Frequently Asked Questions
How to become a Samaritan | Volunteer quotes | Frequently asked questions |
Role Description

Here is a list of the common questions about being and becoming a Samaritan. If you have a question about volunteering with Bexley & Dartford Samaritans that is not answered on this page or on the rest of the site, then please contact our Recruitment Enquiry Line on 07761 604 086 or bexleydartford@samaritans.org or alternatively, to ask them in person come along to an Information Evening.

• What qualifications do you need to be a Samaritan?
• I'm 18, is that ok?
• Can anybody do it?
• What kind of people are you looking for?
• I've had a bit of trouble myself, will you still accept me?
• Isn’t Samaritans a religious organisation?
• Are there any jobs that stop me from becoming a volunteer?
• Do you accept everyone who applies to join?
• But I've never done any counselling
• Doesn't it takes years to train to be a counsellor?
• Supposing a caller has a problem I can’t solve?
• What if someone says they have committed a crime?
• What if someone says they are going to take their own life?
• So what do you get out of being a Samaritan?
• But I couldn't listen to all that sad stuff. Doesn't it make you depressed?
• What is the commitment?
• Why do you ask for a night duty every 2 months?
• Do you screen volunteers?
• Is there any help with expenses?

What qualifications do you need to be a Samaritan?

Samaritans come from all walks of life and don’t need any formal qualifications. Personal qualities of acceptance, compassion and an ability to listen without judging or giving advice are what’s important.

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I'm 18, is that ok?

Yes - 18 is the minimum age for becoming a Samaritan volunteer and you certainly won't be alone in the branch. More important than age is your personal qualities and emotional maturity. If you think that you have what it takes please come and find out more.

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Can anybody do it?

Anybody can be a Samaritan, we’re not saints, and our volunteers aren’t special people – although they're very special to us – we’re ordinary people from all walks of life who choose to give up a little of our time to be there for others, when they really need it.

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What kind of people are you looking for?

Essentially it’s about listening. The thing we look for most when selecting volunteers is compassion, combined with the ability to put to one side one’s own views, beliefs, ethics, and opinions, it’s not about giving advice.

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I've had a bit of trouble myself, will you still accept me?

Your own experience may have increased your sympathy and compassion – but it may have left you a little too vulnerable to take on other people’s troubles. It depends on how you coped with your problems, and what they did to you. We give volunteers their privacy but one of the qualities that we look for in them is to be comfortable in talking about their own emotional issues. It is best to talk to us about these things and we can help you to understand if the time is right for you to volunteer.

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Isn’t Samaritans a religious organisation?

Samaritans was founded in 1954 by Chad Varah, who was indeed a Christian minister in London.  However, Samaritans today is not associated with any religious organisation. Volunteers nowadays come from every faith and none.

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Are there any jobs that stop me from becoming a volunteer?

We regret that we do not accept serving Police Officers, nor Special Constables owing to conflict of interest.  Apart from this special case there are no restrictions.

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Do you accept everyone who applies to join?

We are always in need of new volunteers to support our callers on the phone, email and face to face, but not everyone who applies to join is accepted. It may be that your talents are not appropriate for Samaritans, or that the timing is not right for you at present.

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But I've never done any counselling

Good, there's no need to have. We don't give advice to people. If you are recruited, you will attend a series of preparation classes, in which life-like situations are acted out and discussed, and you will be taught how can help our callers.

If you can listen without prejudice to someone's experience, someone who's beliefs may be very different to your own, and still be able to empathise, then we want to hear from you.

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Doesn't it takes years to train to be a counsellor?

Yes it does but we are not counsellors. Samaritans volunteers are trained listeners who are able to help a person to talk about their emotions and feelings. We are equipped to ask about suicidal feelings, something we are trained to do at every contact with an individual, and just as importantly we know how to handle the answer.

Our training is delivered to a professional standard and we have professional input to our methods including the support of consultant psychiatrists, but we don't counsel people nor give them advice. We prefer to help a caller to work out their own options.

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Supposing a caller has a problem I can’t solve?

When someone tells us they have a problem, we can feel that it would be good to try to come up with a nice, neat, pre-packaged solution for them.  As Samaritans, however, we have to realise that life is never that simple, and what seems like the perfect solution to us may in fact be completely wrong for our caller. Therefore we avoid giving advice and telling people what they should do, but instead offer a non-judgemental ear for them to off-load their feelings about their situation. Often the mere telling of their story suggests solutions to the caller themselves. If not, then it almost always helps just to be able to talk to someone – they may never have been able to confide in anyone before.

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What if someone says they have committed a crime?

We listen to them.

That's all, no police?

We can't trace calls. Everything is completely confidential within the organisation.

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What if someone says they are going to take their own life?

Well, we hope they won't. We wouldn't be Samaritans if we didn't believe that listening could help to reduce distress and despair.

You'll tell them not to do it?

No.

What!

No. Samaritans believe in the right of the individual to do as they choose, including the right to take their own life. We hope that they don't, and that talking will help them to see other options. We do ask every caller if they are having suicidal thoughts.

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So what do you get out of being a Samaritan?

A lot. Firstly it's all the volunteers, the support that we get from each other is amazing. At Bexley & Dartford branch you'll be joining a great team of about 60 people, aged between about 18 to 70+, you're also become part of a national organisation, with almost 18,000 volunteers, that makes a difference to people's lives. You'll make new friends, feel good, and be surrounded by a like-minded group of people all motivated by the same goal, all working together, putting in the time and determination to see things improve.

Your commitment and dedication will be recognised and valued, and your skills and experience are constantly developed. You'll also develop skills in listening and relating, which could be useful at work and at home, and learn how to support people who are depressed or bereaved. But best of all...........

Hearing something like, "I was desperate when I rang. Didn't know if I could go on. I feel I can cope with today now. Thanks for being there."

It’s a humbling experience talking to our callers. The tremendous variety of people that ring us, with a variety of issues, they’re re just ordinary folk but they may just be having a bad day. Modern life is fraught with pressures; stress, anxiety and fear. They’re all normal emotions, we all feel them. We may be having a bad time tomorrow, everything can change.

It’s such a privilege to be maybe the only person who hears what they say.

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But I couldn't listen to all that sad stuff. Doesn't it make you depressed?

Well, not every shift is about life and death for a start. Sometimes, the satisfaction is just in being there supporting someone when they’ve got nowhere else to turn.

But, it’s true that some of the calls we receive can make us sad, anxious, even angry and frustrated. We need to be able to deal with these feelings, and there is a wealth of emotional support for volunteers. We never do a duty alone. There are always at least two Samaritans on duty at any time, who, in addition to taking calls, can provide each other with support. We also have a well defined system of routine support which addresses our emotional well-being proactively so that we don't wait until we get stressed before we receive support. Indeed, through this pro-active approach we hope never to get too stressed, but it has to be said that we are at times going to feel personally touched in some way by the nature of the work that we do.

As to being depressed, well we can never get away from the fact that we are dealing with serious issues but if that means that we go around with a miserable look on our faces talking in whispers all the time then you might be in for a surprise!  

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What is the commitment?

It is a big commitment. You can't just pop in and be a part-time Samaritan. We are here to provide the service 24 hours a day. We ask for a duty a week, 4 hours, with a night shift every eight weeks. You will be asked to commit to roughly 15 hours a month. We have a range of shifts to choose from, making it easy to manage your commitment around your lifestyle.

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Why do you ask for a night duty every 2 months?

Samaritans is pretty unique as not many organisations require a commitment to volunteer overnight. There a number of good reasons for this. Our service is available 24 hours, every day of the year, to make sure that we are there for people whenever they need us - many of our calls are between 10pm and 4am.

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Do you screen volunteers?

As a Samaritan volunteer, you will be working with vulnerable adults or children. So, in common with a number of other voluntary organisations, we ask for a Disclosure - a document containing information held by the police and government departments - to help us to make safer recruitment decisions.  We provide prospective volunteers with further guidance, and the necessary form, during our selection process.

Having a criminal record is not an automatic bar to becoming a Samaritan volunteer, and ex-offenders retain the protection afforded by the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. But we will be unable to allow you to work with us unless you do apply for a criminal record check.

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Is there any help with expenses ?

Volunteers can claim expenses for public transport in connection with getting to and from the centre for their shift, or for other official meetings and duties. Alternatively a mileage rate is paid and when public transport is not available a taxi can be provided.

If you have a question about volunteering that is not answered on this page or on the rest of the site, then please email bexleydartford@samaritans.org.

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By volunteering with Samaritans you'll be part of a unified organisation that makes a difference to people’s lives. Your commitment and dedication will be recognised and valued, and your skills and experience are constantly developed.

With Samaritans, you grow.