Carers and Parents questions

How long does it take to find a friend?

It depends entirely on volunteers coming forward. It can often take a long time but the rewards are worth waiting for. Friends are matched on a compatibility basis rather than "first come first served" so it does not mean that you have to wait longer if you have just applied.

What training do volunteers get?

Link Up provides full training for all new volunteers. This includes issues such as "what is a learning disability?", communication, listening skills, confidentiality, etc. Any particular training needs you may have will be provided by Link Up to enable you to be involved safely and  appropriately. Please see our training page for more details.

Can the person I care for come to the 1:1 Club?

The 1:1 Club is for members to meet with their friends. Until we can find a friend, applicants may only come to the club by special invitation. The capacity of the club is limited and it is very popular so we must limit attendance for the pleasure and safety of all.

Do volunteers take their friends out on their own?

Yes. But it often takes a long time to build up the trust needed between friends and with parents and carers before this happens. We sometimes organise outings to help friends develop this trust in a group situation with experienced volunteers and staff.

Do you match male volunteers with female applicants with learning disabilities?

We would not usually do this, particularly if there are personal care needs involved. We will usually try to find someone who is compatible with an applicant including their care needs. Our male volunteers are usually more compatible with and can relate better to the needs of male applicants.

How do you take account of the needs of someone with a learning disability?

Our application process includes gathering information about needs and meeting the person and their parents/carers. Our volunteers will include you when making plans to make sure there are no needs that they might need to know about and to get any helpful tips or information they may need.

How can I be sure that the volunteers can be trusted?

Friendship is about building up trust. This starts with Link Up making checks on volunteers, we take up two references and carry out a Criminal Record Check which would tell us if they had a criminal record. This is just the start though. We also meet volunteers at their own homes and get to know them (and other people who know them) as well as we can. We recognise the risks in involving volunteers with vulnerable people and where possible we keep people in groups until we (and you) have got to know them well enough to trust them. Having said this, we cannot make absolute guarantees.