New Capacity Building Support Groups
30th June 2022
By Gillian Reynolds, Helpforce Programme Manager
In response to needs from our network members we have developed an approach to help them with specific areas of work. Our new Capacity Building Support Groups provides an opportunity for Helpforce network members to meet as a small group to discuss an agreed topic. It also promotes peer support approaches for participants to explore an issue and ‘find solutions together.’
Our first group met in May with the topic of Emergency Department (ED) Volunteer Services. Participants came from six NHS Trusts, each with a shared ambition of improving their ED volunteer service. Issues discussed included identifying barriers and constraints in developing and maintaining motivation for ED volunteers.
Verity Barker - Voluntary Services Manager - Royal Cornwall NHS Trust said:
‘’It’s really helpful to meet with other Trusts, all in different stages of developing their Emergency Department Volunteer Services and I’m now re-thinking the training we provide for our volunteers in this challenging role’’
The Capacity Building Support Groups groups are scheduled to meet monthly over a period of 4 -6 months, or as guided by the groups participants in response to their own needs and preferences.
The focus of the second group was Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) with twelve participants from ten NHS Trusts. Their various roles ranged from Patient Experience and Inclusion Leads to Volunteer Service and Workforce Managers. All shared the ambition to improve their EDI approaches for their voluntary services and they were all curious to learn what other Trusts were doing in relation to EDI.
Becky Smith, Voluntary Services Manager at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust said:
‘’My interest in EDI is ensuring that our volunteering services reflect the wider local community and that barriers are removed, and learning how can we make our voluntary services more accessible?’’
Lizzie Kennedy, Youth Volunteer Coordinator at North West Anglia Health Foundation Trust said: ‘’I am keen to share and learn from other organisations what they are doing in terms of using the ‘talent pool’ of languages spoken amongst their volunteers to enhance patient experience and ideas, and how they might use this to use to evaluate health inequalities within our Trust.’’
Gina Barr, Voluntary Services Manager at Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Trust (pictured above) said:
‘’Creating a diverse helpforce could help our hospital improve cultural awareness and address health inequalities, whilst providing experience and opportunities to marginalised groups who may not ordinarily consider a career in healthcare’’.
Areas for future discussion at EDI focussed Capacity Building Support Group will include:
New approaches to improving the diversity of our volunteers
Sharing resources such as Equality and Diversity Strategies
Developing an Equalities and Health Inequalities Impact Statement for our Voluntary Services
How to increase voluntary services’ reach to ethnically diverse communities
Improving EDI training for volunteers
Better understanding the demographics of our local communities
Sharing learning and understanding about health inequalities
Future topics being considered for further Capacity Building Support Groups include:
Social Prescribing
Improving Volunteering Opportunities for young people
Volunteering within Hospices
If you are interested in joining a Group or have an interest in a particular topic, please get in touch with Gill Reynolds, Helpforce Programme Manager: gr@helpforce.community