Telephone Befriender – Blackburn and Darwen

Telephone Befriender – Blackburn and Darwen

This is strictly a telephone befriending service – in no circumstances should you visit your clients.

Could you be a Befriender?

In these times of uncertainty, can you can help support some of our most vulnerable members of the community in your local area?

We are entering uncertain times and are looking for more people to support older or isolated people by offering their time to check-in on how people are by phone.

Would you like to make a difference to someone’s week by offering a friendly call? We are looking for people who have excellent listening skills and enjoy a good old fashioned chat on the telephone.
Are you able to commit to calling one, two or more people for up to a 40 minutes chat at least once a week, to see how they are doing, and to help reduce loneliness and feelings of isolation and reassure people in these difficult times? You will need to show respect, empathy, patience and understanding.

Next steps

• Read more about the role by clicking here Community Support Befriender Role Profile.
• Apply online – (Please apply on the advert for  the area you live in, this will assist us to deal with your application promptly.)
• One of our Volunteer Officers will be in contact to arrange your DBS via Skype or WhatsApp video call.
• You will be matched with a person(s) in the community.

This is strictly a telephone befriending service – in no circumstances should you visit your clients. This opportunity is subject to a DBS check. To qualify you must have been a resident in the UK for the past 3 years.

Tasks:

• To regularly contact the individual by telephone.
• To engage in conversation to ease social isolation. The role is unique to every individual’s needs and circumstances.
• To provide regular feedback on the progress of the individual.
• To log volunteering hours monthly online and submit expenses where applicable.
• To study short online training courses.

Required Qualities:

• Must have lived in the UK for 3+ years
• Good communication and interpersonal skills
• Be able to deal with difficult situations in a professional manner
• Respect for equality and diversity
• Ability to use own initiative
• Ability to use basic ICT systems