Making a referral: what to include and what happens next

If you think someone would benefit from regular companionship calls, help with a phone or tablet, or a friendly wellbeing check-in, you can refer them to A Digital Friends. This guide explains who can make a referral, what to include and what happens after you send it.

Who can make a referral

You can refer someone if you know them and they have agreed. You might be:

• a family member, such as a son, daughter, grandchild or partner
• a friend or neighbour
• a professional who works with older people, for example in health, social care, housing or a community organisation

If you would like support for yourself, you are very welcome to get in touch directly. Call us on 07443 375387 or use our contact form.

Get their agreement first

Before you refer someone, please talk to them about it and make sure they are happy for you to share their details and for us to contact them. Support works best when it is something the person has chosen, and it means our first call will not come as a surprise.

If you are not sure how to raise it, you may find our resources for families helpful. If you are unsure whether a referral is right, call us first and we can talk it through.

What to include

The more we know, the better we can match the person with the right Digital Friend. Useful details include:

• the person’s name and telephone number, and the best way to reach them
• your own name, contact details and relationship to them, or your role and organisation if you are referring as a professional
• the best days and times to call, and any times to avoid
• whether they would prefer telephone calls, video calls or both
• their interests, hobbies, past work or favourite topics of conversation
• whether they would like help with a smartphone, tablet, messaging or video calling
• anything that would make calls easier, such as hearing difficulties or needing a little longer to reach the phone
• any concerns about their wellbeing or circumstances that it would help us to know

Please share only what is relevant. You can read how we look after this information in our privacy policy.

What happens next

Everyone is different, but this is the general pattern once we receive a referral.

1. We get in touch. A member of our team contacts the person to introduce A Digital Friends and check they are happy to go ahead. Where it makes sense, we may also contact you.
2. A first conversation. We talk with them about what they would like: how often they would like a call, what they enjoy talking about, whether they want help with a device and anything that is on their mind. There is no pressure to commit.
3. Careful matching. We match them with a Digital Friend, taking into account what we have learned about them, such as their interests and when they would like to be called. All our staff and volunteers have Enhanced DBS checks as part of our safeguarding approach.
4. Regular calls. Their Digital Friend calls at an agreed time, by telephone or video. Calls are a chance to chat, and can include practical help with a phone or tablet if they would like it.
5. Ongoing review. We keep in touch to see how things are going and adjust support if needs change. If a concern comes up, we respond to it and, where helpful, point the person towards other support in their community.

Keeping you informed

With the person’s agreement, and where appropriate, we can keep family members or the referring professional updated. The person’s wishes and privacy come first, except where we need to act to keep someone safe.

If you are referring as a professional

Please include your role, organisation and how best to reach you, along with anything we should know to support the person safely. A Digital Friends provides companionship calls, digital support, wellbeing check-ins and community signposting, with a welfare response if a concern arises. We are not a care provider, a clinical mental-health service or an emergency service. There is more information on our page for professionals.

Ready to refer?

You can make a referral online, or call us on 07443 375387. We are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm. To find out more about how support works, see how it works.