Procedure for Voluntary Services and East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust staff for returning volunteers

This procedure has been developed to help the voluntary services and ward staff who wish to have volunteers back. If you have any questions, please send them to Gillian Reynolds.

Volunteer expresses wish to return to role – Voluntary services will liaise with relevant department/ward to return volunteer

Department/ward requests return of their former volunteer –Voluntary services will contact named volunteer to check if available to return to role, and liaise with relevant department/ward to return volunteer

To support you in receiving volunteer support, voluntary services will

• Revise Volunteer Role description (RD) for your ward using our new RD template, which includes section on ’your safety and protection’ and ‘how you will be supported in your role’
• Send revised role description to you for final amendments and approval
• Complete risk assessment and other relevant recruitment docs, including Health declaration and confirm DBS, with volunteer
• Confirm with volunteer their availability, days and hours, linked to RD and your needs
• On receipt of FIT response from Occupation Health, advise you that volunteer is now ready to return to their role and contact you to schedule date and time for volunteer to have a trial session
• Check in with volunteer following first session how they experienced role
• Check in with you, following volunteer’s first session, how you experienced volunteer
• If both you and your volunteer are satisfied, volunteer to be scheduled for agreed days and times to support ward/department

Following sent to all wards

Volunteers to support you – what to do

You would like to have your former volunteer back?

Please contact voluntary services and let us know volunteer(s) name and role; also any other information you think would be helpful, for example – preferred days and hours for volunteer support.

You would like to have volunteer support, but not necessarily, former volunteer?

Please contact voluntary services and let us know volunteer name and that you would like to have new volunteer(s)

You would like to have volunteer support for the first time?

Please contact voluntary services and provide us with some details about your ward, tasks volunteer could help you with and preferred days and hours for volunteer support. We will then develop a volunteer role description (RD) bespoke to your requirements and liaise with you to complete this. On completion of RD we will identify suitable volunteer(s) to support you.