After the introduction meeting (facilitated by the SCP coordinators), you and the person you are matched with will be meeting in the community together alone. Here are some tips for the first couple of meetings
Prepare – think about the information your coordinator has shared with you or what your match shared with you at the introduction meeting and consider the information about yourself you are happy to share with your match
Outline your role – be clear and specific. Say what your role is and isn’t Keep it light – be interested and take your lead from the person you are matched. Try to keep questions manageable e.g. asking about their day rather than life history
Share – give some information about yourself.
Make it two-way plan – begin to discuss their interests and hobbies and the types of activities you can do together
Confirm - when and where you will meet up again and for how long
Sometimes it can be difficult to bring a conversation to an end. You may need to be fairly clear and assertive about the time you have available. Possible ways to conclude your meet-up:
“We will have to finish in about ….(?) mins, as (give a reason)”
“It’s been really nice to talk to you but I’m afraid I’ve got to go now. Confirm when you are meeting up next …. (?)”
“I can hear that you have lots of things to talk about and would be glad to talk about these things next time.”
You can probably think of other ways yourself. Remember to be clear and polite, even if you have to be assertive.
Useful conversations – Discuss how each of you will introduce each other if you were to bump into a friend, work colleague or family member. What would either of you feel comfortable with doing or saying?