Volunteer to Career: Rosie’s Story

“Volunteering helped me to find where I really want to be”

Rosie’s Story

After having lived experience of mental health herself, Rosie wanted to give something back and make a positive impact on others. So the property management student quit her study and became a volunteer for a mental health trust in London.

Rosie Sullivan, who has just completed her second year studying psychology at university, began volunteering around a year ago with Camden and Islington Foundation NHS Trust. The 24-year-old student said: “I manage a shop trolley at St Pancras and Highgate and I work as a befriender on Montague Ward. I also do restraint debrief, which is when someone is restrained and we try to make that person’s time with us as positive as possible. My role involves socialising and interacting with people who use our mental health services - it's so rewarding to have human-to-human contact and see their progression.”

In addition to this, her voluntary role complements her studies. Rosie says her role is the perfect way to gain a first-hand insight into the subject and explore different paths for her long-term career, which she believes gives her an advantage over her fellow students at university.

Rosie is one of many volunteers across the UK who are a part of Helpforce’s ‘Volunteer to Career’ programme, which provides healthcare organisations with support to help volunteers explore their suitability to healthcare careers through volunteering.. The programme also ensures that clinical leads are closely involved, so that volunteers can gain hands-on experience and guidance within clinical environments.

Rosie describes what it’s like to support people who use the mental health services, the challenges she has faced and how it has developed her professional skills:

“When you walk onto the ward, you never know what you’re going to see and that can be challenging. I have learned to be mindful of what I say to people to ensure I do not say anything triggering or sensitive, which is a very important skill. I work within the most amazing team and my volunteering has given me the opportunity to network with other leaders within the trust, which I hope will open doors for me in the future. Although I consider my volunteer role a small part in the trust, it’s rewarding to see the impact of my help and experience on others and I believe that volunteering can lead you to new opportunities in the future.”

Following her voluntary work, Rosie has acquired a new paid role as a Peer Coaching worker. The role involves seeing people who use the service in a variety of venues, from participating GP practices to home visits, to identify what is most important to them and improve their health and wellbeing. Speaking about her new role, Rosie told us how her voluntary work gave her the knowledge and the confidence to apply: “For me personally, my volunteering helped me find where I really want to be.”

The Volunteer to Career programme is funded by the Burdett Trust for Nursing and Health Education England.