To help you decide if Samaritans is for you, here are some frequently asked questions about training with Bognor Regis, Chichester and District Samaritans:
Many people are under the impression that we only speak to callers who are suicidal. This is simply not true. There may be several reasons why callers ring us and it’s up to us to listen and help them to feel able to talk about their feelings. While it may be perceived that the training is long, there is a lot to learn and it is well established that the training really does give new volunteers the confidence to take their first call.
The training has been developed for all Samaritans branches, so when someone in need calls us, they can expect the same high standard wherever the call is answered.
How long is the training?
For listening volunteers, the training is as follows ...
- Initial training takes place over a 7-week period which includes 6 in person group training sessions.
- There are online modules to complete in advance of each training session.
- On completion of the initial training, you will then be appointed to work with an experienced volunteer who will mentor you until such time as you both feel it is appropriate for you to operate on your own.
- This is followed up with a further 5 in person group sessions, and more digital training sessions over the next 6 months.
- Training and performance monitoring continues during your time as a volunteer.
If you would like further information about non-listening roles, please email [email protected] and one of our team will call you.
What do I do if I can’t make all the training dates?
Our team will give you as much notice as possible of the course dates in advance and if we can’t make it work for the upcoming training cohort, we will work with you to be available for the one after.
How often do you run training courses?
Currently our Recruitment and Training teams are working together to run two training courses per year.
Where do I go for the training?
Currently, all our training is undertaken in person in our Bognor Regis branch. In certain circumstances, we will enlist the help of other branches and the central charity and undertake online training using Zoom.
What if listening isn’t for me?
Listening isn’t for everyone; most enquiries are for listening volunteers but not all. If you would like further information about non-listening roles, please email [email protected] and one of our team will call you.
Please note that for some non-listening roles, the same initial training will be required. Our volunteers can talk you through the exact requirements. Our suggestion however is that you register your interest so that you can attend one of our Information Evenings where you can learn more about what Samaritans does and the roles we have.
Who takes the training?
All our trainers are current listening volunteers.
Are you a match?
If volunteering with us sounds like it’s for you, it’s very easy to apply:
Please register your interest at: https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/volunteer/
Your enquiry will be sent to our Recruitment team here in Bognor and we will contact you to attend an Information Evening. Please allow up to a couple of weeks for us to respond to you. Our Recruitment team are all volunteers and will come back to you as soon as they can.
Thank you for learning more about what we do and how you can join us.
We hope to see you very soon.