Hospital Discharge Patients Check in Service Volunteer - Volunteer role profile

Voluntary Services

Role Description & Person Specification

Voluntary Position

Hospital Discharge Patients Check in Service Volunteer

Responsible to

XXXX -Hospital Intervention Team (HIT ) Practitioner – Clinical advice and support

XXXX – Administrative support

XXXXX - Assistant Director for AHPs Out of Hospitals

Ward/Area

Discharge Patients Check-in Service – Out Of Hospitals

Location – Eastbourne District General Hospital

(EDGH)

Lead supervisors

Mobile number

Aim:

You will play an integral role in providing reassurance and support to patients following their discharge from hospital

• To provide a ‘safety net’ by supporting patients via telephone following an ‘uncomplicated’ rapid hospital discharge process to check in how they experienced their discharge from hospital and to ensure their needs have been adequately met and identify any ongoing support needs
• The service will provide contact with patient’s within 24 hours of discharge by volunteers who will identify concerns and provide links and signposting to local support services in their community
• To increase confidence in discharged patients when usual support systems are limited during COVID - 19 pandemic
• To ensure patient safety, wellbeing and positive hospital experience

Essential Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills
• A good understanding of confidentiality and safeguarding
• Kindness and Empathy
• A commitment to support and enhance our patients experience
• Perceptive person who can recognise and escalate concerns and reassure patients
• Resilience to manage distressed patients
• A registered volunteer having received DBS and Trust health clearance
• Able to use technology to communicate with patients and team leads online or by phone
• Good understanding of local community support services and Healthwatch East Sussex, is an advantage

DBS requirements

DBS Clearance required for this role

Key Tasks

• Arrive at dedicated office by agreed time (11 am – 1pm) in time for briefing call with Clinical lead
• Liaise with clinical leads for daily briefing and debrief
• All forms and contact details for the day will be shared by the administrator
• Calls will be made from the office
• Notes kept from each call
• All record sheets to be collated and handed to the discharge hub at the end of the day by 4pm
• De brief call at 3.30 pm with clinical lead
• Receiving caseload of patients to contact, which will include their name and telephone number
• Contacting patients, following scripts to check in how they have experienced Trust discharge process and if they have all they need and identify any ongoing support needs, for example, befriending support, food, medication, other
• Identify any concerns relating to health and safety and use of Trust Escalation Plan to alert Trust staff
• Discussing concerns with clinical leads
• Sign post to their local community hub if further support identified
• Advise of further support available from Healthwatch East Sussex and identify if follow up call agreed by patient
• Feedback information for monitoring including quality outcome measures

Working Days and Hours

• Volunteers who can be available from 11am – 4pm

• Monday – Sunday

• Frequency of weekly shifts – minimum once a week

Training and Support

Volunteers will have received: - a Volunteers Handbook, setting out key areas to understand, including Health and Safety, Information Governance, Fire Safety, Infection Control, Equality and Diversity and confidentiality

Supplementary Training - as identified by area supervisor and supported by Voluntary Services Team, which could include online safeguarding and confidentiality and Making Every Contact Count (MECC)

How you will be supported in your role:

Volunteers will be supported by a named clinical lead who is your area supervisor and on site administrative support. Your local area supervisor will support you, assign tasks, answer questions and provide help when you need it Further support will be provided by ESHT Voluntary Services Team and Patient Experience Lead

You will be provided with the following to support you with your role-

• Script to assist you with your guided conversation with patients

• Information about Healthwatch East Sussex

• Check list to assist you with your support and training needs

• Discharge pack containing links to support services in the local community where the patient lives

• Monitoring form to complete, following phone call, to be returned to the Trust

• Details of named Trust Clinical Lead to contact if there are any identified complex or medical concerns