BT is helping to tackle loneliness in care homes using volunteers from UK-based contact centres to make regular calls to isolated residents.
To help lighten the loneliness epidemic in care homes and mark Loneliness Awareness Week, a team of over 40 volunteers from the BT and EE contact centres in Gosforth and Doncaster make regular calls during their shifts to local Marton care home residents.
The employee-led Care Home Companion initiative offers volunteers from contact centres the opportunity to give back to their local community using their professional skills to chat with residents who might not have anyone else to talk to.
The idea was born out of an existing project set-up by a group of BT employees to help tackle loneliness in the UK.
Volunteers work with the care home managers to find a companion with similar interests and find a suitable time to help get the budding friendships off to the best start.
BT staff who volunteer to take part are given full training on top of their professional customer service skills to help their companions feel more connected during lockdown.
Residents who do not have a phone have been provided with handsets and EE SIM cards. The pilot project is still in the early stages but BT said it is already creating positive results.
“The feedback from the residents, carers and care homes has just been overwhelmingly positive and while we’re still at the trial stage with a small team, I’m hoping we can ultimately grow this,” said Nick Lane, director of service at BT’s consumer division.
“Covid-19 has only fuelled the UK's loneliness epidemic which is why this initiative is even more rewarding for everyone involved,” he added.
After the pilot project's initial success, BT is looking at rolling it out across its contact centres, including Canterbury, Greenock and Enniskillen.
