• Are you caring for an elderly or disabled relative?

• Are you a young carer?

• Do you want to become a befriender?

APDA befriending is provided to Asian carers of rail elderly and disabled people including physical, visual, hearing, mobility, social difficulty, learning difficulty, dementia, depression and those with age related disabilities.

Befriending is a relationship between a befriender and a client which is initiated, supported and monitored by APDA project coordinators and provided to carers both young and old from 2-4 hours per week.

APDA befriender is provided with training which includes building up a relationship, by spending time and sharing activities with their respective client, acknowledging positive qualities and skills, offering an accepting and understanding presence, by helping the client to feel relaxed, secure by being consistent, accountable and maintaining appropriate boundaries to the befriending relationship.

Interested in becoming a befriender?

Call APDA's project co-ordinator for an application pack which includes forms for the usual character clearance. This will be followed by an interview and induction. Additional training will also be provided (first aid, introduction to dementia and additional knowledge on learning disabilities) as and when required. All out of pocket expenses are reimbursed.

APDA's befriending aims to enhance the quality of a client's life by supporting and promoting his/her welfare, personal development, and capacity for self determination. This is done by offering the client an excellent opportunity to form a trusting relationship, which may enable him/her to grow in self confidence and to form and maintain relationship with others.

The areas APDA befrienders can help with:

• Accompany (observing all aspects of health and safety for both clients and befriender) clients to Doctors, Dentists surgeries, shopping and essential places of visit.  Where company is needed and requested for the befriender.
• Guide clients to enable access to useful advice and information on benefits, entitlements, opportunities etc.
• Communicating in Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati, Hindi and Punjabi.
• Helping them in filling statutory forms.
• Individual interest/ hobbies. (Book reading, playing games etc.)
• Providing support for mental well being and social development.
• Providing culturally sensitive matching of befriender to client.

The areas APDA befrienders cannot help with:

• Cooking
• Changing clothes
• Changing Nappies
• Handling Money
• Providing own transport for clients outings.
• Housework
• Massaging or any form of physical contact.

Interested in using our service?

You can access our services through self referral, your GP, social worker, school teachers, friends and relatives.

Please get in touch with Sheila Karania for more information: Tel. 020 8902 2136