SDA Independent Living
Volunteers - Befriending & Social Interaction
A free, confidential and independent support service to help improve the health & well-being of Deaf and Disabled Adults living in Southwark.
Would you like someone to talk to or support you get out and about?
Would you like to meet up with other people with similar interests?
Do you need some help with any odd jobs or small DIY tasks?
For more information about how a Volunteer may be able to help you, or if you would like to become a Volunteer, please contact: Sita Dori
020 3095 9421 sita@sdail.org Monday & Wednesday 11.30am to 4.30pm
Our Aim
To give you a reliable quality service which helps you to live in your home independently and happily, to be healthy, socially active and be part of your local community.
What is the SDA Volunteers Service?
These Volunteers are recruited, trained and placed by the SDA Volunteers Co-ordinator, according to their interests and skills, with Deaf or Disabled people who have requested help.
Requests we can assist with are: Befriending, joining a Social Group, going out, non-essential shopping, help with correspondence, small practical tasks or DIY, gardening etc.
SDA pays out of pocket expenses that Volunteers incur while working with us e.g. their bus fares, car mileage, refreshments etc.
Volunteers do not provide assistance with Personal Care.
Referral
You can refer yourself or be referred by Social Services, GP’s, voluntary groups, etc.
SDA will try to respond to any requests within a week of referral stating whether or not it can provide the appropriate support.
Once your referral has been accepted we will arrange an introductory appointment for you with the Volunteers Co-ordinator.
The start date of any service provided will depend on the availability of a suitable Volunteer. Sometimes this can be immediate on other occasions a Volunteer may not be available for several months.
The type of service SDA can provide will be explained to you as well as how long you will have to wait for a suitable Volunteer to be available to support you.
We also run some social activity groups which are great fun and provide an opportunity to meet other people - and less of a wait!
Our Approach & Values
SDA places a strong emphasis on the importance of the following:
A user-led approach helping you to address your own needs.
Supporting you in making informed choices and decisions.
Providing you with a personal and facilitative service in which tasks are done with you rather than for you.
Matching and allocating a volunteer to you with the appropriate and relevant skills, interests and cultural awareness.
Continuity of support, i.e. keeping the same volunteer with you.
But avoiding your dependence on us – a volunteer is not for life!
Mutual respect, flexibility and equality of opportunity.
Providing you with a supportive, friendly and empowering service.
Helping you develop your own peer support and friendship networks.
Upholding your right to complain.
Respecting your confidentiality.
Who are the Volunteers & Where do they come from?
Volunteers at SDA are people from various walks of life who choose to work with us on a voluntary basis, i.e. no financial reward.
Many of the Volunteers at SDA are Disabled People and we encourage people to support each other - peer support.
Many of the Volunteers at SDA are local Southwark residents.
People find out about volunteering with SDA from the newspapers, the internet, other organisations, from our posters and leaflets, by word of mouth or have been a recipient of our services.
People choose not to be paid for this work, so to avoid embarrassment please do not offer to do so.
All Volunteers are DBS checked