Befriending Project

This service is available for Elderly, Housebound and Disabled people and their Carers.

We can visit you at home or at any suitable public venues to talk to you and update you about the available Befriending opportunities in Westminster, Camden, Newham, Barking and Dagenham.

Our befriending team is comprised of both disabled people and BME (black minority ethnic) members, you understand your issues and can help you in a range of ways to avoid isolation. For instance you can learn about opportunities such as: distance learning, how to get involved in leisure activities, how to meet people, exchange your ideas, looking for suitable agencies who can assist you in certain ways, and so on.

We can also try to find someone speaks your native language - so please let us know your needs and we will try to give support to you. We will also keep all your details and conversations strictly confidential.

If you would like more information on this service - or are interested in volunteering as a Befrienders - please contact us for further information or click here for details of our Befriender training.

We are currently looking at providing an Online Befriending Service, interested people please contact us.

You can access our new information leaflet for befrienders by clicking here. This is now also available in the following languages:

Bengali

Polish

French

Italian

German

Welsh

Información en español:

Nosotros proporcionamos un servicio de visita a domicilio para los ancianos, los minusválidos y los que están confinados a su casa. Si a usted le interesa este servicio, por favor pongase en contacto con nosotros.

FREE Training: Volunteers wanted for Befriending for Elderly & Disabled People (Refugees, Migrants) and local community members in Newham. Training will commence soon from January 2010. See the link below for more information: Befriending Training flyer

Email: info@hhrd.org.uk

Befriending for House Bound People

Everyone needs other people, but not everyone has someone. Friendships are private and mutual arrangements. Befriending, on the other hand, is a supportive relationship offered to vulnerable people finding living in their community difficult. This is the main difference between friendships and befriending.

Befriending is a service that provides companionship, the chance to develop a new relationship, and opportunities to participate in social activities in order to reduce and avoid social isolation.

Its purpose is to reduce social isolation and enhance quality of life.

A befriender is an in-house trained volunteer who offers their friendship – within agreed limits and boundaries – to someone who is isolated, lonely, or vulnerable.

HHfRD’s Training for Volunteers includes:

1.What is Befriending?

	Defining the befriending relationship – what it is and what it is not
	The benefits of befriending to the befriender and the befriendee
	What characteristics should a befriender have?
	What are the qualities needed in a befriender?
	What is the befriender role?

2.Building Relationships

	How do friendships begin?
	Exploring different types of relationships
	Elements of a befriending relationship
	Dealing with the first meeting
	From beginnings to endings – a model of a helping relationship

3.Listening & Communicating

	Assessing your own communication skills
	What different skills do you use?
	Verbal and non-verbal cues
	What are barriers to listening?
	How accurate is your listening?
	Asking questions
	Practicing your communication skills
	Non verbal communication
	Empathy

4.Boundaries & Confidentiality

	What are boundaries?
	Personal, emotional and organisational boundaries
	What is the meaning of confidentiality?
	What information do you need to know?
	What information are you interested in knowing?
	What information do you share?
	What does a befriendee need to know about you?
	What is breaching the confidentiality and the circumstances?

5.Attitudes & Values

	Discrimination and stereotypes
	What values and attitudes do you hold towards other groups, cultures, etc?
	Respecting diversity
	Promoting the organisations values and policies to promote equality and diversity

6.Endings

	Types of endings
	The link between endings and loss
	Exploring endings
	Ending befriending relationships

7.Support for Befrienders

	How will our project support befrienders?
	Why the support is important?
	Asking for support , regular supervision, meetings, one to one sessions, complaints
	Policies and guidelines of our organisation to comply with the law.