Befriending Service

 We need volunteers (Befrienders) from all backgrounds, locations and ages.  Your commitment and attitude towards your voluntary work is more important than experience.  We ask that volunteers agree to meet with their befriendee on a weekly basis for a minimum of 1 hour per week.  

We always strive to make matches where both parties have similar interests and on-going support is provided by the Co-ordinators.

Befrienders are in a unique position of trust, offering support in a caring and responsible way as part of a service.  Befrienders are accountable to the Befriending Coordinators and the organisation managing their work. 

The Befriender’s role is to offer socially isolated adults the opportunity of forming a relationship of trust with an accepting and understanding person who is reliable, consistent and dependable.  The work of the Befriender is monitored, supported and supervised by the Befriending Coordinators through the completion of the Befrienders Monthly Reports/Telephone Call Logs which we ask to be sent into the office at least once a month. 

We also hold regular Volunteer Meetings which we ask all Befrienders to attend and we use this platform to update Befrienders on any changes within Befriending Caithness, provide training, share our experiences together and we try to have regular guest speakers who cover a wide range of topics.

To become a Befriender with us the first stage is to complete a Volunteer Application Form and thereafter you will have an informal meeting with our Coordinators where we get to know you a little better and complete a PVG form.  Thereafter you will be invited to attend an Introduction/Training Day.  

Upon completion of the Introduction and Induction Training Day, return of cleared PVGs and reference requests, we will then look for a suitable Befriendee.  This is not done on a first come served basis as we take time to ensure we find suitable matches for both Befriendees and Befrienders. 

Once we feel we have found a suitable match for the Befriender, we will come back and meet with the Befriender to discuss the profile of the potential Befriendee where they will have the opportunity to ask further questions and agree or decline to meet the potential Befriendee.  

At the first meeting of a potential match, a Befriending Co-ordinator will introduce both parties to one another and go through what they would like to get out of the visits and when visits will take place. 

Befriending Co-ordinators will carry out regular reviews for both parties.  Reviews are to make sure everything is going smoothly between the Befriendee and Befriender. However, if at any point the Befriender or Befriendee need to speak to someone out with the review times a member of our team will only be too happy to help.