Volunteering Opportunity: Provide Companionship to the Lonely and Isolated as a Befriending Volunteer with St Albans Good Neighbour Scheme

We are looking for Befrienders in the St Albans area to help with our befriending service. The befriending service helps provide regular contact and companionship for those who are isolated or lonely, in their own home.

Opportunity Type: Long-term Commitment

District: St Albans

Location: From home, Indoor

Time of day: Weekday Mornings, Weekday Afternoons, Weekday Evenings, Weekend Half Days

Practical Considerations: All befriending volunteers have been DBS checked, interviewed and references obtained. They receive Safeguarding and Lone Worker training, and are advised of the importance of personal privacy and confidentiality.

Requirements: Relevant qualification or training, Will require a criminal record check (DBS)

Suitable for: 18 – 25 year olds, Aged 26 and over, University students, Older People, People with a visual impairment, People with restricted mobility

Suitable for volunteers interested in: Carers Support, Health and Wellbeing, Isolation & Loneliness

Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access?: No

Full Description:
All clients wishing to join our befriending service are interviewed by the Befriending Section Leader. In the interview the Section Leader will explain about the Scheme, and in particular what befriending is about. It is important we understand why the client wants befriending, and the service they want must be within the structure we have for befriending.

The client must provide any relevant details of health issues (including mental health) and disabilities, whether they or a member of their household smokes and whether any pets will be present.

All clients wishing to join our befriending service must provide contact details for a next of kin, relative, friend or neighbour.

The Section Leader will attempt to pair like minded people, or those with similar interests. If a pairing is not immediately possible, but is likely within the next few months, the Section Leader will put the client on a waiting list. Please note, the waiting list doesn’t operate on a “First Come First Served” basis, instead the Section Leader waits to make a match with the first available volunteer considered most appropriate for the client.

The Section Leader will monitor the progress of the pairing and will offer support going forward. They will keep in regular contact with the befriending volunteers and will contact the client at least once a year for feedback. They will keep all pairings under review as the client's circumstances may change.

The visits will take place in the client’s home at a prearranged date and time that suits both parties. This can be flexible from week to week, provided both parties agree to this arrangement.

Our befriending service does not include providing care for clients that should otherwise be provided by professional health workers or carers since our volunteers are untrained for this.

Our volunteers can sometimes provide informal support, e.g. in helping the client understand official correspondence or making calls if they are having difficulties in contacting offices or organisations they need to.

A befriending partnership can continue as long as both client and volunteer are willing and/or able to do so. If for any reason one party wishes to end it – sometimes for example people move out of the area or the volunteer has to take on additional career/family responsibilities – they will try to give four weeks notice.

Befriending volunteers must report any concerns, accidents or incidents to the Befriending Section Leader or the Safeguarding Lead as appropriate.