BIADS - BEFRIENDING SERVICE

We have some amazing volunteers who are waiting to offer their time as a befriender to you, the carer of a loved one with a diagnosis of dementia. They are there to provide social interactions of friendship by ways of telephone calls, home visits or supporting you to access local community events or appointments.

All our volunteers are trained and DBS checked before we match them to a carer and they are supported by the Carer Support Team every step of the way. The Befriending Service is to complement the Carers Support Service but does not offer advice and information.  Please contact the Carers Support worker if you need advice and information.

An agreement will be made between yourself as the carer and the befriender which suits the availability and needs of you both setting boundaries for the support on offer be that phone calls, home visits, etc.

Our criteria to access a befriender:

• you need to be caring for a loved one who has a diagnosis of dementia or they need to be in the process of receiving a diagnosis.
• Your loved one must live in the Barnsley Borough or be paying their council tax to BMBC or be under the Barnsley Memory Services or have a Barnsley GP.
• If you don't live in Barnsley borough we can offer telephone befriending only.

Please contact us or speak to a Carer Support Worker to start your befriending journey today.