Overview of the role
- To explain the purpose of the Christmas phone calls.
- To know what to expect from your role as a Christmas call companion.
- To be aware of the challenges that you may come across as a Christmas call companion.
- To be confident to start making your Christmas calls.
- To know how to manage the expectations of the older person that you’re calling.
- To know how to report problems and issues to Re-engage.
Being there for them
In many ways, the role of a Christmas call companion is just like chatting to a friend over the phone. However, the difference you can make to the older person during December, which is often the loneliness time of year for them, is enormous, so it’s worth making the most of each phone call.
What you need to get started
- A quiet undisturbed place to call from.
- A friendly, listening ear.
Before you get started
We want you to get as much out of volunteering as you can – and for you to really enjoy it.
Before you start volunteering, we’ll invite you and other Christmas call companions to a ‘getting to know you session.’ During the session we’ll talk you through the role and make sure that you know what to expect when you make your Christmas calls.
Before you start volunteering, you’ll first need to complete the three core Re-engage training modules:
- An introduction to safeguarding.
- General Data Protection Regulation.
- Equality, diversity, and inclusion for volunteers.
As well as the Christmas call companion role specific training module.
Making the most from the Christmas call companion call
To make sure that you and the older person get the most from your Christmas calls, you’ll need:
- To agree with the older person you’re calling, how often you will call, on which day, at which time and for how long.
- The commitment to keep to the arrangement as closely as possible.
- To focus your phone calls on getting to know the older person and supporting them to talk about whatever they want to.
- To remember to use the same phone to make your calls so that our telephone system can connect you to the older person you’re making calls to.
Please read our quick guide to becoming a successful call companion.
Training 1: introduction
Telephone support is a rewarding and worthwhile service to offer. For a small amount of your free time per week, you can bring a real comfort to an older person who may be lonely, isolated, or sad.
Training 2: communicating and listening
Taking care to communicate with respect and really listen to the older person can make all the difference to them and have a positive effect on their lives.
Training 3: building relationships
It is important that the older person feels safe and able to talk to their call companion about their problems or about anything that’s troubling them.
Training 4: addressing difficulties
You may encounter some challenges in your call companion role. However, it’s important that you recognise you won’t always be able to respond to the older person the way you would in your personal relationships.
Training 5: reporting issues or concerns
One of the aspects of your role is to make sure that Re-engage knows about any issues or concerns that come up in your regular calls with older people.