Befriending Volunteer

VOLUNTEER ROLE DESCRIPTION

ROLE OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE

This role would suit anyone who is proactive, outgoing and good with people.

BENEFITS OF THE ROLE

• Experience volunteering at one of the most prestigious NHS Trusts in the UK
• Experience of providing crucial support and customer service to some of the most vulnerable people
• Ability to gain experience and insight into working within the healthcare sector including an excellent opportunity for those considering a career in health services or in customer service support roles.
• Induction and ongoing training and development
• References (on request, after 6 months/half the minimum volunteering period)
• Out of pocket expenses are covered in line with our policy (currently travel is covered to the value of £8.90 per day)

KEY RESULT AREAS

• Increased interaction with patients
• Reducing boredom
• Reducing the anxiety of patients and improving their mental well-being

MAIN TASKS AND DUTIES

• Sign in using the My Impact App
• Wear appropriate PPE
• Reporting to the Ward Manager/ Nurse in Charge on arrival
• Proactively befriending patients, their relatives and visitors where appropriate
• Engaging patients in games and activities when and where appropriate
• Proactively sitting with patients to complete Friends and Family surveys which seeks feedback about the hospital stay
• Promoting other volunteer services including the shopping service and video calls.
• Signing out using the My Impact App and recording interactions

Boundaries of the role

• Volunteers are not involved in any clinical duties or the manual handling of patients
• Volunteers can only provide assisted feeding to patients until they have attended the training provided by Voluntary Services and shadowed a HCA/NA
• Volunteers must not take patients bank cards to take out money or to use as a contactless card to pay for goods on their behalf.
• Patients can only be taken off the ward/hospital site with the permission of the nurse in charge and after completion of a risk assessment e.g. inpatients being accompanied outside/to the shops or escorting outpatients home
• Patients can be taken in wheelchairs after volunteers have had wheelchair training
• Volunteers can support patients in side rooms, the exceptions being patients that have respiratory control or strict contact precautions
• Volunteers must not give out personal contact details (phone numbers, social media, email etc.)

The role description is not intended to be exhaustive and it is likely that after consultation duties may be altered from time to time in the light of changing circumstances.