Referral Criteria
- Do they feel lonely or isolated and need a home visit/regular telephone call or support to access community facilities?
- Do they have the capacity to engage in conversation and interaction with a befriender?
- Are they aware that you are making this referral?
- Are they able to manage their own self care?
- Do they live in Shepshed?
Referral guidelines
Whilst we do not want to turn any person away, we are not medical specialists or trained counsellors, we are a team of volunteers and staff who want to befriend and support those who we can.
We are happy to support those who:
- Live alone and need company
- Are isolated and need support to begin to take part in community activities.
- Someone who have finished talking therapy and or wellbeing support.
We want to ensure that each person receives the best support so we will assess every referral.
What our befriender can't help with.
- Support people with a Dementia diagnosis as befrienders are not trained to be able to provide the right support Contact your GP, social worker or anyone else on your behalf.
- Our volunteers can’t give you medical or financial advice.
- Provide personal care, cleaning or shopping services
- Can’t physically support you (eg support you walking)
- Give you their personal number to call outside of agreed times
- Handle money for you: you should never make any payment to your befriender for their service, give them access to your bank accounts or have any sort of financial transaction with them We are unable to provide our befriending service to anyone who has alcoholism or drug addiction
What happens next?
Once we receive the referral form, our volunteer befriending co-ordinator will get in touch with the person you have referred and arrange to make an assessment visit. We will then match them with a volunteer befriender who lives nearby and, where possible, has similar interests. Please Note All our volunteers receive induction, safeguarding training, DBS checks and on-going support.
At the moment we are in the process of recruiting more volunteers so there is a waiting list. Please get in touch if you have any questions.