Digital Volunteer Role Description

Tags: Guidance, Toolkit, Template

16th March 2021

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Thank you to Nuria De Miguel from Central & North West London NHS Foundation Trust for sharing.

CNWL Trust has almost 7,000 staff providing integrated healthcare to a third of London's population, Milton Keynes and areas beyond.

About the role

CNWL Digital Volunteers help people get online and use technology. Digital volunteers have good IT skills and the time, patience and enthusiasm to pass them on. They offer advice, information and support to carers who want to get online, learn how to use digital technology and improve the NHS experience for themselves and those they care for.

Digital volunteers need to be adaptable and confident with a range of different technologies. You might need to support a carer with their own laptop, smartphone or tablet, help them access a government service online or arrange a Zoom call with the person they care for. You don’t need to be an expert in all technologies, but a good working knowledge of general end-user IT would be useful.

Commitment

Very flexible, one or two hours a week. Times to be agreed with the carer. We only ask you to please be consistent and volunteer for at least three months.

Key Tasks

  • Provide IT advice and support to carers who may otherwise not be digitally engaged
  • Help carers learn the basics of technology e.g. switching on, searching the internet, sending and receiving email
  • Help carers help those they care for stay connected to NHS services
  • Offer advice on the basics of online safety, e.g. guarding against identity theft, phishing and scamming
  • Support carers to become more digitally fluent using email and apps such as Zoom, Facebook and WhatsApp
  • Delivering short and ready prepared webinars and workshops for fellow volunteers on those digital platforms
  • Keep an accurate record of volunteering activities
  • Communicate regularly with the volunteer coordinator, attending workshops and webinars

Key traits, skills and experience

  • An ability to communicate clearly and offer a warm, friendly, discreet and reliable service to all carers, regardless of age, background or ability
  • An understanding of the importance of information privacy
  • Experience of engaging with people around the area of information technology
  • Enthusiastic about the positive effect that technology can have on someone’s life
  • Confident in a range of digital technologies, e.g. smartphones, tablets, webcams, video calling
  • Confidence using social media and popular platforms e.g. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Zoom
  • Reliable and well-organised
  • Empathetic, compassionate, patient, tolerant and considerate

What is in there for you?

  • The satisfaction of helping people to access the digital world to enrich their lives
  • The opportunity to develop new skills and learn
  • The opportunity to help carers and the NHS in a time of growing pressure
  • Full support and a range of relevant training, including Confidentiality, Safeguarding and Equality and Diversity
  • Local Trust induction and orientation
  • A reference for future volunteering or employment, after 6 months
  • Following our expenses policy, reimbursement of agreed expenses

Next steps and contact details

For an application form, you can complete this form and someone in our service will contact you this form. For more information, go to our website or contact us on cnwl.volunteer@nhs.net

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