Risk plan for befriending service
Risk Plan for the befriending service
Not enough volunteers apply for the befriending service, leading to a shortage of volunteers and a waiting list
Offer rewards for befrienders up to £50 every year eg. amazon vouchers or discounts to student union venues.
Ensure that a very proactive approach is taken to promote the service (rather than just advertising the role on the volunteer opportunities page on the union site).
batch emailing all second and third year students about the role, every spring ideally after the spring break as by then most students will come back from home. Spring is ideal as weather is likely better so students can be more inclined to go outside and walk to the union building to talk to the people who organise this opportunity.
Befrienders not reliable
University should only offer the befriending opportunity to students who have a ‘good character’ ie no criminal record, no records of behaviour issues, attendance issues or academic misconduct issues. Reference from their course tutor and a DBS check will be required to prove the good character criteria. They will have semester reviews where the befriendee will be required to provide honest feedback. They will only get the rewards at the end of the year if they have proved to deliver an absolutely outstanding service (ie they must always turn up to appointments and always let students know in time if they cant make it, must always be friendly and compassionate, etc.)
Financial constraints on befriending service
If the budget is really tight charge students a fee for using the befriending service, ideally no more than £250 a year. Students with lower income should be charged lower fees no more than £100 a year.
Befriender too busy to fulfil role:
The befriender should be allowed extensions to assignments to make up for the time lost during supporting the student
Student gets taken advantage of by coursemate or flatmate who he thought he/she gets on really well with. They find it difficult say ‘no’ to them even if they know they are being used:
- Offer a reward scheme to help them break this false friendship. For example, for every occasion the student manages to break a false friendship, the student gets an opportunity to go to a concert/alton towers/ cinema etc. with the befriender for free. Watches containing voice recorders should be given to students if they feel they are being taken advantage of by someone. They can switch them on when they try to say no to this person. If they successfully resist the person who is trying to take advantage of them (this will be proven to the uni mentor by the voice recording) then the student will get the reward.
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Befriender does not get on with the befriendee:
If possible, the university should try to match students with befrienders who have the same values, eg. if an autistic student does not drink, try to allocate them a befriender who does not party a lot. If the student is willing to drink and go out, allocate them a befriender who also enjoys partying.
Try to match them by interests, eg. if someone likes star wars, then a befriender who likes star wars could be allocated to the student. A list of interests should be made by both the student and befriender when they apply to the buddy scheme.
Match them by age group eg. maybe a 20 year old would prefer to hang out with someone their age group rather than a 50 year old mature student.
Try to take location into account so the befriender and befriendee can still meet informally over the summer if they want to. Eg. if a potential befriendee lives in Manchester try to find a befriender who has the same interests and who also lives near the area, if possible.