STAFF SPOTLIGHT: FAMILY SUPPORT WITH CAROLINE
Bolster Community are the lead co-ordinators for the Newry & Mourne Family Support Hub (FSH). While our role includes planning, facilitating and reporting, we also take a lot of referrals on ourselves, as our family support services are often identified as the most appropriate early intervention support for families in the Newry and Mourne area. Last year 102 families were supported through our Southern Health & Southern Care Trust funded Early Intervention & Prevention Project.
Our highly skilled and experienced family support team offer bespoke services tailored to meet the individual needs of families and takes a holistic approach looking at the practical, emotional and financial needs. This may include emotional support for parents and children, practical home-based support, parenting advice, signposting, and assistance in accessing other services, grants and financial help.
To understand more about what we offer, we wanted to share our chat with Family Support Hub Lead, Caroline Potter.

Caroline Potter, Bolster Community Family Support Lead.
In your words, what is ‘Family Support’ and what is unique about Bolster Community’s service?
Family Support has many different aspects. Families come to the FSH for a myriad of reasons, parenting support, family breakdown, financial help, bereavement, disability support, education, drug & alcohol support. At its core, it’s helping parents feel empowered to meet the emotional and behavioural needs of their children. Bolster Community family support is unique in that, when one of our family support workers turn up at your door, they are on your side and will go above and beyond to help you. You become part of the Bolster family.
If our community didn’t have this service, what would be lost for families/ children/ our community?
The whole community would lose out if this service wasn’t available but particularly children. They are at the heart of everything we do, and the reason we have Family Support Hubs.
What drives you to come in and pick up the phone each day? Your drive behind the job?
Put simply “people”. My role is primarily to listen and make a connection in a short space of time with parents. I often have to ask very personal questions and hear very difficult stories and experiences, but it never ceases to amaze me how resilient the human spirit is and ultimately, parents want the best for their children, even if it means they need some support doing that.
Thank you Caroline!
To those interested, you can make a self-referral to the family support hub or a referral can be made by anyone working on your behalf, i.e. teacher, doctor, health visitor or community group. Please share this information with those who may find it useful. You can download a referral form at or just pick up the phone and call us on 028 3083 5764.