Come and join us!
Volunteering for West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust gives the opportunity to share your skills, knowledge and time with our patients. Volunteers are a very valued part of our team and the difference they make to both staff and patients is enormous.
We have a wide variety of roles to suit all ages and are always on the lookout for new volunteers to join our friendly team. You may be just the right person for us and we may have just the right volunteer role for you.
If you are aged 16-19, in education, or a university/post graduate student, please apply via our Student Volunteering Programme application form.
Process
On receipt of your application we will arrange for you to come along to talk about the options further. At this point we will take up your references.
If successful after interview, you will be required to complete a DBS check and undergo health screening, which will all be online.
Once this is all complete, you will receive access to our e-learning modules, which require completing before starting.
The whole process can take up to 2 months from submitting your application to starting in a role.
Commitment
For your guidance, we ask for a regular commitment for a minimum of 6 months. 3-4 hours per week or sessions as part of a rota is usual.
See the range of opportunities we are currently recruiting for below. These roles are regularly reviewed and updated so if you don't see anything that interests you today, please do check back again later.
Volunteers to offer support to the Community Teams with agreed admin tasks and helping with unpacking stock.
Volunteers required at days and times to suit the volunteer
Volunteers assist our Chaplains to provide a Chaplaincy for everyone – regardless of faith or belief, and undertake a variety of roles in the department.
Roles include supporting Chaplaincy staff, visiting patients on the wards, welcoming visitors to the Chapel and being a listening ear to staff.
New Role
To support the flow of patients who are attending a DEXA scan and enhancing a patients experience.
Volunteers required
Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's morning and afternoons.
Volunteers will offer help and support to patients and relatives attending the Emergency Department making their time as comfortable and stress free as possible. This is a busy, active role where volunteers will help the flow of the department
Current availability: Friday afternoon, Monday, Thursday Friday, Saturday and Sunday early evening.
The Friends of West Suffolk Hospital support the hospital through fundraising. The Friends Shop provides shopping facilities in the main entrance of West Suffolk Hospital, proceeds from which are 'gifted' back to our hospital. A ward trolley service for patients to purchase items is also provided.
Current availability: Saturday - Sunday 8.30am - 1pm, 1pm - 4.30pm and Tuesday, Thursday evenings 4.30pm - 8pm
Trolley volunteers also needed on a variety of days and times
Volunteers undertake light gardening duties to support the Hospital Gardeners/Estates Department in keeping our hospital grounds & courtyards tidy. Using gardening equipment, they weed, tidy and trim, water and feed flower beds and pots in agreed grounds areas and courtyards.
Volunteers usually attend for a minimum of 2 hours weekly on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
Volunteers will support patients that need their hearing aids repairing alongside the assistant audiologist.
Volunteers required on a Friday 9am - 12pm approximately.
New Role
To assist the ICPS team by supporting the reception service, enabling a welcoming environment for patients. Assisting with basic administrative tasks, helping ensure smooth day-to-day operations. This role will support reception and other colleagues more widely within St Helen’s house. Providing additional capacity to build on staffing structures already in place, who will be able to support volunteers to provide an enhanced experience for patients.
Volunteer Required
Minimum of half a day a week.
New Role
To welcome and spend time with patients and generally assist with the smooth running of the unit under the direction of nursing staff
Volunteer required
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning 9am - 1pm
Wednesday and Friday afternoons 1.30 - 4.30pm
This is an important role for volunteers who spend time with patients on Rosemary Ward talking, listening, tidying and providing non-nursing help and support to staff. Volunteers also assist with giving out meals, opening any food packaging, cutting food into manageable pieces and ensuring patients can access their food.
Current availability: a variety of days and times.
To listen to the experiences of our patients who receive care in hospital and in their own homes or community settings. This will assist the Trust in making improvements and also in sharing positive feedback with our staff.
Volunteers required for between 2 and 4 hours a week on days and times convenient for the volunteer
The main purpose of this role is to support patient flow to create bed capacity when urgently needed.
The role will be volunteering alongside the site manager who will be identifying patients who are due for discharge. Volunteers will support with packing a patient's belongings and taking the patient where necessary then getting the bed prepared ready for the next patient to be admitted. This will be an extremely active and rewarding role.
Volunteers required Tuesday mornings 10am - 2pm and Thursday and Friday afternoons 2pm - 6pm.
New Role
Volunteers will be able to represent the patient and public voice at key meetings and workshops, contributing to service policy design and review. Volunteers will be able to act as a spokesperson for patients and other service users to ensure decisions made are in the best interests of the wider community. Volunteers will also be able to support structured patient engagement activities.
Volunteers are required to be flexible and attend at least one meeting per month and commit to other projects on an ad hoc basis.
We would encourage a diverse range of applicants to apply.
New Role
The main function of volunteers in this area is to support Therapy staff and patients by welcoming, directing, and escorting patients to the waiting area improving patient flow and patient experience.
Volunteers Required
Monday to Friday 9am - 12.30pm and 1.30pm - 4.30pm
This is an important role for volunteers who spend time with patients on our wards talking, listening, tidying, shopping and providing non-nursing help and support to staff. Volunteers also assist with giving out meals, opening any food packaging, cutting food into manageable pieces and ensuring patients can access their food. This role is also available on our Maternity Ward.
Current availability: a variety of days and times
Our student volunteer programme is an excellent opportunity for sixth form and college students to regularly volunteer on a busy ward helping ward staff and patients at mealtimes. This is especially useful for any student considering a career in healthcare or hoping to study medicine at university.
We also offer the opportunity for students to volunteer within our dedicated Friends Shop.
Students will be required to commit to 50 hours volunteering (at least a two hour session once a week, until 50 hours are completed). This allows students to become a valuable member of the ward team, giving them an immersive and rewarding volunteer experience, while avoiding students having to volunteer during their school exams.
We offer approximately 30 placements a year. You must be aged 16+. Apply now!
