Job summary
- Main area
- Volunteer
- Grade
- N/a
- Contract
- Voluntary
- Hours
- Part time
- Flexible working
- Job ref
- 285-3951-CORP-19 ward
- Employer
- Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Varied sites in the Black Country
- Town
- Black Country NHS Foundation Trust Sites
- Salary
- Voluntary (unpaid)
- Closing
- 29/05/2024 23:59
Employer heading
Ward Activities Volunteer
N/a
Job overview
Purpose of volunteering role: To support staff to deliver services for patients in Walsall, Wolverhampton and Dudley.
This is a voluntary role which is unpaid.
Black Country Healthcare is a major provider of NHS mental health services for more than a million people across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton:
Adult and older adult mental health services
- Specialist learning disabilities services
- Mental health services for children and young people
- Community healthcare for children, young people and families in Dudley
We’re proud to be rated Good by the Care Quality Commission, and that many of our staff have won awards for their work.
Main duties of the job
We are looking for friendly and caring volunteers who want to gain experience working in mental health and supporting vulnerable inpatients. We are looking for volunteers to support with ward activities on our inpatient mental health wards. This would be a great way to gain experience for a future career in mental health such as Occupational Therapy, Psychology and support work. Volunteers will engage with patients and take part in activities such as arts, crafts, music, gardening, games. This could be based at Penn Hospital, Dorothy Pattinson hospital or Bushey Fields hospital, depending on where you live.
Bushey Fields in Dudley would also like someone with experience in football coaching to help them create a football group.
We are interested in volunteers who have a PAT (Pets As Therapy.org) registered dog who would be willing to bring their dog to the wards.
Please write in your supporting statement which kind of activities you are interested in, and why you'd like to volunteer with us. We would love to know if you have skills such as music, gardening, arts, yoga, cooking, fitness, sports that you could share with our patients.
Examples of ways volunteers can help us:
- Support with activity groups and engagement of patients.
- Share their specific skills. for example sports e.g. football, gardening or arts.
- Co-facilitate activities.
- Be welcoming and friendly to new patients.
- Chat with patients and form a good rapport.
We would like volunteers who are looking to volunteer for at least 6 months, due to recruitment processes and ensuring consistency for our patients. You must live within a reasonable travel distance. Travel costs will be reimbursed.
Working for our organisation
How we can support you:
- Training and Induction.
- One to one and group volunteer support meetings.
- We can provide a reference for future employment.
- Travel expenses will be paid.
- Further training opportunities.
- Support you to learn new skills and gain experience.
- Create a plan together to meet your volunteering goals
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
We are looking for volunteers who have these qualities:
- Good communication skills.
- Experience of working with people in care, support or similar roles
- Confident and able to co-facilitate group activities
- Awareness of mental health and desire to help patients
- Punctual and reliable.
- Able to follow confidentiality policy and professional boundaries for their own safety and safety of the patients.
- Enthusiasm and desire to help patients, and encourage positive actions to improve wellbeing.
- Ability to use some digital technology for training and communications – we can support you with this.
- Friendly and welcoming – able to speak with patients and build rapport
- Skills such as art, music, gardening, exercise to help with patient activity groups.
- Live within a reasonable travel distance to sites in the Black Country.
- Over 18
Our Trust Values:
Caring
We care for everyone as individuals, being compassionate, empathetic and kind with a willingness to help.
Enabling
We enable ourselves and others to act with confidence and authority in order to achieve the best outcome for everyone.
Working Together
We work together in partnership, being inclusive by understanding and valuing others to achieve the best results for everyone in everything we do.
Integrity
We act with transparency and honesty; respecting and valuing others to do the right thing at the right time for everyone.
We’re committed to building a workforce and culture that reflects our varied population – and to create a culture of belonging. We always engage and involve when making key decisions, regardless of role or level. For example, we have worked closely with staff, patients, community groups and other key partners, in putting together our clinical strategy.
Due to the nature of our work some volunteering roles may be subject to a Standard or Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, through the Disclosure and Barring Service as stipulated under part V of the Police Act 1997. Having a criminal record will not necessarily bar you from volunteering with us; this will depend on the nature of the role and the circumstances of your offences.
Person specification
values
Essential criteria
- can display trust values
- live within the Black Country or Birmingham areas, within a reasonable travel distance to our sites
- over 18 years old
- interest in mental health services and supporting them
Desirable criteria
- passion for mental health services
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Rebecca Craddock
- Job title
- Volunteer Coordinator
- Email address
- [email protected]
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