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If you have at least one child of pre-school age or are expecting a baby and live in an area we cover (see Areas we cover) you could benefit from the support of a Home Link Befriender. The service is free!
Befrienders usually visit a family each week for a couple of hours. They are carefully screened, selected and trained by Home Link and both Befrienders and families receive ongoing support from Home Link project workers.
What will a Befriender do?
Befrienders can help you in a number of ways:
- Providing a listening ear
- Letting you discuss any problems in confidence
- Helping you find your feet if you are new to the area
- Helping you or you family get out and about
- Giving you practical help with the children e.g. at meal times
- Helping you to find out about other local services
- Spending time with your children to give you a break
Befrienders usually visit a family once a week for several months. During this time the project worker for the area is in regular contact with both the volunteer and the family to make sure they are happy with the way everything is going. You can ask for your Befriender to stop visiting at any stage.
Who are these Befrienders?
Our Befrienders are volunteers of all ages who come from all walks of life. Most are women but there are some men too. They have chosen to volunteer because they want to help a young family going through a difficult patch. They have all undergone our screening process which includes providing references, being police checked and completing our volunteer training course. Befrienders also receive ongoing support from project workers whilst they are befriending.
I'm interested in having a Befriender what should I do now?
If you would like the support of a Befriender and live in an area we cover you can ask your health visitor to refer you. If you prefer to refer yourself, please contact us.
Once a referral has been made the project worker for your area will contact you to discuss what kind of support you would like from a Befriender. Your name will then be added to a waiting list. It may take a while to find the right Befriender for you, but please be patient - it will be worth it.
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