Referrals to the scheme can basically be made by anyone, although our main referrers are Health Visitors and Social Services. Families c an refer themselves.
Referrers are encouraged to phone the co-ordinator before making a referral to check out the availability of volunteers. Once that's done, a referral form is completed and forwarded to the office. No action is taken until the form is received.
When the form comes into the office it is logged and statistical information recorded. All records containing details of families are kept in a locked cabinet to maintain confidentiality at all times.
On receipt of the referral form the co-ordinator will write to the family making an appointment to see them for an initial assessment visit. If, after that visit the referral is accepted, the co-ordinator has to consider if there is a suitable available volunteer for the fam ily. If there is, the volunteer is approached and asked if he/she would like to work with that family.
If they agree, the co-ordinator will write again to the family arranging a time to go out with the volunteer to introduce them to each other. During that first visit a time will be fixed for the volunteer to return the following week and thereafter the visiting continues.
Once the match is made, the co-ordinator will write to the referrer informing her that a volunteer is now visiting that family. There will be no other contact with the referrer unless the visiting changes or ceases for any reason or if the family asks us to contact them.
The co-ordinator would usually have phone contact with the volunteer after the first couple of visits and a face to face support session within a month. The family are visited after approx. 6 weeks to see how they feel the visiting is going. Thereafter they will receive revi ew visits every few months or as required.