Call companion training

Training 3: Building relationships

Establishing trust

The fastest way to build trust is simple: call when you say you will. If you can’t make the agreed time, let the older person know well in advance and contact Re-engage to update us. Let the older person know when you will next be able to call.

Building trust

Telephone befriending can be harder without body language, so use empathy and active listening to keep conversation flowing. Try to give the older person your full attention, and try to remember names, events, or topics for the next call, to show you’ve listened and care.

If they seem reluctant to share too much, it’s ok to talk about yourself and ask their opinions. Trust takes time. There’s no need to rush it.

Respecting differences

It’s likely you’ll be matched with someone who may have different life experiences to you. Many Call Companions matches find plenty of common interest, but it’s ok if your values or opinions differ. In fact, one of the best qualities of the service can be connecting with someone you might not have typically formed a relationship with.

Things to talk about

Some matches find conversation flows more easily than others, you might find plenty of common interest or be matched with a particularly talkative person.

If that’s not the case, that’s okay, it doesn’t mean you're doing a bad job. Loneliness can affect people in different ways, and for some people who’re out of the habit of regular conversation, you may find you are talking more than they are, having to ask lots of questions, or find their responses are very short.

You might want to talk about:

• Food
• Travel
• TV / radio
• Weather
• Pets
• What you’ve been up to

There’s other ways to keep conversation moving too, you might want to:

• Read the same book and discuss it.
• Watch the same TV show or listen to a radio programme.
• Do a quiz or crossword together.
• Swap recipes or recommendations.