Alcanzando tu potencial en el Reino Unido
Info Latinos buddy scheme
Why become a buddy?
Becoming a buddy is rewarding. You will have a sense of purpose helping someone settle into the UK, make new friends and brush up your Spanish. You’ll also learn more about other countries and cultures through your new connections - from making empanadas to dancing bachata!
“Buddying with Info Latinos has helped to maintain a level of fluency in Spanish and connect with an amazing community of Spanish speakers and Latinos. Over the last few cohorts, the conversations with each buddy have been unique, joyous, and insightful. I wholeheartedly recommend it to all Spanish speakers. Reach out and get involved by volunteering a few hours a month. It doesn't take much to support a Latino as they transition to the UK!”
Hannan, Info Latinos buddy
What do I need to become a buddy?
We ask all buddies to have some conversational Spanish - you will speak both in Spanish and English in your buddy conversations and meet-ups.
You don’t need any specific skills or experience - but we do look for:
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Empathy with those trying to build a new life in the UK
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Sensitivity to the challenges people may have experienced before arriving here, as well as those they face now
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Patience
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A positive mindset
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A sense of humour
If you’re interested in becoming a bilingual buddy or want to find out more:
I'm a buddy - what now?
If you’ve just joined the scheme as a buddy, you’re probably wondering what to expect!
We run two cohorts a year - usually starting in March and September/October. We will do our best to match you with someone according to language and location. We ask you to commit to six months of weekly or fortnightly sessions on the phone and/or face to face.
We hold an orientation session with new buddies at the start of each cohort.
Your role as a buddy
The role of a buddy is something between a mentor, a coach and a friend:
As a friend, you will build trust and rapport, find out about each other, share what you have in common and learn from each other’s differences. Your aim is to build a relationship that helps the person you are supporting gain a sense of belonging and have someone they can talk to about their experiences who values and spends regular time with them.
As you have more knowledge and experience of life in the UK, you will also play the role of a mentor. Use your knowledge and experience to help the person you are supporting understand how things work in the UK. This can range from which supermarkets are the cheapest to registering with a doctor, finding a language class or navigating the asylum process. Mentors also use their networks, connecting people with others who can support them.
As a coach you will support the person you are working with to help themselves. Ask open questions to clarify their goals, explore situations they are facing, consider options available to them, and decide on next steps. Coaching is an empowering process that enables self-discovery - see the coaching section below for more information.
Finally, you will often play the role of English language teacher or language exchange partner. There is a large Latin American community in the UK, and the person you are supporting may have limited opportunities for conversation with other English speakers. Further resources and support are provided below.
Key points:
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You give 6 months support through regular 1:1 meetings
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You must speak Spanish and English
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Your role is a mix of friend, mentor and coach
Getting started and building the relationship
The first session
Planning your first session can be daunting. Buddies often have many questions - Who have I been matched with? Will we get on? What can we talk about? Will I understand their English? We have found that it helps to keep the first session light and informal. Spend the time getting to know each other, sharing information, finding out what you have in common and what is different. Be sensitive when dealing with personal topics. Be led by the person you are working with and use open questions so they can share what they are happy to (and avoid things they would rather not discuss). A good approach is to share something about yourself first and then invite the other person to share (eg “My name is Sarah. What is your name?”). Some topics for the first session: - The basics - where from, where living now, how long in UK - Family - Interests, likes and dislikes - Work, studies, what doing now - English and what they want to improve Try to split the chat 50-50 between English and Spanish. Often this is a win-win situation (you will improve your Spanish as much as your buddy will improve their English) and this builds up rapport. However in the first session you may find it’s helpful to speak a bit more Spanish, while your partner builds their confidence. Although we encourage you to set goals together, you may find that it is preferable to do this in the second or third session, once you have got to know each other better and built rapport. In the first session talk generally about different ways you can support, and suggest that they think about what they would like from the sessions before you meet next. Finally, spend some time setting expectations. How often will you speak? What are the best days and times? Can you meet in person on occasion? How will you keep in contact between sessions (eg WhatsApp)? What to do if you can’t make the agreed time?
Hear it from a buddy
“Prior to the first meeting with my buddy I felt excited but uncertain how well we would connect. I didn’t need to worry, we hit it off, finding out about each other’s families and our hobbies, managing to talk in both languages and laughing when we filled in each others’ language gaps.”
James, Info Latinos buddy
Frequency
Method of communication
Setting goals
This depends on you and your partner, but one hour, once a week or fortnight is a good rhythm. Try to use the same time slot every time. If one of you can’t make it one week that’s ok but try to rearrange for the same week if possible. We recommend exchanging chat on WhatsApp throughout the week too.
Always chat via video call if you can, or by phone if your partner doesn’t have internet access, and try to meet face to face occasionally. This makes things more personal. Please bear in mind personal safety when considering when and where to meet - we recommend public places like parks and cafes. Consider “double-buddying” - meeting up with another buddy pair for some great conversations!
We encourage you to set some tangible goals together to help drive your buddy sessions - for example something your partner wants to achieve by the end of the 6 month programme. This could be a goal related to integration, relationships, education, work, life admin, business etc. There is further support on goal setting in the Coaching section below.
Conversation topics - can be literally anything! An easy place to start is hobbies, food, sport, books, TV, places you have visited, or common interests.
Interesting activities - try some of these fun activities suggested by previous buddies:
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Cook a meal or cake together over Zoom. Great for practising food and kitchen vocab.
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Visit a library together and help your buddy register.
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Go for a walk - or on a free walking tour together.
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Go to a free museum/gallery/concert/sports event/street market.
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Go for a meal or try a new food or drink together.
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Watch the same TV shows between sessions and discuss.
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Role play everyday situations - visit to the doctor, dentist etc
Key points:
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Aim for one hour, once a week or fortnight
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Set tangible goals together
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Mix fun and friendship with practical support
Cultural sensitivity
It is important to be sensitive to cultural differences when working with your buddy and, above all, to avoid making assumptions.
Your buddy may be nervous when first meeting you. They are in a new country, with cultural values and practices that may be different from their home country, as well as speaking a new language. This is hard work! It may make them feel disoriented - without their normal reference points they are likely to feel less confident than usual and may be unsure of how to behave and interact in this new context. This is known as “culture shock”. Take care to put them at ease - avoid saying or doing anything that might make them feel uncomfortable, and speak slowly and carefully, using Spanish if need be to build rapport.
Showing an interest in your buddy’s country and culture can help them feel valued, and be a good topic of conversation. Find out a bit about their home country, and swap details of the food, music, customs, festivals, religious practices and attitudes in your two cultures.
Remember that those coming to the UK come from all walks of life. Your buddy may be as well - or better - educated than you, or maybe they finished formal education at a young age. They may have had a professional job or run their own business before leaving their home country, or perhaps they have never worked. They may also come from a culture with different values and social attitudes. Be sensitive to those with different value systems from you and avoid judgement. However it can also be helpful to discuss differences in social attitudes and beliefs, as this can help them understand life in the UK - maintaining non-judgement and respect, of course.
Be led by the person you are supporting when talking about their situation and past experiences. Some people are happy to share their story, but others may not want to. Refugees and economic migrants may have had traumatic experiences before or after coming to the UK, so avoid questioning that may be intrusive or triggering. The purpose of your role is to support your partner settle in to the UK, so focusing on the present and their future aspirations is a good approach.
Key points
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Avoid making assumptions about your buddy’s life or experience
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Be sensitive and allow for “culture shock”
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Be led by your buddy and avoid intrusive questioning
When things go off track
The buddying experience will vary enormously, depending on your buddy's work patterns, confidence levels, family commitments etc. Please don't get discouraged if you are not managing to meet your buddy as often as you would like. This is not necessarily because they are reluctant to meet, but because their time is rarely their own. They may be working multiple jobs, unsociable hours, have caring commitments, or simply be too ill or anxious to meet.
Here Mari talks about her experience and tips for keeping things on track.
Our tips for keeping in contact and building engagement:
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Find a time that is likely to work for both of you
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Set a reminder the day before, and send a message to remind them
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Use video calls rather than just voice - become a friendly face
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Send voice messages or texts throughout the week
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Meet face to face sometimes
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Find subjects that you are both interested in and build common ground
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Be patient and flexible - if a plan falls through tell your buddy not to worry and make another one
If you are still failing to meet regularly, are finding it difficult to build rapport, or feel you aren’t helping as much as you would like, be open with your buddy. Ask them what they would like from you, whether you are helping, or whether they have time to commit to the programme at the moment. Let them know gently that if they are not able to commit to the programme just now, that’s ok, someone else might be interested if this is not the right time for them.
If you are getting nowhere please contact the Info Latinos team who can nudge people along or re-match you.
Key points:
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Be patient and flexible
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Send reminders in advance of meetings
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Be open - ask what your buddy would like from you
FAQs
Should I meet my buddy face to face or on the phone?
This is a choice for you and your buddy. We do encourage buddies to meet face to face sometimes, as it’s great for building rapport and can be good fun. If you can’t meet in person try to meet over video call, which is more friendly than voice only and helps interaction. We find often a mix of face to face and remote meetings is the most sustainable mix.
How good does my Spanish need to be?
You need to have some conversational Spanish. If you can maintain a simple conversation with someone about mutual interests, family, work, etc this should be enough. Joining Info Latinos is a good opportunity to improve your Spanish. You will speak in both Spanish and English in your buddy sessions and at meet ups, and you will probably need to learn new vocabulary as the range of subjects you talk about with your buddy grows!
What support do I get?
We run an online orientation session for buddies at the start of each cohort. In addition, you join a buddy WhatsApp group where you can share ideas with other buddies and ask any questions you may have. You will also have a one-to-one check-in session with someone from the Info Latinos team after the first month to ensure everything is on track. We run regular online learning sessions on different aspects of settling into the UK that can be helpful for you as well as for your partner.
Do I need to be an expert in refugees?
No. Not all those on the buddy programme are seeking asylum, and your role is to befriend and mentor, not to provide specialist support. However, as a buddy you will need empathy with those trying to build a new life in the UK and sensitivity to the challenges people may have experienced before arriving here.
What’s the time commitment of a buddy?
You will ideally spend an hour a week or fortnight speaking with your buddy - either on a call or in person - for six months. In addition there are opportunities every month to interact - either an online learning session or a meet up. These are optional, and usually last between 1-2 hours each.
Do I have to be based in London?
No. The people we work with can be based anywhere in the UK. Some may move during the programme, especially if they are in temporary accommodation under the asylum system. Most of our in person meet ups are in London, however there are many opportunities to meet online if you aren’t able to join these.
Safeguarding
Please ensure that you put your safety first - when you first meet with your buddy, do so in public places and do not reveal personal details of any kind. Keep your conversations with your buddy as confidential as you can.
If you are worried about any topics that come up, or if something is raised that indicates harm to your buddy or to someone else, please reach out to the Info Latinos team. We encourage all our buddies to take this free online training in safeguarding: Adult Safeguarding Essentials
Use your professional judgement - if something doesn’t feel or sound right, or if you have any concerns, raise it with the Info Latinos team. We can then provide advice or refer the incident to our safeguarding lead (see our safeguarding policy for further information). We have reporting processes for logging incidents and we can also contact local authority safeguarding teams if necessary.
Please also note that you should not be offering money to your buddies and they should not be asking you for money either. If this happens please let us know.
Key points:
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Put your safety first
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Be alert to signs of abuse or harm
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Raise any concerns promptly with the Info Latinos team
Asylum seeker
Some of the people that we work with have experienced or are experiencing the asylum system in the UK. It is almost always a difficult experience, and people may or may not wish to talk about it.
Here are a few things to keep in mind about what some people may be experiencing:
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The asylum system is hugely variable, and people have had very different paths. People may have been in the UK for 2 months or for 10 years. They may have arrived with a visa, on a boat, or even as a child.
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The waits are usually extremely long. It is not uncommon for people to wait more than a year for their substantive interviews.
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People may be living in Home Office accommodation, and they may be moved around. People will often also be living on meagre subsistence payments, which are currently around £39 a week.
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Some will be appealing negative Home Office decisions. This is a very stressful time and is a somewhat complicated legal procedure. Be aware that not everyone is still feeling hopeful about a positive decision on their case. One thing you can do to help someone who has been waiting for a long time or appealing, is help them write to their local MP.
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For asylum seekers it can be very hard to speak about the past but also to plan the future. Encouraging people to improve their English and build their community can help. You may want to help your buddy find free courses as well as volunteering opportunities in the local area. For parents, kids’ activities at libraries, museums, community centres and churches can also be a real help.
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Please also be aware that after a year in the system asylum seekers can apply for the right to work in certain sectors (shortage occupation list). They will need to raise this with their lawyer. Please do not take responsibility for this yourself.
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Supporting an asylum seeker can be tough. Please remember you are not a lawyer, case worker or social worker and your role at Info Latinos is always to befriend, mentor and where needed, flag other support. At Info Latinos we run a support session on the asylum system in each cohort. A number of specialist charities can help your Latino/a if they need a case worker, for example to access accommodation, advocacy, and emotional support:
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North London: Hackney Migrant Centre
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South London: South London Refugee Association
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National: Red Cross, Salvation Army
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For Latin Americans or Spanish/Portuguese speakers: IRMO
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Google “refugee drop-in centre” (often churches or synagogues) - using their post code to find the one local to you.
Key points:
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The asylum process is difficult and stressful for most people
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Encourage your buddy to improve their English and build their community
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Remember you are not a lawyer or case worker, your role is always to befriend
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Attend the Info Latinos support session and reach out for support