The Buddy Scheme

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The Buddy Scheme
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The Buddy Scheme

• The Buddy Scheme is a befriending project that
  matches volunteers with adults with learning
  disabilities so they can enjoy their social time
  and leisure activities.

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APS Key Principles

• The programme has clear aims and objectives with
  a clear organisational/management structure to
  support it.
• There is a clearly defined process for the
  identification, referral and preparation of
  mentees or befriendees.
• There are established policies and procedures for
  the recruitment, selection and screening of
  mentors or befrienders.
• The programme provides effective preparation and
  support for mentors or befrienders.
• The programme has systems in place for measuring
  its effectiveness.

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The programme has clear aims and objectives with
a clear organisational/management structure to
support it.
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2. What are the aims of your mentoring
programme, and how long has it been
operating? 2.1 Original Project Co-ordinator Job
Description Includes the aims of the project and
reason for its creation. (Kingston Volunteer
Bureau has since been renamed Kingston Volunteer
Centre). 2.2 Funding agreement 2003/2006
Appendix A The current funding agreement for post
of Buddy Scheme Co-ordinator. Appendix A lays
out aims and objectives for the post (rest of
agreement also included). 2.3 What is the Buddy
Scheme? Information for potential
volunteers. Displayed at Kingston University
Students Union Volunteering Fair. Ref 6.1
Information for Referrers 8.9 Volunteer
Information The aims of the project are clearly
set out in information given to referrers and
potential volunteers.
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3. What internal organisational and management
structure is in place to support your mentoring
programme? 3.1 Buddy Scheme Co-ordinator Job
Description 3.2 Buddy Scheme Co-ordinator Person
Specification 3.3 Kingston Volunteer Centre
Organisational Chart 3.4 Kingston Volunteer
Centre Business Plan 2004-2007 3-Year Work
Plan. Extract from the KVC business plan
detailing work plan for Buddy Scheme Co-ordinator
and other elements of KVC. Complete business
plan available on request. 3.5 Kingston Volunteer
Centre Management Report, March 2005. KVC
managers report for management committee
meeting. 3.6 Kingston Volunteer Centre Management
Committee Meeting Minutes, September
2004 Relevant minutes relating to Buddy Scheme
highlighted on page 2.
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4. What support mechanisms are in place to
ensure staff overseeing the programme are
operating effectively? 4.1 Buddy Scheme
Co-ordinator Induction Programme 4.2 Buddy Scheme
Co-ordinator Induction Checklist 4.3 Kingston
Volunteer Centre Training Plan 4.4 Course Summary
Managing Volunteers To be attended May
2005 4.5 Course Summary Training the
Non-Trainer To be attended June 2005 4.6
Learning Log Completed learning log for Buddy
Scheme Co-ordinator for 2004. 4.7 Training
Activity Review Form Supporting Volunteers
Course 4.8 Support and Supervision Record Form
February 2005 4.9 Annual Appraisal October
2004 4.10 Buddy Scheme Co-ordinators Report for
Management Committee Meeting A report is produced
for each 6-weekly meeting. 4.11 Buddy Scheme
Co-ordinators Report for (Funder) Glen Mills
Joint Strategic Development and Commissioning
Manager for Learning Disability Services A report
is produced for each quarterly meeting.
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There is a clearly defined process for the
identification, referral and preparation of
mentees or befriendees.
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6. How are your clients (mentees) identified and
referred to you for mentoring? 6.1 Information
for Referrer 6.2 Referral Form 6.3 Follow-up
e-mail with referrer Most contact with referrers
(other than referral form) is verbal. Referrers
are made aware of all developments with regards
to finding a suitable volunteer for the person
referred. 7. How do you prepare your mentees
for the programme? 7.1 Information for
Members 7.2 Service-user Visit/Assessment
Guidelines 7.3 Service-user Assessment Form
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Befriending and Learning Disabilities

• What additional information may we need to know
  from referrers for service-users with learning
  disabilities?

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There are established policies and procedures for
the recruitment, selection and screening of
mentors or befrienders.
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8. How do you recruit your mentors? 8.1 Buddy
Scheme Poster 8.2 Buddy Scheme Leaflets 8.3
Livin Kingston Article 8.4 Kingstonian Football
Club Programme (6th November) Managers
Notes 8.5 Kingstonian Programme Buddy Scheme
Advertisement 8.6 Kingston Informer Sports
Article 8.7 Open Evening Poster (January
2005) 8.8 Volunteer Registration Pack Covering
Letter 8.9 Volunteer Information 8.10 Volunteer
Registration Form 8.11 Equal Opportunities
Monitoring Form 8.12 Interview Guidelines 8.13
Interview Notes Ref 9.1 Volunteer Agreement
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9. What screening procedures and personal
arrangements do you operate? Ref 8.12 Interview
Guidelines 9.1 Volunteer Agreement 9.2 Reference
Request Covering Letter 9.3 Reference Request
Form 9.4 Letter of Acceptance from Bromley
Advocacy Project To Act as Umbrella Organisation
(counter Signatory) for Criminal Records
Disclosures 9.5 Bromley Advocacy Project Terms
and Conditions 9.6 Volunteer Checklist Ref 6.2
Referral Form Details of medical needs, mental
health issues inc. challenging behaviour,
personal care needs, etc are requested on this
form.
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10. What method is used for matching mentors and
mentees? 10.1 Prioritising Service-User Waiting
List Buddy Scheme policy for matching volunteers
and service-users. Ref 7.3 Service-user
visit/assessment form Ref 8.9 Volunteer
application form
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The programme provides effective preparation and
support for mentors or befrienders.
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11. How do you prepare mentors so that they can
offer effective support? Volunteer Training
Schedule Saturday 5th March 2005 Volunteer Pack
Covering Letter The volunteer pack includes a
volunteer handbook, service-user contact details,
contact record forms (REF 12.2), expenses claim
forms (REF 12.3) and stamped-self-addressed-envel
opes. Volunteer Handbook
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12. How do you provide ongoing support and
monitor the progress of mentoring
relationships? 12.1 Partnership Follow-up
Form 12.2 Contact Record Form 12.3 Expenses Claim
Form 12.3 Buddy Scheme Library 12.4 Buddy Scheme
Website Main Page 12.5 Buddy Scheme Website
Volunteer Pages 12.6 Volunteer Newsletter
Winter 2004 12.7 Volunteer Newsletter Spring
2005 12.8 Volunteer Christmas Party Invite 12.9
Volunteer Role Description Befriending Liaison
Volunteer 12.10 Volunteer Role Description IT
(Volunteer Resources) Volunteer 12.11 Buddy
Scheme Database Specification
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Training

• How much specific training do you need to provide
  befrienders about learning disabilities?
• How much does training around learning
  disabilities help the volunteering in befriending
  an individual?

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The programme has systems in place for measuring
its effectiveness.
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13. How do you measure the outcomes of
individual mentoring relationships? 13.1 13.2
Completed Partnership Follow-up Forms Two records
of follow-ups with the same volunteer 13.3 13.4
Completed Contacted Record Forms Two Contact
Record Forms completed and returned by volunteer,
from same volunteer service-user partnership as
follow-up forms. 14. In what ways do you
evaluate the overall effectiveness of your
mentoring programme? 14.1 Letter from Funder
Glen Mills, Joint Strategic Development
Commissioning Manager Learning Disability
Services Confirming quarterly meetings and
monitoring of the project. 14.2 Equal
Opportunities Monitoring Data January2005 14.3
Buddy Scheme Monitoring Data for Funder (February
2005) An example of data sent to the projects
funders on a monthly basis. 14.4 Review Form
Volunteers Leaving the Buddy Scheme
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Buddy Scheme Christmas Get-together 2006
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Chris Guinness 020 8255 8068 buddyscheme_at_kvc.org.u
k www.kvc.org.uk/buddyscheme