Become a Call Companion
Our Call Companion service connects a volunteer with an older person, aged 75 or over, who is experiencing loneliness and isolation. As a Call Companion volunteer, you’ll make a regular phone call, typically once a week, to foster friendship, enjoyment and conversation.
This role description sets out the aims and expectations of the role, your responsibilities and Re-engage’s commitment to supporting you as a volunteer.
Your role:
- Call the older person you’ve been matched with for approximately 20-30 minutes, usually once a week.
- Provide companionship over the phone by talking about interests, experiences and by providing a listening ear.
- Maintain the boundaries set out in our training and report any concerns to Re-engage.
- Keep your knowledge and training up to date by reading our volunteer newsletter – Re-engage Matters – sent monthly by email.
To become a Call Companion you’ll need to:
- Complete an induction – you might choose to attend a group induction or watch our pre-recorded video.
- Submit an ID check – you’ll need either a passport, driving licence, national insurance number or national identity card to do this.
- Provide a character reference – your referee can be an employer, a colleague, a friend, neighbour or community representative.
- Complete online training – these modules will help you get the most out of the role and take approximately one hour to complete.
Practical details:
- A flexible, homebased volunteering role that fits around your availability.
- No personal details are ever shared with your match, with calls made via our secure befriending platform.
- To keep our services free for older people, we can’t pay expenses for this role.
- You’ll be over 18 and able to commit to 12 months of volunteering (approximately 26 hours over a year).