Dementia Telephone Befriender

Volunteer role: Telephone Dementia Befriender 

Responsible to: Volunteer Befriending Coordinator

Time commitment: A one hour weekly or fortnightly client call. Attendance at volunteer support meetings. All our volunteer roles are from Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm. We are closed at weekends, public holidays and over the Christmas period.

Location: At home

Bromley Dementia Support Hub: Age UK Bromley and Greenwich working in partnership with MindCare Dementia Support. We support people living with dementia in Bromley, and their carers, providing information, advice and help to find the most suitable services and support for their individual needs.

Dementia Befriending: The service aims to improve the well-being of people with dementia, by reducing their risk of isolation, increasing self-confidence and their ability to live an independent life: to live well with dementia.

Role Summary: Specialized volunteer support providing a listening ear to our clients with dementia, making a difference to support older people’s wellbeing and to reduce isolation and loneliness.

What will I be involved in?

• Successfully complete online training courses for Age UK Bromley and Greenwich volunteers.
• A regular telephone call made from your home to provide social contact with your client.
• Encourage your client to engage and take part in the conversation by listening carefully and asking open-ended questions.
• Be observant to your client’s needs and do actively keep in regular contact with the vvolunteer befriending coordinator, reporting any concerns, pass on requests for help or referral needs.
• Ensure that the required call log of visits are returned by the 28^th of each month to the volunteer befriending coordinator. Every call log is read and uploaded to our client records, providing vital communication of how each client/volunteer match is progressing. The information provided helps us to highlight the work we do and may be used for case studies and reporting.
• Participate in support meetings with the vvolunteer befriending coordinator and any training on safeguarding adults and appropriate boundaries.
• At all times volunteer in accordance with the organisation’s policies regarding Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity, Safeguarding Vulnerable Adults and Confidentiality & Data Protection. Lone working.

• Represent the professional standards of Age UK Bromley and Greenwich and ensure that you wear your volunteer id badge whilst volunteering.

What skills and qualities will I need to have?

• Enjoys spending time with and talking with older people aged 65+ living with Dementia from a wide range of backgrounds.
• Be a good listener and have empathy with older people, being approachable and welcoming.
• Interested in learning and developing new skills required of the role. Demonstrate that you are interested in what the client has to say by communicating respect and warmth. Encourage the person to say more and think more deeply about their thoughts and feelings.
• “Listens” to the person’s tone of voice and expression as well as their words.
• Develop a non-judgmental approach. The listener may personally disagree with the client’s opinions or actions but attempts to understand the client’s point of view and shows that they still value the client.
• Being able to maintain client confidentiality, understand the importance of keeping within the parameters of the befriending role and have a good understanding of GDPR and Data Protection

Benefits of getting involved:

• Being part of a team who are passionate about helping Bromley residents 65 years + living with Dementia, to develop interests, form friendships and connect better with their local community.
• Committed to supporting the Dementia Befriending Service to deliver a difference to their clients.
• Ongoing support and role training with feedback given. Including attending an Understanding Dementia course at MindCare in Beckenham
• Opportunities for networking with other volunteers and being part of a wider volunteer team.
• Awareness of Age UK Bromley and Greenwich social events, services, and projects.

Other information:  Prospective volunteers will complete a recruitment process and be required to provide details of two references and agree to submit details for and undertake an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) check. All our volunteer roles are 18+, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Age UK Bromley & Greenwich will reimburse all expenditure reasonably incurred. Receipts to be provided with expenditure claims.