Befriending Scheme

The Befriending Scheme is run from our office at Observer House. It works with clients throughout Shropshire . Referrals are usually received from GPs, Social Workers, Community Mental Health Teams, Learning Disabilities Teams and other professionals. Self-referrals are also accepted although additional information and references would be required if someone wishes to do this.

Aims and Objectives

The Befriending Scheme offers one to one support for people who have experienced or who are experiencing mental distress. It aims to help bridge the gap between illness and full independence by supporting and encouraging clients to return to or maintain independent living. Our befrienders help clients work on areas that are difficult, whilst also encouraging them to try new things and make choices that are appropriate for them. This support takes place in the community wherever clients feel most comfortable; in a cafe, in the park or meeting for a cup of tea in a client’s own home.

Who are the befrienders?

Our befrienders are volunteers. They are men and women of varying ages, usually between 18 and early 60’s, who give up their time to help others. They are members of the general public and do not act as professional social workers, counsellors, psychologists or psychotherapists. 95% of them will have either experienced some kind of mental distress themselves or will have cared for someone who has.They will have undergone in house training with MIND and will take part in ongoing training. They will have been checked by the Criminal Records Bureau. They will be supported by the Volunteer Co-ordinator and other volunteers and staff at Shropshire MIND. All befrienders will abide by Shropshire MIND’s Confidentiality Policy.

The Setting Up of a Partnership

Once a referral has been received the Befriending Scheme Support Worker will aim to contact the client within 2 weeks, either by telephone or by letter to arrange an Initial Assessment Meeting. She will go to the client’s house or wherever they would like to meet, together with the CMHT worker or Care Co-ordinator (if possible) and will spend approximately one hour getting to know the client a little better. She will ask certain questions that form the basis of the Initial Assessment Form and will assess whether the Scheme is appropriate for the client. The client will be asked to sign the form to show that they agree with the information that has been written.

The Support Worker will then go away and will try to match the client up with a suitable volunteer. She will contact the client once this has taken place and will arrange an Introduction Meeting with the client, the befriender and the care co-ordinator (if possible). They will meet for approximately one hour wherever the client fees most comfortable.

At this Introduction Meeting agreed targets for the partnership will be set (if appropriate) and the date of the first formal review will be agreed.

The client (befriendee) and the volunteer (befriender) will also agree a date, time and venue of their first “solo” meeting and will talk about what they would like to do. They will meet thereafter on their own and will work in partnership on the targets that have been agreed.

Monitoring and Reviews

The Befriending Scheme Support Worker will keep in close contact with both parties and will telephone or arrange to see both parties every six or eight weeks to discuss how things are progressing. The befriendee and befriender can also contact the Support Worker whenever they need to. A Formal Review Meeting will take place every three months and will include the CMHT worker or Care Co-ordinator. Partnership Review Forms will be completed at the Formal Reviews, new targets may be set together with action points on how to improve the relationship.

Feedback to the CMHT / referring agency

Whatever a client chooses to disclose to a Shropshire MIND volunteer or member of staff will be treated in confidence within Shropshire MIND and will not be reported back to the CMHT or other outside agency expect where it is deemed that this confidentiality should be broken (see Confidentiality Policy).

Letters may be written to the CMHT or referring agency informing them of the dates of the Initial Assessment Meeting, Introduction Meeting and Formal Review Meetings. Informal comments about the progress of a partnership may also be passed on, but no confidences will be broken.

Duration of Partnership and Frequency of Meetings

Every partnership if different and there are no hard and fast rules about how often befriendees and befrienders should meet or for how long. These details are worked out between the befriendee, befriender and the Support Worker and often depend on many factors such as; what kind of support a client needs, how much time the volunteer can give, distance to travel, likely activities etc.

Some partnerships meet once a week for about an hour to have a cup of tea and a chat. Others meet fortnightly for an afternoon’s outing. Everything is tailored to the individuals involved. Some partnerships can last three months or less. Some have lasted for as long as two years, but all will be continually reviewed.

Likely activities

Some partnerships simply meet for a tea or coffee. Others go walking, cycling or swimming. Others meet regularly to go to the cinema, show, concerts, outings to other cities, or on shopping trips. Some befrienders offer very practical support such as help filling in Disability Living Allowance forms, or accompanying befriendees to difficult appointments. Others can work through self-help books, accompany clients to relaxation or anger management classes or learn a new skill together.

Ending a Partnership

When one or other of the parties involved decides that they do not wish to continue with the partnership the Support Worker will meet with them to complete an Exit Form. This will help us to ascertain how successful the partnership has been and to improve any aspects so that the service can be better for the future.

If a befriender needs to leave the Scheme for any reason and the befriendee would still like some support the Support Worker will try to find a new befriender.

Extras

During the last week of every month a short walk is organised around different parts of the county. They are usually two or three miles in length and either start, end or involve a stop at a pub or cafe. They are open to anyone involved in Shropshire MIND.

Other social activities are also organised from time to time for all those involve in the Scheme. These can be bowling evenings, cinema trips, picnics, strawberry picking, coffee mornings and other activities. They are usually announced in advance in the newsletter or by letter.

Befriendees’ Comments

”The main advantage of the Scheme is the encouragement and support that it gives”

“Its a chance to get out”

“My befriender’s understanding and trustworthy”

“Its someone to confide in / connect with”

“I look forward to the visits”

“The partnership helps me maintain existing interests and offers the chance to develop new ones”

One befriendee mentioned that she had learnt to talk about her feelings, thoughts and ideas for the first time in her life. Another mentioned that if she visited a place with her befriender she then felt able to go again with her own family.