Emily Palmer
Adult Service Project Worker
Greenwich Mencap
The Forum @ Greenwich
Trafalgar Road
Greenwich
London, SE10 9EQ
Working with and for people with a learning
disability and their families
Tel: 020 8305 2245
Fax: 020 805 1113
Email: emily@greenwichmencap.org.uk
If you think you might be interested in volunteering as a befriender then read on...
Greenwich Mencap Befriending Scheme matches volunteer befrienders with adults with
learning disabilities to make lasting friendships. Not only does this enable the scheme users to
develop relationships beyond their family and paid staff, but it also increases their ability to
access mainstream leisure activities.
Many of the friendships prove rewarding and last years. Apart from the satisfaction of knowing
you are making a real difference to someone’s life and broadening your own perspective, we
offer training and out-of-pocket expenses. The Project Worker provides on-going support.
We need volunteers from a variety of backgrounds. Commitment and attitude are more
important than experience. We ask volunteers to agree to meet up with their friend at least
once a month. You would be matched with someone who has similar interests and would
decide together what to do. It could be joining an adult education class, a trip to the theatre,
cinema, pub, or a sporting event or simply a cup of tea and a chat.
Could you share your leisure time with someone with a learning disability so that they
have the opportunity to live as full and varied life as possible, regardless of their
disability?
Greenwich Mencap is committed to exploring new and innovative ways of supporting
friendships. To this end we have set up the Friendship Bank, a borough-wide friendship
support service for adults with mild learning disabilities. There is a drop-in on Thursdays 12-2 in
the Forum café. Our Friendship Broker is available to help people develop their personal skills,
meet up and keep in touch with old and new friends. One Saturday a month people get
together to go out and about.
The Meet-up club meets on the last Tuesday of every month at a local pub. Everyone is
welcome. We are able to provide staff support where appropriate, with advance notice.
If you would like to know more about our Befriending/Volunteering service, our
Friendship Broking service or the Meet-up club then just ring for a chat. We are not
always available in the office, but please leave a message and one of us will contact you
as soon as we can.
Emily Palmer, Adult Services Project Worker 020 8305 2245 opt 4
Greenwich Mencap Administration Office: The Forum @ Greenwich, Trafalgar Road, Greenwich, London, SE10 9EQ
Info@greenwichmencap.org.uk
Affiliated to Royal Mencap
Registered Charity No 802103
Tel/Fax: 020 8305 2245
www.greenwichmencap.org.uk
Private Limited Company
Registered in England and Wales No 2408836
GREENWICH MENCAP BEFRIENDING SCHEME
Procedure for becoming Volunteer Befrienders
Stage 1
Preliminary meeting with Co-ordinator
Talking about befriending
Application forms given
Equal Opportunities Statement given
Guidelines given
App form returned then CRB disclosure form given
Stage 2
Interview with 2 Staff members
Stage 3
Induction (group)
Stage 4
Profile of Friend (individual)
Stage 5
Matching with Friend
Stage 6
Meetings with co-ordinator as required
Stage 7
Support time with Co-ordinator
Greenwich Mencap Befriending Scheme
Application form for Volunteer Befrienders
CONFIDENTIAL
Full name ..................................................................................................
Date of Birth ..............................................................................................
Present Address
....................................................................................
....................................................................................
Telephone No.
Home ............................. Work ...............................
Days / Times when available for voluntary work:
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
What experience, if any, do you have of voluntary work?
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
Please tell us about your skills, qualifications or experience which may be of use to the scheme.
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
......................................................................................................................
Please tell us about any interests, hobbies or sports you enjoy.
......................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
Greenwich Mencap
Application Form for Volunteer Befriender
Page 2
Why do you wish to volunteer with this scheme?
......................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
What experience, if any, do you have of people with a learning disability?
......................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
The Befriending Scheme users and befrienders are encouraged to use public transport
whenever possible, so it is not necessary for volunteers to be able to drive. If you have a full
driving licence and a car which you are willing to use, please let the Co-ordinator know. Use of
your car for unpaid voluntary work should not affect your insurance policy.
Do you have a full driving licence?
YES / NO
Do you have a car which you are willing to use as a Greenwich Mencap Befriending Scheme
volunteer? YES / NO
Have you any health difficulties or allergies which affect your choice of leisure activities?
(This information is only needed to help with matching you with a suitable User of the
Befriending Scheme)
......................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................
As befriending involves working alone with vulnerable people, it is exempt from the
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. This means that everyone applying to be a befriender is asked
to complete the written confidential statement attached, declaring if they have any criminal
convictions, even spent convictions. Criminal convictions will not automatically disqualify you
from becoming a befriender. Any decision will be discussed with you.
Greenwich Mencap
Application Form for Volunteer Befriender
Page 3
Please give details of two people, not relatives, who have known you well for at least 2 years
and are willing to recommend you as a volunteer befriender. We will make contact with them in
writing and by telephone.
1.
Name ....................................................................................................
Address
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Telephone No.
2.
................................................................................
Name ....................................................................................................
Address
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
..........................................................................................
Telephone No.
................................................................................
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself?
..........................................................................................................................
..........................................................................................................................
How did you hear about the Befriending Scheme?............................................
Signature
......................................................
Date
......................................................
CONFIDENTIAL
We are committed to best practice in volunteer recruitment and will ensure that those working
directly with people, as a volunteer, are appropriately screened.
Have you ever been convicted of any criminal offence by a Court of Law?
Yes / No
If the answer to the above is Yes, please complete the following:
Date
Place
Offence
Sentence
I agree to these details being given to the police to check for any
records of convictions, cautions or bindovers in respect of myself
Yes / No
Please note that a criminal record will not necessarily prevent you from working as a volunteer.
However, because of the vulnerability of some of the people with whom we work, we reserve
the right to conduct checks as deemed necessary.
The information provided on this application form will remain confidential and will be used for
the purpose of selection. If your application is successful, we may, from time to time, wish to
process this information for personnel administration and business management purposes.
Where this is the case, processing, whether by means of a computer or otherwise, will take
place in accordance with the provision of the Data Protection Acts 1984 and 1998. By signing
this form, you will be providing your consent to these uses.
DECLARATION
I declare that to the best of my knowledge and belief, all particulars I have given are complete
and true. I understand that any false declaration or misleading statement or any significant
omission may disqualify me from volunteering and render my liable to dismissal. I understand
that any offer is subject to satisfactory references. I understand that this post involves direct
working with people with a learning disability and therefore is subject to a Criminal Records
check (Disclosure). Should I be accepted as a Volunteer Befriender, I understand that I will
need to seek a Criminal Record Check from the Criminal Records Bureau, before starting as a
Volunteer.
Signature : ………………………………
Date : ………………………….
GREENWICH MENCAP BEFRIENDING SCHEME
Guidelines for Volunteers
The main aim is to offer the person you are befriending support so that she/he can enjoy
friendship and a varied range of activities, not just those which are for people who have
disabilities.
The term ‘learning disability’ is applied to people who vary widely in ability, personality and
independence. Like all of us, your Friend needs to be treated as an individual and encouraged
to make informed choices. It is important that volunteers, members and carers accord to each
other the dignity which is every person’s right.
Members need to feel that the volunteer is committed to the friendship, so punctuality and
reliability are important - as is the need to inform your Friend and Parent/Carer if you wish to
change arrangements.
Discuss with your Friend plans for future outings so that both of you are happy.
Always let the Parent/Carer know the arrangements and check that they find them convenient.
When you are out with your Friend, you will each pay your own expenses but volunteer out-ofpocket expenses up to £15 per visit will be reimbursed on presentation of receipts to the Project
Worker. If you both want to try something which is more expensive than usual, please contact
the Project worker.
Become as familiar as you can with the special needs, preferences and difficulties of your
Friend before your first outing. You will be given a profile of your Friend to help you with this.
The profile may contain important information including details of medication and statements of
particular needs and difficulties. Always honour these and always respect the confidentiality of
the information. You may be able to help your Friend develop abilities and confidence, but don’t
decide that your Friend is ready to take new risks (such as travelling alone) without consulting
the Parent/Carer and the Project worker.
It is useful to take a positive attitude, encouraging and building on the things that your Friend
can do rather than dwelling on the things which they cannot do.
Your Friend may wish to discuss their personal problems with you. If this should arise, rather
than giving direct advice, help them to see the options available to them so that they can make
their own choices. Any serious problems should be referred to the Project worker who will
involve the Greenwich Mencap Family Advisor for adults.
Be prepared for it to take a while to establish trust between you and your Friend and between
you and the Parent/Carer.
If a difficult or worrying situation should arise while you are out with your friend, report it yourself
to the Parent/Carer on your return. Contact the Project worker so that you can discuss it before
you go out with your Friend again.
It’s important that you work out what you are prepared to give in terms of time. Stick to what
you are happy with even if you know more would be liked.
The Friendship will be reviewed after 6 months, and thereafter at regular intervals, by all those
involved. If you find, for whatever reason, the Friendship is not working out, please let us know.
This happens in ordinary Friendships and is one of the things that might occur from time to time.
Once matched with your Friend, we would expect not less than 6 months commitment from you.
If you find you need to leave the scheme, please let us know, as it is important for everyone
concerned that the ending is planned and that your Friend has as much notice as possible of
the ending.
You and your Friend are insured by MCIS Ltd through Greenwich Mencap’s Public Liability
Insurance. This policy does not cover personal property. If you are planning to use your car
while doing voluntary work you can contact the Project worker to be included in a scheme that
protects your no claims bonus and loss of excess. This does not replace your personal car
insurance, it is an additional cover.
If you feel anxious or concerned about something your Friend or the Carer has said, please
contact the Project worker. Jan Smith, the Greenwich Mencap Family Advisor for adults can
provide additional support. Her telephone number is 020 8305 2245.
If any urgent problems arise, you can contact the Project worker and members of the
Greenwich Mencap Management Committee by ringing the Greenwich Mencap Office (020
8305 2245). There is a message line for you to use if the office is closed. Less urgent
problems can be dealt with at the support and social meetings or in your personal contact with
the Project worker.
Above everything else enjoy yourselves!
Project worker, Greenwich Mencap Befriending Scheme
GREENWICH MENCAP BEFRIENDING SCHEME
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
In order to ensure that recruitment opportunities within Friends in Greenwich exist for the
community as a whole, we would be grateful if you could complete the following questionnaire.
The information you give will provide us with valuable statistics for our recruitment programme
and enable us to monitor and evaluate our equal opportunities policy.
GENDER
Male
Female
AGE
Under 15
15-20
21-25
26-30
31-40
41-50
51-60
61+
ETHNIC GROUP
Black African
Bangladeshi
Black Caribbean
Chinese
Black other
(please specify)................
Indian
Irish
Pakistani
White
Vietnamese
White other
(please specify).....................
Asian other
(please specify) .................
Do you consider yourself to have a disability? Yes
No
Do you agree to us storing this information on our securely kept database?
Yes
GREENWICH MENCAP
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES STATEMENT
No
It is our policy to promote an environment in which all practices and procedures relating to
service provision and the recruitment, selection, training, promotion and employment of staff are
free from unfair discrimination and are based solely on work based and objective criteria.
Greenwich Mencap will challenge discrimination in fulfilling our legal and social responsibilities
to people who work for Greenwich Mencap, for people who use our services and the society’s
members.
Greenwich Mencap provides services for people with learning disabilities and their families
based within Greenwich, or for individuals with learning disabilities who are the responsibility of
the London Borough of Greenwich.
No member or person who uses our services, no employee or prospective employee should be
discriminated against, either directly or indirectly, on the grounds of gender, marital status,
race, colour, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, responsibility
for dependents, trade union membership or HIV status.
Equal opportunities policy and practice must be reviewed and evaluated, as well as being
strategically addressed within future planning and development of Greenwich Mencap and its
services and projects.
Greenwich Mencap aims to implement effective approaches to promoting equal opportunities
through welcoming diversity and difference and understanding that people have different talents
and resources through which they can contribute to organisational goals on equal terms.
Greenwich Mencap notes legal frameworks relating to unfair discrimination and victimisation
including:
Equal Pay Act 1970 and amendment 1983
Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
Sex Discrimination Acts 1975 and 1986
Race Relations Act 1976
Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
fuller details are held within the Greenwich Mencap office.
Greenwich Mencap has Complaints, Disciplinary and Grievance Procedures through which
issues can be raised and addressed.
Staff and volunteers are advised to read additional policy details, which are updated within
office the resources.