1. Help befrienders offer the most effective support they can to vulnerable women detainees.
   
2. Reduce befriender burn-out by giving guidance and support.

The Training and Supervision for Visitors by Medical Justice is to be given to 40 visitors / befriends a year (120 in total).

It will initially be focused on Yarl's Wood Befrienders but will be opened up to other befrienders in other groups visiting women detainees (e.g. SOAS group, Tinsley, Oakington and Dungavel visitors).

What is envisaged so far...

The Training

• 2 training days a year (+/-20 participants per training day)
• 1 of the days to be in Bedford, one in London.
• The training will be given by various Medical Justice volunteer doctors on issues such as handling Torture survivors, Rape survivors, Other gender-based persecution (FGM, Honour Killing, etc), Psychiatric cases, HIV, Children in detention, Pregnancy, etc. There will also be training on the asylum determination process.
• Ongoing support will be in the form of Medical Justice "tools" on the website, access to the referrals process, access to email help via info@medicaljustice.org.uk This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it and med@medicaljustice.org.uk , and limited phone-support where required.
• The first Training Day for Visitors will be on Saturday 13th September in Bedford - timing, venue details and agenda will be made available soon.

The Supervision

• 2 supervision days a year (+/-20 participants per supervision day)
• 1 of the days to be in Bedford, one in London.
• Half of each supervision day will be on a group basis, the other half will be one-to-one sessions between a befriender and a doctor.
• Ongoing supervision will be in the form of limited email / phone support.