Examples of volunteering roles: Discharge Lounge Volunteer

Discharge Lounge Volunteer

Purpose:
Your role will be to provide support to patients and staff members during this time of increased pressure on NHS services due to Covid-19 (Coronavirus). As a volunteer you will be based in the busy discharge and transport lounge area at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital. Although your role will not be clinical, you will have a key part to play as it provides the department with an extra pair of hands, assisting with non-clinical tasks such as chatting to patients making drinks and running errands for staff and patients.

Duties (what you will be doing):

• Spending time with patients whilst they wait to leave the hospital
• Making teas and coffees for them whilst they wait
• Transporting patients either on foot or in wheelchairs to the discharge lounge from other wards and departments (you will be trained to use a wheelchair)

Boundaries (what you won’t be doing):

• No clinical care of patients
• No personal care (e.g. toileting or getting patients changed)
• No lifting of heavy equipment

Time commitment:

Each volunteering shift is 4 hours long. You must commit to at least one shift per week on any day of the week at one of the following times:

• 8 am to 12 pm
• 12 pm to 4 pm
• 4 pm to 8 pm

Requirements of the role:

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

Accessibility: This role is accessible to people with wheelchairs or who have other mobility issues

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
• You must be flexible and eager to learn
• You need a thick skin. Some patients might be distressed, and seeing patients with delirium or dementia can be distressing for some
• This is not a job shadowing opportunity and should not be considered a work placement. You must be motivated to volunteer, rather than shadow clinical staff

Pre-placement checks and training:

• You must have an enhanced criminal record check (DBS) for this role. If you do not have one already then we can organise and pay for one
• This role requires that you have certain immunisations and you will need to complete a health declaration form – we will discuss this with you when you apply
• You will receive a core volunteering induction
• You will also receive a local induction and orientation. This will include any training that is relevant to perform your tasks
• You will receive a volunteer pack

Champions:

Your volunteering champions will be from the discharge lounge team and are there to support and supervise you during your volunteering placement.

For the full document please download the attachment

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