Our Services
We offer a range of services tailored to an individual's need. This includes:
Out & About
This service is a type of 'Peer Befriending'. With our wheelchair accessible mini-bus we help people get 'out of these 4 walls'. Small groups go out together regularly, building up new friendships, enjoying trips in the local area, perhaps stopping for coffee, going to a Lunch Club or attending local events.
This service is available across all of Bute, with times and routes being dependent upon the circumstances of current clients.
One-to-One Befriending
Volunteers visit approximately once a week to provide some contact and companionship - someone who has the time for a chat, and who will hopefully become a friend. As we usually have more referrals than volunteers available, we will offer a temporary visiting service by the Outreach Worker until a suitable volunteer can be found.
Some people may prefer a chat on the phone. We will call them regularly - daily contact in times of particular vulnerability. We cannot offer to solve problems for them, but with a Ring-a-Round a 'trouble shared is a trouble halved'.
Dementia Support
Providing the extra support needed for people living with dementia to take part in our Befriending services. This may include regular 1-2-1 support to build confidence and enable people to join in group activities.
We believe that our Dementia Service should be fully integrated in to our mainstream services, wherever possible. This supports the concept in Scotland’s National Dementia Strategy that, “Changing the negative and stigmatising views of dementia will only happen when people with dementia are fully included in everyday life within the community”.
Befriending (particularly Peer Befriending) has been shown to improve quality of life for individuals with dementia, as well as prolonging the time that they are able to stay living independently at home. Additionally, it delivers informal respite for carers, allowing them the rest that they need to continue coping with their role.
Information Outreach
We produce a range of easily accessible Factsheets on topics to help people live independently and safely at home, plus carry over 400 leaflets from other agencies and services.
Our Information Officer will research specific topics for clients, help older people to take part in local and national consultations and introduce them to the benefits and possibilities of IT. We also provide a free email and Skype service to keep people in touch with friends and family worldwide.
Our Information Officer will visit Bute one day per fortnight to provide a tailored service to our clients, as well as running topical Information Campaigns throughout the year, including presentations to local groups and organisations.