Exploration of Friendship policy between clients and volunteers at end of service 2023

West Norfolk Befriending has a policy of matching our clients and volunteers for befriending for up to a year.

WNB became a registered charity in 2002 and initially there was no time limit placed on befriending matches. Volunteers had one client at a time and the befriending visits took place weekly. However, as the charity grew and the service had more demand, this had a detrimental effect on our waiting lists and proved to be unsustainable.

This document looks at the changes we made to improve our services and waiting times. It also explains how we came to the decision to limit our service to a year after seeking support and advice from external organisations, through carrying out our own research, and by talking to our volunteers and clients.

Many of our volunteers and clients decide to continue seeing one another as private friends once the year ends and they are happy to sign our friendship agreement once its purpose has been explained. Occasionally, the volunteer and client do not remain in touch after the year’s service has finished and this document looks into the reasons behind this.

Included in the report are examples of the documents and official correspondence we use throughout our service. These are worded to make sure that everyone involved is fully aware of how our service works and the agreements they are making. It is vital that we have transparency and accountability.

For a full report on our findings click on the button below.