To help you decide if Samaritans is for you, here are some frequently asked questions about training with Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Samaritans:
There are many reasons why callers contact us. We will listen to them and encourage them to feel able to talk about their feelings. We give them time to speak about what is troubling them. Many people are under the impression that we only speak to callers who are suicidal. This isn't accurate nor true of many of the callers that choose to contact to us.
Training to be volunteer takes place over a number consecutive weeks; there is a lot to learn and after the initial training you will be assigned a mentor to work closely with you to prepare for listening. At the end of the training journey new volunteers will have developed 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. ( you must attend all these sessions)
- There are some 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 ongoing mentoring continues during your time as a volunteer.
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. It is important you make the dates that are set, if you can't please let us know well ahead of time.
How often do you run training courses?
Currently our Recruitment and Training teams are working together to run two training courses per year. There is also an option to train online at the Samaritans Central Training School, ask about this option if you are interested in training this way.
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.
How often do I need to listen?
Our listening service is available 24/7. This is made possible by our fantastic volunteers, who selflessly offer their time to make sure we can support as many callers as possible.
As a listening volunteer, you will be expected to do one three-hour shift per week. You can sign up for shifts using our internal booking system, and there will always be at least one other volunteer on shift with you.
We will also require you to do at least one twilight shift (10pm - 1am or 11pm - 2am) every month and/or one ‘Hours of Need’ overnight shift (12am - 6am) at least once every six months. See below for more details.
We understand there are times when you may need to take a break from shifts, such as when you are going on holiday. We make it easy to book time off when you need to.
Do I need to listen at night?
Yes, we do expect all listening volunteers to be able to sign up for at least one three-hour twilight shift once a month and/or one six-hour overnight shift (starting at midnight and running until 6am) at least once every six months. These shifts are very important.
Our busiest hours are between 10pm and 6am. These are known as the ‘Hours of Need’, as they are when callers are likely to need us most. People who are struggling, with no friends or family to turn to, can feel most alone during these hours.
Answering overnight calls is a vital part of being a Samaritan. These calls can be challenging but rewarding. Volunteers often report that they feel the conversations they have during the night make the biggest difference.
We thrive in a supportive culture and believe in sharing the load. When all our volunteers help each other by taking on a night shift when required, it enables the branch to deliver a fantastic service to the people who need us most.
What if listening isn’t for me?
Listening isn’t for everyone. We are always looking for support volunteers who play an integral part in keeping our branch running. Support volunteers help out in roles such as Treasurer and Branch Secretary. In addition to this, they help to keep our IT in order, helping with the branch administration, publicity and fundraising.
Please note that for some non-listening roles, the same initial training will be required. Our volunteers can talk you through the roles we need. Please 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.
If you would like further information about non-listening roles, please email our recruitment team and one of our team will contact you.
Who takes the training?
All our trainers are current branch listening volunteers or you may be trained at our Central Samaritans Training School
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.