Volunteer befriending phone line extended until April in Northamptonshire as 788 calls are made during pandemic

Service users and patients can speak to a team of volunteers, which have
expanded from 3 when the service launched in April to 13 — Service users and patients can speak to a team of volunteers, which have expanded from 3 when the service launched in April to 13

Northamptonshire Healthcare's welfare call service has been extended to deliver befriending support in the county.

The welfare call service, which was first established by the volunteer services to provide befriending support to patients in response to COVID-19, will continue to offer support until April 2021.

When it first launched, the welfare call service was ran by three volunteers who made calls to patients in need of emotional wellbeing support at the start of the pandemic.

Now, six months later, the team has expanded with 13 volunteers taking an average of 40 calls a week.

The support that these fantastic volunteers provide has now gone far beyond a befriending service and also provides a coping mechanism for service users, patients and staff experiencing isolation, stress, bereavement, and anxiety during these challenging times.

Mandy Woolf, voluntary services manager at NHFT, said: “The welfare call service was first established to provide a listening ear for patients and service users experiencing isolation at the start of the pandemic.

“Our team has now expanded vastly from three to 13 and I am so pleased that we will continue to provide a vital service for a further six months.

"Any of our patients or service users can receive support and speak to someone about any concerns or worries they might have by contacting the team.”

One service user, who the NHS did not name, said: “For people who are disabled and isolated it really helps to have someone to talk to regularly. It enables me to process things and get some feedback on issues, and it is good to have someone checking-in to see I am okay.

“Knowing I have a call each week, gives me the reason to keep going and I get to know the person I speak to each week, which helps me a lot.”

The team is working closely with the 24/7 mental health number to refer individuals and ensure they receive the right support.

The service has made a difference to the lives of communities in Northamptonshire as 78 referrals have been made, 722 calls have been completed – totalling over 200 hours.

To find out more about the community and mental health services in Northamptonshire visit www.nhft.nhs.uk or email [email protected].