General discussion Group

Wednesday 27 November 2024

Making sure that your service has enough volunteer cover.

One organisation has a role for two volunteers at a time to be in the chemotherapy suite making refreshments and chatting to patients. It is a very important role that not only helps the patients but relieves a lot of pressure from the staff. However, on occasions due to various reasons both volunteers on a particular shift are not able to come in at short notice.

Advice from other guests:

• Raise the profile and accountability of the role. Making the volunteer feel important and more involved will make them more accountable.
• Remind the volunteers how vital they are to the role and that they understand the unit has specific needs for which they have been trained.
• As if you were managing a ward or department, send out a message every three months reminding your volunteers to let you know if they have any holidays or appointments coming up that will affect their usual shifts.
• Set up a reserve list with trained volunteers that can come in at short notice. (A small WhatsApp group can be quite useful for putting out a call to action to fill those gaps)
• Lunchtime is when the volunteers are most needed. It may be worth having conversations with people volunteering in units nearby about being trained up to step in if needed at short notice.
• Set up a responder / floating type role where a selection of volunteers are trained and skilled up to drop into a variety of areas.
• A selection of responder role descriptions can be found under Active Response Service here

Another guest has just taken on the role of Clinical Lead on the Volunteer to Career Programme with a new cohort starting in the new year.

• A selection of useful documents including risk assessment and standard operating procedures can be found under Volunteer to Career here

Creative Health

This part of the discussion covered the arts and how they support recovery. The latest East Sussex County Council Public Health annual report focuses on creative, creative health and recognising the value of arts programmes, where painting, drawing, music, drama etc. can be brought into Trusts to aid recovery. This opens up opportunities for unique volunteer roles.

• East Sussex Creativity for Healthier Lives Annual Report 2023 / 2024

One great example was music therapy being used to aid the recovery of stroke patients. The therapists are specialist trained and will spend approximately an hour a week for 18 weeks with the patient. Volunteers could add value to this therapy in a number of ways.

There is strong evidence that the arts not only aid recovery but also play a big part in prevention. Find out more:

The National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) in partnership with NHS England has launched an online Creative Health Toolkit. The Creative Health Associates Programme is being delivered by seven Creative Health Associates hosted by Integrated Care Boards, one in each NHS region in England. They are supported by a Creative Health Programme Manager through peer support and leadership development.

From 2021, the NCCH was awarded funding from the Baring Foundation to pilot a programme of Huddles across the UK, focusing on co-production using the arts in healthcare settings with a particular focus on mental health. With creativity and lived experience at the heart, the Huddles bring together patients, participants, clinicians, artists and managers.

More useful links

• Creativity for Healthier Lives
• Toolkits, guidance and factsheets
• Music volunteer role description