Phone Friend volunteer

The Phone Friend service aims to build connections between people living in the local community of the South West of Cardiff. The service is focussed on people who are isolated in some way, for example because they live alone, have limited social contacts or are unable to get out and about.

The project was initially set up by ACE in response to the first lockdown. As we continue to develop the service, we have received funding from Dementia Friendly Wales to prioritise people with dementia and their carers. Covid 19 increased social isolation for many of us as we faced restrictions in what we could do and who we could meet and socialise with. For others, having little or no contact with other people had become a normal way of life even prior to the pandemic.

Phone Friends aims to provide a friendly, telephone chat of around 15 to 30 minutes each week. We aim to match recipients of the service to volunteers who share their interests. Many people, however, will also enjoy the casual conversations we might have when out and about such as sharing news and memories of the local area, to what we are having for tea and what the weather is doing!

Volunteers need to be able to send and receive emails and have internet access in order to carry out their role.

Time:                                                    Volunteers can choose to be matched to one person or more according to your circumstances and will be asked what days and times they are available.  Calls are expected to be made during office hours (Monday to Friday 9.00 am to 5.00 pm) in order that any support that might be needed can be provided by the Phone Friends team.

Training

Volunteers will receive training on the Phone Friend service to support them to carry out their role.  They will also receive the ACE Volunteer Induction Training either face to face or on line.  On-going support will be provided as needed via regular check in calls and the opportunity to have virtual and in person meetings with the other PF volunteers.

Desired Skills –

·          A friendly telephone manner

·         The ability to actively listen as well as being a chatty person

·         Empathy

·         A non-judgmental attitude, respect for the beliefs and opinions of others

·         Friendly and calm manner

·         Honest and reliable

·         A good understanding of the need for confidentiality

·          

Volunteer Responsibilities:

• To provide a friendly, weekly telephone call as agreed with your Phone Friend Recipient(s)
• To offer a listening ear and social contact
• To communicate any safeguarding or other concerns promptly to the Project Lead
• To communicate any issues around contacting a participant to the Project Lead and to advise them if a participant withdraws from the service
• If you consider that a Phone Friend participant needs support which is outside the scope of the project, to advise them that you will need to bring that to the attention of the Project Lead and request their agreement to this.

Phone Friends is a telephone service and volunteers should not suggest or respond to any suggestion from a recipient to meet up in person.