The Talk and Support Project at Suffolk Family Carers supports those family carers who are lonely or isolated as a result of their caring role. It is a well-established project and celebrates 14 years of service this year!
Talk and Support has been providing this much needed telephone support to adult family carers for the past 14 years; we have a team of around 35 trained volunteers who make regular telephone calls to around 60 family carers for a catch-up and chat. Our volunteers can provide information and signposting to the family carer if needed. However, often the most important thing they provide is a listening ear and emotional support where needed.
The service has been even more essential during the recent pandemic as more family carers became isolated and lonely! Our volunteers were able to support those family carers who were unable to visit the person they care for in hospital because of the restrictions; they gave information about on-line shopping or vaccinations and updates on our services too. We also supported many family carers who had been bereaved at this difficult time. It continues to be so essential for so many family carers.
Each month our professionals at Suffolk Family Carers interact with around 1200 family carers in various ways. Our professionals refer family carers to the talk and support service if this is appropriate and the family carer is interested in receiving a regular telephone call. Our Talk and Support co-ordinator takes care to match a family carer and a volunteer who may have similar interests, hobbies or caring experiences.
The criteria for talk and support is for :
- family carers who are isolated or lonely with a minimal support system
- those caring for people with little or no conversation, either because they have lost their power of speech or have communication problems.
- family carers whose caring role is extremely difficult and extra support would be beneficial
The service is a telephone only service and isn’t appropriate for everyone. We have clear boundaries and guidelines for our volunteers and family carers around the telephone calls to ensure they maintain confidentiality and feel safe. The telephone calls are reviewed regularly and we gather such positive feedback from the family carers about this service and our volunteers.
As you can imagine the demand for the service has been higher than normal during the last year however we are still taking referrals to the service at the moment. If you have requested the service and are on the waiting list for calls please bear with us as we try to find a suitable match for you. You can find out more about the service by calling our Information Hub on Ipswich 01473 835477 or by using our on-line chat service from our website: www.suffolkfamilycarers.org
Please get in touch with Frances if you, or someone you know, is interested in volunteering with us at
volunteer@suffolkfamilycarers.org or call 07769 886312.
