Organisation and Services

Befriending and Re-ablement Service

This service gives people aged 50+ the opportunity to increase their independence, improve confidence and overcome loneliness and isolation.

Anyone who feels lonely, is aged 50 and over,who lives in the borough of Sefton and has a Sefton GP is eligible to receive this free service.

We also welcome clients who live in care and nursing homes to make use of the service.

The service is free as it is funded by Sefton’s two NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups who understand that social contact is essential for positive wellbeing and healthy living.

We accept referrals from many sources into the service; e.g. self-referrals, referrals from a family member or carer, a GP, Social Worker, District Nurse etc. Once we have received a referral, we will contact the client and arrange a convenient time when one of our Befriending and Reablement Officers is available to undertake a home visit.

The Befriending and Re-ablement Officer can then provide up to 6 weeks of support (up to 2 hours per week) where we will work with the older person to support and encourage them to set personal goals to work towards. We focus onsupporting clients to maximise independence and wellbeing and to find a positive outlook. This encompasses support with health issues, money worries, confidence building and ofcourse support to develop a better social life.

After the 6 weeks many of our clients are able to manage perfectly well without our help as we have supported them to regain confidence and to resume their normal lifestyle. Some people, however, still need extra support and so we have local companions groups throughout Sefton which provide opportunities for people to come together in a safe and welcoming environment to make friends and socialise.

We also recognise that many older people struggle to get out of their home, whether through illness, mobility issues or conditions such as agoraphobia and so we can provide home visits from volunteer befrienders who are carefully matched with the client to ensure compatibility and referenced and police checked to ensure safety.

If you would like to make a referral or find out more about the service then please give us a call on 0151 330 5678.
Email: mail@ageconcernliverpoolandsefton.org.uk
The Poppy Centre
mail@ageconcernliverpoolandsefton.org.uk