"Hundreds of people want to volunteer for Stockport Samaritans" - Alan, Deputy Director of Selection and Recruitment.
“Recently our waiting list has been in the hundreds, at its height it reached 750. Covid is probably the principal reason that the list has grown so rapidly with so many people wanting to help in some way and many now having more available time to volunteer” says Alan, Deputy Director at our Stockport & District Branch with responsibility for Selection and Recruitment.
“Our training capacity is around 30-40 per year, so it has been tricky this year to accommodate the demand. We have only had two duty stations working because of social distancing. We haven’t wanted to select and train people if they can’t get on the phones. So, at present new applications to our branch are suspended until January 2022.”
Would-be Samaritans apply online via our central office. All interviews are carried out by two team members. One to ask the questions and one to take copious notes. The questions are challenging because we need to ensure that the candidates understand the nature of the calls that we get and the unsocial hours. Once the interviews have concluded, references are sought from the successful candidates. Also, the Disclosure and Barring Service carries out background checks. The new ‘Sams’ are allocated buddies and mentors. Generally, it runs like a well-oiled machine!
Covid has certainly presented challenges. We have been interviewing by Zoom, which is convenient and flexible for applicants and team members who live some distance from the centre. Would-be Samaritans then undergo rigorous training (some online, some face-to-face), work with a mentor and serve a period as a ‘probationer’.
Despite the problems, the branch has kept shifts open during the pandemic – phone calls and emails have been answered. We have not yet been able to provide our face-to-face service.
We are looking forward to welcoming the new recruits and expanding the number of our volunteers. It is heartening to know that so many members of the public want to help those in distress.
There are over 100 volunteers in our branch, nobody is paid. Last year we dealt with 13,000 phone calls and over 3,000 emails. It couldn’t happen without the Leadership Team and many others who make it all work.