“Addressing health inequalities requires community knowledge and people who have lived experience within those communities. There is a need to involve the community to shape the services. This is a challenge, people in these communities need the front door opening for them and recognition.”

Thank you to all of you who attended this session which was split into three discussion groups. This is a topic that is high on the agenda for many and some really interesting and creative ideas came out of the session.

One notable recurring issue that came up was loneliness and isolation which inadvertently puts extra pressure on health services. Volunteers and organisations all over the country are already making a difference with befriending projects. However, identifying the people that are lonely is not always easy.

“Show that there is value in volunteering even if it’s just social.”

One of our guests was from an ambulance service; their volunteers go to 999 calls, so they are first on the scene and are trained to assess the environment that the patient is in and be aware of any safeguarding issues. They are planning to use a case study and film two volunteers who have been with them 13+ years, work in a small village and know their community well. The service has been working with the local GP practice, district nurses and social prescribers so that the volunteers can be made aware of the services available in their community enabling them to signpost a patient to these services.

An example of where this has made a difference to the patient as well as the service: A lady was a constant 999 caller. There were health issues, but the volunteer identified that there was an underlying issue of loneliness. The volunteer signposted her to a befriending service and the number of calls she has made has now dropped significantly. The service is going to use this case study to encourage their 800+ volunteers to work with their local GPs and any other primary care pathways that might be available.

“Some of the roles in the community require self-starting confident individuals.”

Services for unpaid carers. Their access to health care and support in general is crucial to reducing unnecessary hospital admissions. If the carer is admitted to hospital this can lead to the cared-for person also being admitted. One of our guests is exploring a volunteer discharge support service for carers where they can make sure that the carer is equipped to carry on in their caring role and prevent any deterioration in their own health.

“If they're not confident, if they're not consenting to carry on that care in the community then that patient's welfare is only going to deteriorate.”

Often someone with an underlying addiction or mental health condition can get overlooked when accessing a service, particularly if they present themselves when under the influence, and can then be treated as a nuisance.

“There are different needs so ‘one size doesn’t fit all’. We must adapt and create a service for the community we're trying to engage with.”

A volunteer coordinator in Peterborough has a passion for working with people who have all kinds of disabilities and has recruited volunteers who fit into those categories. Some are Wayfinders so they are very visible from the front of the hospital. As a result, they are getting people who fall into these groups approaching them asking about volunteering opportunities and they have seen an increase in volunteers over the last couple of years.

There is also work going on with learning disability nurses to put together a volunteer role to support patients as they come into hospital. The volunteers will meet the patient to find out what type of support they require, enabling them to reduce some of the stress of a hospital visit.

Befriender volunteers who often have long term health conditions, including autism, support Silver Talk. Although they may require some support to volunteer, by providing the time and effort they in turn can call up to 4 people to keep them afloat.

“It’s a good investment.”

A guest noted that there does not appear to be many volunteer roles for people with sensory loss.

If you have any experience and would like to share your knowledge with other network members, please use this forum

Links to useful network resources

• Webinar: Supporting volunteers and patients with Autism
• Working with Autistic talent: Online training course for volunteer managers
• Communication: Improving Deaf Awareness in the Workplace
• Communication: National Deaf Children's Society
• National Deaf Children’s Society
• How volunteers play a vital part in closing the gap on health inequality

More exciting projects

• A Project lead has identified four key areas in their city that are on the IMD (Indices of multiple Deprivation). The mission is to get people in this group to wait well.
• Holding events through a community mental health team. Volunteers join the team so that they can meet and greet. Then after the patient has had a health check with the nurses, the volunteers have a chat with the patient to find out about any areas where they might need signposting. For example: housing, debt, benefits etc.
• Volunteers supporting a research project for people from Africa with psychosis who do not have a family member to support them. The volunteer will attend all the therapy sessions with them over a 26-month period. It is a big commitment, and the volunteers fall into two categories: Former patients who would like to give back or psychology students.
• Linking in with a project in Coventry that teaches English.

• Animation that explains Health Inequalities.
• Most volunteer organisations have a digital front door. At FoodCycle they try to buddy people up to help them. What is FoodCycle? (YOUTUBE VIDEO)
• The Recovery College – Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust provide students who come in for mental health reasons with a non-clinical platform to help them recover. Includes Tai Chi, Maths, English and Creative writing.