Volunteering at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust

Purpose:

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust provides a wide range of award winning sexual health and HIV services across London.  Our sexual health clinics offer testing for sexually transmitted infections (including HIV tests), contraceptives including the morning after pill (emergency contraception), condoms, pregnancy testing, Hepatitis A and B vaccinations, safer sex education and support/counselling.

As a volunteer you will help us to provide information, support, refreshment services and a listening ear to HIV patients, their friends and family in order to help improve the patient experience during visits to the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

This role  also aims to support those who receive oncology care in our HIV/Oncology  Day-care unit, Ron Johnson Ward, and those patients who visit  HIV and Sexual Health services  in the St Stephen’s Centre (John Hunter Clinic  and Kobler outpatients ) as well as supporting services at 56 Dean Street in Soho and 10 Hammersmith Broadway.

Duties (what you will be doing):

There are a variety of tasks that you may be performing, depending on which location you are volunteering. Typical tasks will include:

• Providing refreshments to patients and visitors in our HIV inpatient and Outpatient areas
• Meet and greet in our clinic reception areas
• Signposting patients to all other Trust wards and departments and offering information about external support services where appropriate.

Boundaries (what you won’t be doing):

• There is no input into the  clinical care of patients
• There is no remit for  clinical information or advice to be given to patients

Time commitment:

• Morning or afternoon shifts are available Monday to Friday – exact times depend on which site you volunteer on
• Volunteers must commit to at least one shift per week for a minimum of six months

Location:

You will have the opportunity to volunteer in a variety of locations where our services are offered:

Kobler Clinic and Ron Johnson Ward and Gazzard Day Care: Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, 369 Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 9NH

St Stephen’s Centre, 369  Fulham Rd, Chelsea, London SW10 9NA

56 Dean Street , Soho, W1D 6AQ

10 Hammersmith Broadway W6 7AL

Requirements of the role:

Age: You must be 16 years or older to volunteer in this role

Accessibility: Some sites are accessible for wheelchair users or people with other mobility issues. Please discuss this during your application

As a volunteer you will embody the Trust’s values:

• Putting patients first
• Responsive to, and supportive of, patients and staff
• Open, welcoming and honest
• Unfailingly kind, treating everyone with respect, compassion and dignity
• Determined to develop our skills and continuously improve the quality of care

Skills and other requirements:

• You must be self-motivated; with an ability to think on your feet and work independently
• You must be punctual and dependable
• You must have a professional and friendly demeanour
• A understanding of the importance of confidentiality in HIV and Sexual Health services  is essential
• An awareness/interest around HIV and sexual health would be an advantage

Pre-placement checks and training:

• This role requires an enhanced criminal record (DBS) check and a pre-placement induction
• This role requires that you have certain immunisations – we will discuss this with you when you apply
• You will receive a core volunteering induction
• In addition, you will receive a local induction with whichever clinic you volunteer

Supervisors:

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital (Kobler Clinic and Ron Johnson Ward and Gazzard Day Care): Barry Dew (volunteer) and the ward managers in each of the wards)

St Stephen’s Centre: Barry Dew (volunteer)

56 Dean Street: Errol Meyers (volunteer), Leigh Chislett (Clinic Manager)

10 Hammersmith Broadway Barry Dew (Volunteer) Chris Shaw (Clinic Manager)

Your supervisors will be responsible for supporting you in your day-to-day volunteering. You can schedule your shifts with them, discuss any issues, and let them know if you are unable to attend on a particular shift.

Senior Champion:

James Hardie, St Stephen’s Centre Clinic Manager

Personal development:

This role will provide a volunteer with a valuable insight into how sexual health and HIV services work in the Trust and what some of the key issues are for patients attending these services.

You will develop communication skills and a high level of empathy and understanding as  well as a greater awareness and understanding  of HIV and sexual health.