Volunteer - Norfolk Befriending Service

Carer Befrienders will offer regular companionship and wellbeing support for the carer at home.
This could include:
- Having a cup of tea and a chat
- Playing board games together
- Reading to the carer
- Helping the carer to cook a meal

Carer Befrienders can also offer support for the carer in the community to offer reassurance, encouragement and help build independence.
This could include:
- Companionship whilst walking
- Support to access local community services such as the library, supermarket, carer support group or leisure centre.

Helping Hand Befrienders will offer practical support where the carer is unable complete certain tasks themselves. This is more of an ad-hoc role and the Befriender may support several carers with different tasks on an ad-hoc basis.
This could include:
- Dog walking on a lead
- Collecting prescriptions
- Grocery shopping
- Light gardening tasks

Family Befrienders will offer companionship for the cared-for at home, to help make it easier for the carer to get out into their local community for activities that give them support, friendship and wellbeing.

This offers similar support to the Carer Befriender but is focused on the person they are caring for.
This could include:
- Having a cup of tea and a chat
- Playing board games together
- Reading to the cared-for

You may wish to apply for more than one role and all our befriending roles can all be adapted to suit your availability and lifestyle.

This is an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of carers and the people they care for, to meet new people, to use and enhance your existing skills and develop new, transferable skills.

Where you will be based

The project is based across Norfolk and volunteers can agree to areas within the county they are willing to consider travelling to.

Please note, our befriending roles do not include:

· Tree/ Hedge cutting

• Pressure washing or car washing


• Any lifts or car sharing at all


• Heavy lifting of any kind


• Personal care


• Administering medication


Your commitment

Your commitment can be as much or as little as you choose. Ideally with a minimum commitment of six months.

All volunteers must agree to follow Caring Together' guidance, policy and procedures, including our onboarding process which includes an Enhanced DBS check.

Benefits to the volunteer

• Gaining new skills, both practically and personally.


• The satisfaction of knowing you are making an important and valued difference to someone's life/the work of Caring Together.


• Meeting new people and be part of a friendly team.


• Gaining valuable experience in the social care field within a voluntary organisation.


Our commitment to you

• The opportunity to use and enhance your existing skills and develop new, transferable skills.


• Reimbursement of reasonable travel expenses.


• Full and comprehensive training will be given as well as regular debriefing, well-being checks and on-going support.
  
  A desire to make a difference to people's lives.


• Like working as part of a team.


• Be approachable and non-judgemental.


• Enthusiasm.


• Be friendly and enjoy meeting and supporting people.


• Good verbal/written communication skills.


• Good listening and conversation skills.


• Be committed, reliable and trustworthy.


• Be understanding and respectful.


• An ability to demonstrate patience and sensitivity.
  
  Caring Together is an ambitious regional charity that provides emotional and practical support, advice and guidance to carers of all ages and their families, as well as opportunities to take a break from their caring role.


There are currently more than 26,000 unpaid carers living in Norfolk, who provide over 50 hours of care each week to a family member or friend who need help because of an illness, frailty, disability, or a mental health issue.

The Norfolk Befriending Service is an exciting new project focused on providing companionship and wellbeing support to people caring for a family member or friend, who are experiencing isolation, loneliness and exhaustion in their caring role.

Our people

Our vision is a world with no unpaid carer in crisis, isolated or struggling alone and our staff and volunteers are all dedicated to making a difference.

We employ over 160 care professionals, 65 office-based staff and . over 45 volunteers. Everyone's roles are important in making the charity run smoothly and effectively.