PROFESSIONALS - SUCCESS STORIES

Interest Link Borders Young Peoples Service

Interest Link Borders has been providing a befriending service for adults with learning disabilities in the Scottish Borders since 1990. We realised recently that while our adult service successfully reached people aged 25 and upwards, we needed to change our approach to younger adults aged 16-25.

We looked for alternative models and were immediately attracted by Fairway’s model. Their offer of assistance to adapt the model to our local situation and train our staff also made them stand out.

Working with Fairway, we carried out a feasibility study in the Borders in autumn 2007.  This showed strong demand for a group-based befriending service for young people in transition from children’s services to adult learning disabilities services.  As there is already a local employment support service, we decided to restrict our service to group befriending.

We secured funding from grant-making trusts and the Big Lottery Fund and started the new service in July 2008. In our first year each of our 4 branches has run a staff-supervised group of 3 service users and 4-6 volunteer mentors. 

Groups have met locally each fortnight from October to June, doing a wide range of social and leisure activities such as playing pool and other games, ultimate frisbee, ten-pin bowling, baking and going to the cinema. 

We have also had central events where all 4 groups come together for discos  and drama & citizenship workshops.  The Christmas treat was a trip to Edinburgh to see Fame.

We have followed Fairway’s basic model very closely and the support they have provided has been invaluable: firstly in enabling us to get the service researched, planned, funded and launched within a year from first contact and later in training our existing staff team to deliver the service.

We have recruited our volunteers from school 6th-forms, college Care courses and local youth clubs as well as by word of mouth.  All will qualify for MV Awards.

We contacted service users principally through Social Work, NHS, schools and colleges and found them and their carers very enthusiastic for a service.  In the first year we have supported 12 service users and will be doubling that to 24 from Year 2 onwards.

Most of the first year’s service users are staying for another year, and when they leave, they will be supported through our adult service.

For more information about Interest Link Borders please click here to view their website.