Befriending (18+)

About Project

Who are we?

Mind in Harrow Befriending is for adults with severe enduring long term mental health problems who have Care Act eligible needs (the new criteria used by the local authority since 2014).

What can befriending offer you?

• One to one friendship, spending time together (for example going out for a walk, visiting a place of interest).
• You can meet your befriender regularly for a 2 hour session.
• You can request a maximum change of one change of befriender if you are not happy with the match and this would normally be made in the first three months. We would only consider a request for a further re-match if in our view we had not offered a satisfactory standard of service.

To maintain the high quality of the befriending service, we take extra care to:

• Recruit Befrienders with a positive attitude.
• Run a specialist Mind training.
• Provide regular supervision and ongoing training for Befrienders.
• Undertake an in-depth process of assessing your preferences to find the best match.

How will you benefit from befriending?

• Helps to build your self-confidence.
• Helps to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.
• Helps you to get involved in new activities within the community.

How much does befriending cost?

Our standard befriending package is for 44 visits over a period of one year and costs £2122 per year (an initial assessment fee, matching fee and a year of befriending sessions).

You may pay for this service through your Personal Budget or you could self-fund.

If you are not aware of the Personal Budget scheme, you can find some information on how to apply here or get in contact with Mind in Harrow.

If you would like to discuss an alternative package, we would be happy to discuss this with you.

How do I refer?

If you would like to find out more about accessing the befriending service, please call Meg Hegarty on 020 8515 7852, email m.hegarty@mindinharrow.org.uk or complete the referral form below and send it to us.