Buddy Line
Buddy Line will support individuals who are HIV+ across Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire who are struggling with loneliness and isolation, and keep them healthy and independent in their own homes. We will make a maximum of 3 calls per week. Offering a listening ear, conversation and a few laughs along the way
Our service will:
• Reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation
• Monitor health and wellbeing
• Reminding people to take medication and eat regular meals
• Building trust and confidence.
• Encouraging participation with community group and social activities
• Showing clients that someone cares
Trained Buddies will phone clients weekly at regular times. Our purpose is to chat about what interests clients, including families. Knowing we care is an influential impact on a persons’ sense of well-being. Over time Buddies will be able to pick up signs that all may not be well. Concerns will be passed to our experienced staff, who identify and carry out the best course of action.
Buddy Line – Telephone Befriending Service -We know that 1 in 5 people living with HIV say that they have needed help with loneliness and 3/4 of people living with HIV who report loneliness and isolation say they haven’t been able to find that help. We want to change that for the people of Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire. We want to set up a new telephone befriending service to combat loneliness and isolation. This will be the first telephone befriending service supporting clients with HIV in the City. This is a new element to our service and will help support people to gain confidence, re-engage with the community and become socially active again.
Befriending services are recognised across the Country for improving health and wellbeing for individuals. Befriending services are predominantly for older people however people living with HIV regardless of age report not being able to find help. We want to change this to enable individuals in Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire find a sense of belonging.
We will use The Campaign to End Loneliness Measurement Tool. This tool focusses on Positive language about a tricky issue: The particular strength of this tool is that it is written in language which is non-intrusive and unlikely to cause any embarrassment or distress.
