Guidance for Link Express volunteers

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with The Link Visiting Scheme. Scroll down to find everything you need to know about our Link Express project!

What is the Link Express project?

Link Express began because we were aware that after assessing someone newly referred to us, some people had to wait a long time before we found a good match for them. We were aware that waiting 2 or 3 months for a permanent volunteer when you are feeling so lonely wasn’t good for our Link Friends and wasn’t good for us as we are keen to offer support quickly. So we devised this project in order for us to provide immediate temporary support to alleviate those painful feelings of loneliness.

What is the aim of the project?

• To provide a friendship service for new referrals to quickly lessen the painful feelings of loneliness

• To connect those Link Friends that are harder to place (perhaps because they live in a rural area) with a temporary volunteer while we wait for a permanent match to emerge

• Our Link Express volunteers will be able to feedback to us if there are any communication difficulties or a change in life circumstances which might mean finding a permanent volunteer is more difficult. 

What are the general principles?

• Each Link Friend will be discussed at our monthly Assessment Meeting with the aim of finding them a permanent volunteer

• If this proves unsuccessful, we will then match them to a Link Express volunteer (you!) to begin temporary phone calls.

What does Link Express involve?

• It involves calling our Link Friend once a week for general conversation and company.  You might have common interests or just a similar sense of humour! There is always something to chat about.

• You do not need any special qualifications, but a responsible attitude and a patient, caring nature are essential.

• To be a non-judgemental and compassionate listening ear for the Link Friend.

• To check on the Link Friend’s general physical and mental well-being and report back to us if you have any concerns.

• To report any safeguarding concerns to the Link Visiting Scheme or WBC safeguarding hub immediately to help protect adults at risk.

• To protect your own data by not revealing your phone number or exact address to the person until you feel comfortable to do so.

• To respect your Link Friend’s right to confidentiality by keeping their personal details, details of your conversations and any paperwork confidential from anyone outside of the Link Visiting Scheme.

• To remember that we are not a counselling service, and if you feel your Link Friend needs professional support with their mental health needs to let the Link office know.

• To inform us immediately if you need to stop calling your Link Express Friend for any reason so we can reallocate them.

What you can expect from us

• We will ensure we only give you as many Link Friends as you have agreed to.

• We will protect your personal data and only give your first name to the people you are calling. You are in control of your personal information.

• We will be available to you for advice, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and to provide support and be a listening ear for your concerns. If you need to stop phoning your Link Express friend for any reason, we will support you with this and make it easy for you.

• If we are not available, we have given you important information about your Link Express Friend to help you access the right help, such as their emergency contact details.

The Link Express process

• We will call you or email you with the details of a person to call identified as experiencing loneliness and able to use the phone.

• We ask you to call your Link Friend once a week. It might be helpful for you to keep a call-log with a note of your calls and a broad outline of the conversation you had.

• We will email you once a month to see if there are any significant changes or life events for our Link Friend which might influence matching them to a permanent volunteer at the monthly Assessment Meeting.

• We will email you after the Assessment Meeting to inform you of the outcome, either we have found a permanent volunteer and you can stop the calls or we didn’t manage to, so you can carry on!

• We will invite you and the other Link Express volunteers once a quarter to come to the Charity and Community Hub so we can thank you and informally discuss any changes to the project.

 Before every phone call

• Remind yourself of your Link Friends circumstances and what you may have talked about during previous calls. Your call log may be helpful with this.

• Make sure you can hear your Link Friend clearly on the phone by being in a quiet space if possible. Try to take away any distractions near you so you can focus on your Link Friend during the duration of your call.

• REMEMBER TO DIAL 141 before the person’s phone number. This is to protect your phone number, so you do not receive unwanted calls. Once you give your number out or the person has dialled 1571 to retrieve it, you are unable to get it back!

• Alternative ways to hide your phone number on mobile phones:

For Android users – Go to ‘phone’, press the vertical 3 dots for a drop-down menu and select ‘settings’, select ‘supplementary services’, select ‘showing caller ID’, click ‘hide my number’.

For Apple devices – Go to ‘settings’, select ‘phone’, select ‘show my caller ID’, slide the circle to the left to hide number and back to right (green) to show number.

During the phone call

• Begin by explaining that you are a volunteer with the Link Visiting Scheme and you are calling to see how they are. You may need to remind them that they agreed to you calling them.

• If this is not your first call, you may want to remind them of something you have previously spoken about. This can reassure them that you are the same person.

• Ask them if this a good time to call and if they can hear you ok.

• Provide them with an opportunity to talk about anything they would like to. Take their lead and remember it may take a few calls to develop a trust between you.

• Feel free to talk about details about your own life that you are happy to share. However, remember that your buddy may not keep them confidential so nothing too personal!

• Take the conversation to where they lead it – BUT if it’s causing them to dwell on negative and depressing thoughts – you may need to help them change the subject.

• Enquire about their general wellbeing – are they eating enough and keeping hydrated? What are they doing to keep occupied at home?

General conversation topics for phone calls

• Weather

• Recent news items (especially positive ones)

• Gardening

• Cooking

• Family

• Pets

• Managing at home

• Friendships

To end the phone call

• Tell your Link Express Friend when you’ll be calling next and remind them of your name. Prompt them to make a note on their calendar or diary if they find that helpful.

• Tell them how much you have enjoyed chatting to them and how you are looking forward to speaking to them again soon.

• If you are calling someone who is difficult to finish a call with as they don’t want it to end, it might be helpful to tell them you have to go for a specific reason.

Frequently asked questions for telephone befriending

My Link Friend needs support with practical help e.g. shopping for food or picking up prescriptions

Please give the Link office a call and we can put the person in touch with local organisations who can meet their need.

My Link Friend is not answering their phone

Please try to call at different times over a couple of days in case they were out or just not able to get to the phone at the time. If you are still unable to reach them and they were expecting your call, please call the Link office. We may encourage you to contact your Link Friends emergency contact to check their welfare.

My buddy told me they are feeling unwell

Encourage your Link Friend to contact their doctor for a telephone consultation, or 111 if you feel their symptoms are more urgent. If you are very worried about them, please contact their emergency contact and the Link office.

Effective communication

Here are a few top tips to help you to effectively communicate with your Link Friend.

• Make sure you can focus. Active listening means being ‘tuned in’ to the person who is speaking and allowing them the time and space to get their point across to you.

• Try not to talk over the top of the other person. Allowing space for both of you to express yourselves is vital in building rapport and establishing a positive relationship. They also may not have spoken to someone else for some time so they might need the release of talking a lot!

• Try to relate to the other person’s point of view, even if it is not one you share. Empathy and compassion provide a positive platform for conversation without fear of a negative or judgmental response.

• Be patient. A pause, even a long pause, doesn’t always mean that the speaker has finished. Silence is also okay. Don’t feel as though you have to fill all the silent ‘spaces’. Allow the conversation to ebb and flow as necessary.

• Avoid personal prejudice, discrimination or judgement. Appreciate that the person you are speaking to will have their own range of opinions, values and experiences and that these may be different to your own, but no less valid.

• Listen to your Link Friend’s tone of voice. Volume, pitch and tone all reveal how someone is reacting to what is being said, or how they are generally feeling.

• Listen for the message, not just words. You want to get the whole picture, not just bits and pieces. Sometimes your Link Friend might want to say something to you, but is unsure how to go about it, for example, asking for help.

• Be aware of what type of questions you are asking and why you are asking them. For example ‘What do you think you could do about that?’ could encourage your Link Friend to find their own solutions, and help them to feel empowered. ‘Don’t you think it would be better if you did this?’ could be leading and make your Link Friend feel judged.

Helpful phone numbers

• The Link Visiting Scheme office

  0118 979 8019

• Kate Austin – Link Express Project Lead

  0118 9798019 / 07584425862

• Marjie Walker - CEO

  0118 9798019

• Carol McQuade – Befriending Officer

  0118 9798019/ 07826894657

• Beth Holdway – Activities and Events

  0118 9798019 / 97826919663

• Karan Pollard - Volunteer Coordinator

  07551 227 751

• Clare Randell – Assessor/ New Services Coordinator

  07551 411 813

For all safeguarding concerns, if the Link office is not available

• Wokingham Borough Council Safeguarding Adults Hub - office hours

  0118 974 6371

• Emergency Duty team - out of office hours

  01344 78 6543

• Wokingham Citizens advice - office hours

  0300 330 1189