Volunteer Training

All potential volunteers attend initial selection sessions which gives them an opportunity to find out more about us and at the same time explore their own suitability for the work that we do.

If invited to participate in what we call Initial Training the potential volunteer will attend a number of full day training sessions to help them build on their own natural abilities as listeners. These sessions are workshop based and participative.

Before becoming a Samaritan volunteer a trainee will work under the supervision of a mentor for a period of around six months with additional training workshops at intervals.

Even after becoming a member of the Branch a volunteer will undergo training on a regular basis as part of his or her commitment. It is a tribute to the quality of the training to say that this ongoing development is very much welcomed, and indeed looked forward to by volunteers.