Welcome to the Buddy Resources Pages

Training Videos

The training videos have been provided by ‘Befriending Networks’ – UK-based organisation that provides support, training and guidance to hundreds of befriending projects across the country.  Peter McBride on behalf of 41 Club is a registered member of Befriending Networks and as such has permission to make use of their wide range of training resources for the 41 Club Buddies scheme.

Befriending Networks has volunteers who phone out to talk to vulnerable people and their guidance reflects this.  This is different to our Buddy scheme where Buddies will receive calls from 41 Club members whom they will not know.

Consequently, whilst some references may be different, the overall approach will still be useful and relevant to all Buddies.  The videos were originally part of a Webinar that included interactive Q&A sessions

Where the videos may refer to building relationships between befrienders and their ‘matches’ this is unlikely for Buddies as callers will not necessarily speak to the same Buddy when they phone Buddyline.

Also the videos refer to ‘befriending projects’ – this is because Befriending UK provide befrienders to a number of different organisations and situations.  We are only one ‘befriending project’ – 41 Club Buddies.

Please bear the above in mind when listening to the training videos.

There are also some terms used in the videos that are slightly different to those used in the 41 Club Buddies scheme.

Confidentiality & Safeguarding

Their scheme refers to befrienders phoning vulnerable people -i.e. a befriender will have a ‘match’ – a person whom they have been matched with – Buddies will receive calls from 41 Club members they will not know.

A ‘service user’ refers to the 41 Club members who contact the 41 Club Buddyline.

Buddies are not expected to send emails or letters to callers.

The term ‘volunteer coordinator’ refers to a Buddy Supporter with whom Buddies may share details of a call as appropriate.  We are still in the process of deciding upon how Buddies will record information and be supported by each other.  This area will be clarified shortly.

The term ‘organisation’ refers to the 41 Club Board and the 41 Club Befriending Lead – currently Peter McBride.  This will also need to be clarified.

The safeguarding policies will be the existing 41 Club Association policies, practices and procedures.  Again, these and the appropriate officers will be clarified and communicated to all Buddies.

The questions at the end of the webinar are not all relevant to Buddies.

Communications

The good practice guidelines have been developed with befrienders phoning out to their ‘matches’ in mind.  As Buddies will be receiving phone calls, you may not be able to always follow all these guidelines – but they provide a useful framework of guidelines for Buddies to follow.

Again, the summary and questions at the end are not all relevant to Buddies as they mainly relate to befrienders phoning service users.

Boundaries

Once again, this training video refers to situations where and when a befriender contacts a service user – this will not apply to a caller contacting a Buddy.

41 Club is not envisaging having a ‘Boundaries Agreement’ that Buddies will need to sign.