The Scheme
The Befriending Scheme responds to the high demand for community-based opportunities for social contact amongst older people. This is a free and confidential service run by Evergreen Sleaford to support senior citizens in making the most of their life experience into old age.
Evergreen Sleaford believes that simple, committed friendships may reduce and prevent isolation experienced by those who may not have
family close by or friends and neighbours for mutual support, particularly through failing or ill-health and bereavement.
The aim of Evergreen Befrienders is to step in and become a support person. It is hoped that as a relationship develops this will prove mutually enriching and worthwhile.
The Referral
Process
To make a referral, the following information will be required:
Permission from the service user
Name, Address, DoB of service user
Contact number for service user and/or Next of Kin
Details of personal difficulties contributing to loneliness and isolation
Once a referral has been made, our coordinators will arrange a visit to the home to carry out an assessment with the service user. This assessment will include a brief Risk Assessment of the premises alongside assessing the appropriateness of the scheme for the service user.
Once an assessment has been made, an outcome will be communicated to the service user or next of kin. Then, once an appropriate volunteer befriender has been found, a coordinator will introduce the volunteer to the service user.
If you are considering referring someone to Evergreen Sleaford, please discuss it with them first and, where possible and appropriate, leave one of our leaflets with them.
Our Criteria
As our scheme has proved to be so popular, priority will be given to referrals who:
Live alone
Are over 70 years of age
Are isolated in their home (i.e. not able to get out on their own)
Have no family able to visit regularly within a 10 mile radius
Have no other means of social interaction (e.g. clubs)
We will always consider each referral on its own merit as we fully appreciate people’s lives are complex – as are their needs. Where we have volunteers, we may also consider:
People living with someone else but has no real relationship/ time with them.
People who are able to leave their home for short periods and/or have other social interaction.
*Please note that the work of Evergreen Sleaford is voluntary and although our volunteers receive basic training as part of their role, we are not trained or experts in specific areas e.g. dementia or learning disabilities. We will always seek to support people presenting with these disabilities and conditions in line with our criteria, but it may not always be appropriate to put one of our volunteers into that situation. If this is the case, we will always look to sign-post to other agencies where possible.