Link Age Southwark welcomes referrals of people who are aged 60 years and over, and people of any age with a confirmed diagnosis of mild to moderate dementia.

94% of the older people we work with say they are happy or very happy with our befriending service.

Befriending across Southwark

We share a referral form with two of the other COPSINS partners­ - Blackfriars Settlement and Time & Talents. We each have our own catchment areas for befriending (the catchment areas do not apply to our other services). Please check this map before making a referral.

Link Age Southwark provides befriending for older people living in the south of the borough (shaded blue in this map).   Blackfriars Settlement provides befriending for older people living in the northwest of the borough (shaded orange on the map). To make a referral to Blackfriars settlement, email [email protected] Time & Talents provides befriending for older people living in the northeast of the borough (shaded pink on the map). To make a referral to Time & Talents, email [email protected]

Other support

Please note: our befriending service may not be the best support for some older people – those with: 

• mental health care and support needs should be referred to Southwark Wellbeing Hub
• ongoing substance misuse issues should be referred to Change, Grow, Live in Southwark. 

Revised eligibility criteria for Link Age Southwark befriending

To meet the continuing high demand and prioritise need, we have revised our eligibility criteria for our befriending service. If you would like to refer someone for befriending, we are currently only providing this service for people who are unable to leave their home independently due to one or more of the following criteria:

• physical and mobility impairment (any condition that makes it difficult to carry out daily activities without assistance)
• common mental health problems (such as depression and anxiety)  
• dementia/cognitive impairment.

We will assess each new referral against the eligibility criteria and consider the specific circumstances of the person concerned, so that we can ensure that we are providing befrienders to those in greatest need.

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How do I make a referral?

If you are a health and social care professional and would like to make a referral to Link Age Southwark, please download the referral form below, complete all the sections of the form and return it by email to [email protected].

Download a referral form  

If you would like to refer yourself or someone you know to our services, please download the referral form below, complete all the sections of the form and return it by email to [email protected].

Download a self-referral form 

If you would like us, instead, to send you a copy of the forms to complete, please call us on 020 8299 2623. 

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How do I make a Hospital Buddy referral?

Are you worried or anxious about an upcoming operation? Would you be interested in having a Hospital Buddy? 

Eligibility Criteria:

• Resident of Southwark or registered with a Southwark GP
• Over the age of 60
• Awaiting or have recently undergone an elective surgery
• In need of additional support due to living alone; having no or limited family support/social network and/or living with a dependent other
• Anxious/concerned/worried about your upcoming elective surgery

If this is you, and you would be interested in being matched with a Hospital Buddy, either fill out our online referral form or download the form below, complete all the sections of the form and return it by email to services@linkagesouthwark.org.

Fill out our online referral form 

Download a referral form

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What happens once I've made a referral?

A member of our Services Team will make contact with the person referred to arrange a time to visit them at home, get to know them a little better and see if they are suitable for our service.