The Quality in Befriending Award is the only award in the UK specifically tailored for befriending services and is valued by referrers, befrienders, commissioners, and funders. Developed by Befriending Networks in consultation with member organisations and experts in the field of befriending, the award launched in 2010 and was revised and updated in 2021.
The Award is open to services offering befriending of all kinds, supporting everyone from children and young people to older adults. Whether you offer telephone, group, or one-to-one befriending, the Quality Award provides you with the opportunity to review and improve your service.
There are two different levels of Quality Award that an organisation can aim towards. The award is assessed through a series of indicators, with the option for an organisation to upgrade its standard award to Excellence by successfully meeting additional requirements.
Organisations who have successfully completed the Quality Award enjoy a range of benefits, including:
Increased confidence in the organisation from potential referrers, befriendees and befrienders, as well as funders, commissioners and other stakeholders.
The chance to review and reflect upon all aspects of the service.
An audit of the organisation’s policies and suggestions on how the quality of the befriending service can be improved.
A certificate and the use of the Quality Award logo, as well as inclusion in our online Quality Database.
How long does the Award last?
Once accredited, your service will hold the Quality Award for three years.
You will be invited to apply for reaccreditation in years 3 and 6 by providing evidence to satisfy the reaccreditation indicators and retain Quality Award status.
After nine years, you will be required to complete the full accreditation process again to retain your Quality Award.
Hear from current Award holders…
We recommend the Award as it has given us confidence in the quality and processes of our befriending service, a morale booster for staff and volunteers, and confidence when promoting the service to partners and funders. Befriending Networks were brilliant from start to finish.
Community Together CIC
Being quality assured means that our service is fully aligned with Quality in Befriending guidelines and allows us to provide a best practice service to our clients and volunteers. It has also been hugely beneficial for funding opportunities. The Quality Award demonstrates that we are robust, effective, and aligned with a best-practice delivery framework.
London Irish Centre
It’s always useful to review your service, update and tighten processes where needed, and have the benefit of expertise and advice from a different perspective. As a bonus, it’s great to be able to use the Quality Award logo, which is a quick and straight-forward way to demonstrate you meet a required level of practice.
INtegr8 Befriending Service
Having a nationally recognised accreditation is essential to further development and obtaining future funding and partners. It has been useful in our organisation’s efforts to obtain support and care contracts where this sort of service is highly regarded and beneficial to overall care and support.
Our purpose Aberlour Children’s Charity helps disadvantaged children and families in Scotland have a brighter future. Our Vision Not all children are born with an equal chance. We will work…
The Age UK Telephone Friendship service matches older isolated people to volunteers with mutual interests for a weekly 30 minute call, to help combat loneliness and social isolation.
Merton Befriending Service is a collaboration with Wimbledon Guild in Merton working together to deliver a high quality befriending service for isolated older people. We offer a free face to…
ALONE’s Support & Befriending service provides companionship and practical support to older people who would like extra social contact. Trained and Garda-vetted volunteers provide weekly visits or telephone calls which…
Argyll and Bute Befrienders SCIO provides emotional and social support to children and young people aged 6-18, living in Argyll and Bute who are affected by adversity or social isolation. …
At Befriend a Child we support children and young people growing up in difficult life circumstances across Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire to achieve their full potential and develop into confident and…
What Befriend Motherwell can offer you: One to One Matches. You will be matched with a volunteer who will visit you once per week for 1 to 2 hours. At…
We are a small voluntary organisation working to improve the lives of people who are lonely and isolated and have experience of mental ill health and dementia. We work across…
Befriending Caithness is a befriending service which offers isolated adults aged 40 and upwards, in Caithness a chance to meet a friendly face on a weekly basis. Referrals to the…
Bfriend (registered South Ayrshire Befriending Project)
Bfriend
Bfriend is based in Ayr and provides a befriending service for young people aged between 8 to 18 years old with social or emotional support needs, living within South Ayrshire. …
We are here to support anyone who has served in the Armed Forces, or who has done National Service, and who is now living with significant sight loss. We help…
Community Companions befriending project: We are a free of charge, confidential and non-judgemental befriending project, giving high quality support to people living in Bridgend County Borough. Coordinated by BAVO, we…
CACE has been running for over 30 years, providing Cumbernauld, Kilsyth, Croy and surrounding villages with much needed support for the elderly and Isolated. We run a variety of different…
Dumfries & Galloway Befriending Project recruits, trains and supports adult volunteers to befriend young people (aged 8 – 18 years) on a one-to-one basis. Our service supports young people who…
East Ayrshire Council children and young peoples befriending service
The children and young people’s befriending service is a voluntary, mutually, beneficial and purposeful relationship based support. It can take place on a one-to-one basis, family or within group settings….
We offer one-to-one in person befriending. Our fully trained befrienders are matched up to meet with someone to meet fortnightly to spend some fun social time together. Living with epilepsy…
Fairway Fife is a Peer Mentoring Charity involving people with learning disabilities from 16 years of age. Our aim is to encourage and support access to social and leisure facilities…
Volunteer to support families with pre-school children, at home, and provide practical and emotional support, we actively encourage family learning, so all children in their early years have the best…
We offer a befriending service to lonely and isolated older people, some of whom have no family, friends and spend every day housebound. Our volunteers are invaluable in helping to…
Kincardine & Deeside Befriending recruits, trains and supports volunteer befrienders who are matched with isolated & lonely older people (55+) living independently in their own homes to provide social contact.
Kingdom Abuse Survivor Project (KASP) is a registered Scottish charity and a company limited by guarantee with more than 25 years’ experience of providing services to women and men who…
The Young Carers Project which is part of the Kingston Carers Network run a mentoring programme for young carers aged 10 – 18 years old in the London borough of…
Le Cheile Mentoring is a national, volunteer mentoring and family support service in Ireland, which works with young people and their families, where the young person is involved in or…
LEAP works in a number of communities within the South Lanarkshire area providing a free befriending and handyperson service, and activities and classes, to people aged 50 and over who…
The London Irish Centre has served the Irish community in London since it was first established in 1955. Our Befriending Service offers a blended approach of contact. People are matched…
The Move On Support Service provides social and emotional support to young people aged 16-25 who have previously been affected by homelessness and who are living in the City of…
Omega Ending Isolation, Ending Loneliness, a charity dedicated to reducing social isolation and loneliness for all adults. We offer Chatterbox, a free telephone befriending service and Letterbox, a free pen-pal…
We assist people to build positive connections in their community and combat social isolation and loneliness, facilitating group befriending sessions within local communities across South Ayrshire as well as offering…
A friendly, weekly conversation, with a kind listening ear. One on one calls with the same person every week aimed at lifting people out of isolation and helping those experiencing…
SDCVS Connect Befriending Service is a free service funded by Derbyshire County Council to deliver a vital lifeline to South Derbyshire residents who are 18 years + and feeling lonely…
Space for Youth Befriending provides children and young people aged 5 – 16 years who are affected by parental drugs and/or alcohol use living citywide in Edinburgh with a volunteer…
Befriending service for patients of St Barnabas House – providing companionship to help relieve isolation or boredom- assist with taking a person out for practical or social reasons- provide company…
We are a women and girls centre based in Sefton, Liverpool, offering face to face and telephone online befriending support for 12 months for women over 18 years old. The…
The Welcoming supports New Scots (refugees, asylum seekers and migrants) in Edinburgh by providing a range of services, including: English language classes, employability support, home energy advice, a community fridge,…
We are a relationship centered, excellence accredited, befriending service based in Sussex. We specialise in supporting older people to overcome loneliness through a range of activities from one-to-one befriending, group…
Together Co Befriending provides supportive and reliable friendships to individuals experiencing loneliness and social isolation. Our volunteer befrienders connect with people through in-person meetings, phone calls, or group activities. This…
Our befriending projects aim to make and build connections between people in their community, reduce social isolation and improve wellbeing. Our project does this by offering a source of support…
Shetland Befriending Scheme offers befriending on a 1:1 basis to children from aged 7 years, young people and adults aged 16+ years who need support to engage in the community…
Supported Volunteering Project and Emotional and Well Being Project
The Emotional Support and Wellbeing Project provides support to the residents of Greenwich who are lonely or isolated. It has been a lifeline to many residents and continues to be…
YPBS provides a high quality service to young people aged 8-18 who are coping with difficult circumstances in their lives. Whether this is because of unusual pressures in the family,…
Befriending service for young people aged 10-21 with things going on in their lives which affect mental health wellbeing. Issues are around confidence & self-esteem & the things which impact…
Womankind provides 3 befriending services.1. Womankind befriending service for women affected by sexual violence – The purpose of project is to provide isolated women who have experienced rape and sexual…
