Referrals
We value each and every person and so anyone who is referred to Befriended will be treated as an individual and will be assessed as such. Befriended will firstly assess if the person referred meets the criteria for our befriending scheme. Secondly, sometimes people are referred who do not need what we offer or are looking for something different so we then signpost them to other services.
We welcome referrals from both professional agencies as well as personal links whether they are a neighbour, a friend, a family member or someone else you are aware of.
The criteria for Befriended is:
- Over 65 years old
- Limited or no family or friends who visit regularly
- Lonely and spend a lot of time alone
- Able to form a friendship and maintain a conversation
- Living in Mid Sussex
If you would like to refer someone to Befriended please use the link below to our Referral Form. If you’re unsure about whether Befriended is the best route for this person or whether they fit the criteria, please feel free to give us a call on 0300 772 7703 for an initial chat.
“I have referred a number of clients to Befriended and I share the success stories with my teams up and down the country. It is great for me as a professional to know that once I have referred a client on, something is done to improve that person’s life. Thank you Befriended.” – Pauline
The process of referral can take anything up to 8-10 weeks, depending on the outcome of the assessment and the availability of the right volunteer.
Once we have received a referral, we will get in touch directly with the individual and arrange a time to conduct a home visit and a risk assessment. At this point, we will collect some more information from the individual about their likes and dislikes, their hobbies, what they like to read or watch. This information all feeds into our ‘Match made in Heaven’. A risk assessment is carried out to ensure that both our clients and our volunteers are kept safe.
We will then begin the matching process where we aim to create a ‘Match made in Heaven’, this will take the preferences of both client and volunteer as well as hopefully matching them with someone who has similar interests or hobbies so that they instantly have something in common that they can chat about.
Once we’ve created our ‘Match made in Heaven’, we’ll arrange a time for the client and volunteer to meet and be introduced to one another. After this, it’s over to one of our wonderful volunteers to meet regularly with their matched client and hopefully create a lasting friendship.
Befriended provides ongoing support for both the volunteer and the client by being in touch regularly with both and addressing any issues or changes in circumstances that may arise. Also in order to monitor and evaluate the difference befriended is making we ask the volunteer to complete an update form each month.
