, explores the critical factors that have enabled trust to be developed and maintained in Volunteer Family Connect, a project that comprises an early intervention program for families with pre-school children and a research component that aims to make a significant contribution to the evidence base around volunteer home visiting. Because of the high levels of trust between funder, service providers and research academics, the project has been able to overcome the challenges presented by funding difficulties, practice and research differences, and numerous changes in personnel. The relationships upon which the continued success of Volunteer Family Connect depend were built over a number of years and the key to maintaining those relationships over a six-year period has been an enabling leadership approach combined with a very clear shared goal. The enabling leadership approach has meant valuing the contributions of participants in the project, identifying common ground and, at times, finding different alternatives to keep the project moving forward.