Volunteer Telephone Befriender

**Purpose of the role**
- To provide regular telephone contact with older people at home with the aim of reducing feelings of social isolation.
- To help Age Concern maintain a low-key social support service to older people living alone.

**Main Duties & Responsibilities**
- Making regular telephone contact with older people at home who are isolated and/or vulnerable.
- Raising awareness and promoting the services which Age Concern provides.
- Helping Age Concern assist older people to maintain their independence.
- Adhering to the relevant Age Concern policies and procedures, such as Confidentiality, Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities.
- To have a friendly chat - similar to a friend or family member
- To record call on client file
- To ensure the Volunteer co-ordinator is informed of any problems

**The skills required for this role**:

- Good communication skills
- Understanding the need for confidentiality
- A liking for and an empathy with older people
- A friendly and cheerful telephone manner
- A sense of humour
- Reliability

Suggested hours to be agreed between the Volunteer and the Volunteer Co-ordinator.
- All volunteers must work within Age Concern Luton’s policies and procedures.
- Age Concern Luton operates a No Smoking policy, and all volunteers are required to comply with this.
- All Telephone Befrienders must have a DBS check before they can start helping which will be paid for by Age Concern Luton

**Functional Links**

**Internal;**

The Telephone Befriender’s most important internal functional links will be with the Community Engagement Worker. The Telephone Befriender may also be required to have links with other members of Age Concern Luton’s staff, volunteers, and service users.

**External;**

None

**Job Type**: Freelance

Ability to commute/relocate:

- Luton, Bedfordshire: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)