The unique and valuable support provided by mentoring and befriending

5 Pages·00.079 MB·0\5

by  Joe Mulvihill

Case study
The unique and valuable
support provided by
mentoring and befriending
Joe Mulvihill
Communications Officer, Mentoring and Befriending Foundation, UK
Abstract
This paper argues the case for more mentoring and befriending projects to be set up to support
older people with various levels of needs. From reducing social isolation to helping with form
filling, the benefits of mentoring and befriending are numerous. An introduction to mentoring and
befriending is given, along with some case study examples of projects in action. A look at some of
the ways befriending can be used to support older people from a new report by the Mentoring
and Befriending Foundation is followed by a look at some recent research, concluding with some
implications for practice.
Key words
Mentoring; befriending; personalised support; one to one; Mentoring and Befriending Foundation;
social isolation; dementia; mental health; social networks.
Introduction
With an ageing population and an overburdened Mentoring and befriending involves the
NHS, the argument for more mentoring and development of relationships in which one
befriending projects to provide personalised support individual – usually a trained volunteer – gives
for older people is a strong and timely one. The time to support and encourage another, often at a
following article will argue the case for this type of time of transition in their life. The relationships
personalised support to be more widespread. are based on trust, confidentiality and mutual
involvement. The words mentoring and
What are mentoring and befriending are often used interchangeably and
befriending? both forms of support include social elements to
There are lots of different mentoring and the relationship, with the main difference being
befriending projects running throughout the UK the emphasis placed on goals. Mentoring tends
supporting people of all ages and needs. At the last to be a more goal-oriented, time-limited process
count, the Mentoring and Befriending Foundation that supports learning and development, whereas
was in touch with over 3,500 different projects. Of befriending tends to develop more informal and
these a high percentage provide support for older supportive social relationships, often over a longer
people with a variety of needs. period of time.
10.5042/wwop.2011.0118
34 Working with Older People • Volume 15 Issue 1 • March 2011 © Pier Professional Ltd
The unique and valuable support provided by mentoring and befriending
Traditionally, both mentoring and befriending been missed. Not only is this form of intervention
involve a one-to-one relationship based on face- of the upmost benefit to the older people, but also
to-face meetings, but this has evolved to include a the cost savings for the authorities achieved by
range of different models and styles depending on the prevention of accidents and early diagnosis of
why, where and with whom the activity is being health conditions by befriendees is valuable.
used. Some of these newer models of mentoring Homeline is a project run by the charity
and befriending include intergenerational work, Bishop Creighton House in London, which aims
whereby young and older people come together to reduce loneliness and improve well-being
to share a two-way learning experience, helping among isolated older people. The project runs
to build trust and respect between generations. a telephone befriending service. The volunteer
Another newer model of mentoring and befrienders call over 100 older people living
befriending involves the use of technology, such alone for a chat and to check they are safe and
as email, online forums or telephone, to access well. Volunteers call from their own homes when
support when meeting face-to-face is not a viable the office is closed over Christmas or on bank
option due to geographic or other reasons. holidays. The project also runs a face-to-face
befriending service, where volunteer befrienders
Mentoring and befriending visit older people in their homes for a social visit
in action or trip out in the local area on a weekly basis.
Some large, well-known charities advocate the use A Homeline project worker provides casework
of befriending to support the people who access support for its members who have particular
their services. Some local branches of Age UK use problems, such as accessing their GP, form
befriending to provide companionship and social filling, applying for benefits, addressing a problem
contact to older people who either live alone or with their homecare etc. An outcomes survey
who live in care homes and have either no or completed in 2009 found that the majority of
few visitors. And some of the local Alzheimer’s respondents said that they no longer felt isolated
Society branches run befriending projects in order or alone, and felt happier and safer at home as a
to provide volunteers to support people in their result of the support provided by the scheme. The
own homes or to encourage people with dementia majority also felt that they had someone to turn
to take part in interests and activities that they to for information, advice or support to access
may no longer have the chance to do. other services, and that family, friends or carers
Brighton’s Neighbourhood Care Scheme is had more peace of mind as a result of the scheme.
a befriending project that provides long-term Once again, the form of care that the project
practical and social neighbourly support to older provides really is unique. It is a beneficial
people, ranging from form filling to dog walking. supplement to the overstretched NHS care, in
The project aims to improve the quality of life of that the volunteer befrienders are able to advise
people aged 60 and over and to reduce instances their befriendees when they should or should not
of social isolation and loneliness. It also provides seek their GP’s help, while also helping to spot
the opportunity for local people to help their health conditions early, prior to them developing
neighbours, of which the scheme can call on a and becoming more costly and time consuming
bank of over 200 volunteers. to treat. The voluntary and regular nature of the
In 2009–10, 44% of the scheme’s volunteers relationship is highly valued by befriendees as
reported doing something that helped prevent an they regard it as distinctively different from those
accident when they were visiting their befriendee, formed with professionals.
five took up issues with care agencies around More often than not, the projects termed
the quality of care received by the person they as ‘befriending’ are the ones that support older
visit, and two safeguarding vulnerable adults people, but this is not always the case. The
alerts were raised with social services as a result last project example involves intergenerational
of problems identified. All of these are very mentoring. Digitall is a TimeBank-managed
significant interventions that have alerted the mentoring project tackling digital inclusion. It
authorities to situations that may otherwise have brings together young people aged 18–25 who are
Working with Older People • Volume 15 Issue 1 • March 2011 © Pier Professional Ltd 35
The unique and valuable support provided by mentoring and befriending
willing to share their knowledge and experience of Befriending is a personalised form of care and
using computers and the internet with older people should be an option available for people who may
who are interested in getting to grips with new want to access it to maintain their health and
technology. The project helps to promote a better well-being, to reduce their loneliness or to live
understanding between generations by bringing independently for as long as possible.
people of different ages and experiences together.
It also improves the quality of life for older people Early intervention and
who are able to access the opportunities offered by prevention
new technology and the internet. Befrienders can play a vital role in spotting their
While befriending and mentoring projects befriendee’s health problems early before they
provide excellent support to people of all ages reach a crisis point. They can also provide their
and with all sorts of needs, they also provide befriendee with vital preventive support at an
great opportunities for older people to volunteer, early stage so that they can stay independent for
to share their experiences and to stay active and longer, recover from long-term illnesses, manage
involved within their communities. Lots of projects long-term conditions or assist them to undertake
– intergenerational and others – make use of older daily activities. Befriending can also help to
people as befrienders and mentors. One of the provide the social and emotional support that a
regional winners of the recent Supporting Life’s person who is isolated or disadvantaged as a result
Journeys Mentoring and Befriending Recognition of a long-term illness or condition may require.
Awards was an 83-year-old befriender. The
awards were part of the Supporting Life’s Journeys Reducing dependency on NHS
campaign, which ran during the last quarter of 2010 resources
to raise the profile of – and improve understanding If befriending is used more to support the
and awareness of – mentoring and befriending. emotional needs of people as part of a targeted
A new report by the Mentoring and support package, it can contribute significantly
Befriending Foundation, Befriending Works: to building resilience so people are better able to
Building resilience in local communities (Bradley cope independently and dependence on other,
et al, 2010), details some of the ways that more costly, healthcare services is reduced. It can
befriending can be used to support older people help to improve mental health and well-being and
and as a way of providing respite for carers. may help to reduce future dependency on more
costly health and social care services.
Independence and accessing
services The case for befriending:
Befriending can be used to help people live recent research
independently in their own homes and to access A Help the Aged (now Age UK) factsheet from
services. Befrienders can assist their befriendees with May 2010 revealed that just over one million people
using public transport to attend local recreational aged 65 or over in the UK say they always or often
or leisure facilities, provide them with the tools feel lonely, and over 1.1 million older people feel
to seek advice and guidance on accessing other trapped in their own home. The associated risks to
services within their communities and they can older people’s physical and mental health and well-
provide practical assistance to help them deal with being are well known, but can be easily countered
day-to-day administrative tasks to help them live via a befriending service. A simple home-visiting
independently. Befriending support can help to build service could help to alleviate social isolation and is
confidence to overcome the barriers that cause social likely to lessen the effects of loneliness and, in some
isolation and to expand social networks. cases, depression. Loneliness has been identified as a
major risk factor for depression.
Increasing choice and control Over the last year, new research from two
People who receive social care support or who national pilot programmes has been published
fund their own care are now entitled to have about the positive role of befriending as a service
choice and control over the support they get. to support older people (Knapp, 2010).
36 Working with Older People • Volume 15 Issue 1 • March 2011 © Pier Professional Ltd
The unique and valuable support provided by mentoring and befriending
LinkAge Plus integrated packages of care and support for
This comprised eight pilots bringing together older people.
central government, local authorities and other Befriending projects and older people should
organisations to find innovative ways to break be able to feed into and personalise future
down traditional organisational and financial befriending support services/commitment
barriers and to join up services. One of the pilots by health and social care commissioners at
saw a new style of service offered for older people national and local level to investment in
experiencing a downturn in their lives. These preventive measures such as befriending to
individuals were at higher than average risk avert admissions to hospital or residential care.
of isolation, social exclusion and poor health. Investing in such schemes at a local level may
Befrienders visited them and prompted them delay the need for more costly health and
to become involved in stimulating creative and social care service provision.
social activities, either in small, informal, friendly When an older person is referred for assistance
groups in local community venues or in their with social care and feels lonely and isolated, it
own homes. Among the positive findings was may be worth considering whether befriending
a significant reduction in the number of older support would be beneficial. With the help of
people with depression. a befriender, older people can be encouraged to
access other services earlier, which could prevent
Partnership for Older People more serious difficulties occurring later on.
Projects (POPP)
In England 29 local authorities were chosen to pilot For help setting up a mentoring or befriending
local projects to promote the health, well-being project, finding your nearest scheme or for more
and independence of older people, and delaying information about mentoring and befriending see:
or preventing their need for higher intensity or www.mandbf.org.uk.
institutional care; some of the pilots involved
befriending. The national evaluation revealed that Address for correspondence
befriending services brought about many positive Joe Mulvihill
achievements including improvements in quality Communications Officer
of life and cost-effectiveness. Fewer older people Mentoring and Befriending Foundation
reported being depressed or anxious after accessing Suite 1, 4th Floor
befriending services. Building 3
These two studies provide some encouraging Universal Square
evidence in support of befriending services despite Devonshire Street North
only addressing a few of the possible effects of Manchester M12 6JH
befriending. UK
The new-found confidence and increased links Email: [email protected]
into the local community of older people who
have received support from befriending services References:
might, for example, prevent later complications or Knapp M (2010) ‘Reserach realities: how befriending
services can aid older people’s well-being’, Community
emergencies. As well as preventing depression and
Care, 8 July 2010. Available from: http://www.
emotional distress, these services might also help communitycare.co.uk Articles/2010/07/08/114872/how-
older people to see their GPs, and so make sure befriending-services-can-aid-older-peoples-well-being.
htm (accessed February 2011)
that a range of health needs are met. These are
all potential effects that might add to the case for Help the Aged (2010) Older People in the United
Kingdom, May 2010 [online]. Available from: http://
expanding befriending interventions.
policy.helptheaged.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/29341400-
5DF0-49B7-BD90-00CE05A0F46F/0/uk_facts.pdf
Implications for practice (accessed February 2011)
Befriending should be recognised as an Bradley S, Merril M & Whistlecraft A (2010)
effective intervention in social care planning Befriending Works: Building resilience in local communities.
Manchester: Mentoring and Befriending Foundation.
and should be widely adopted as part of
Working with Older People • Volume 15 Issue 1 • March 2011 © Pier Professional Ltd 37
Reproducedwithpermissionofthecopyrightowner.Furtherreproductionprohibitedwithoutpermission.