Job summary
- Main area
- Volunteer Services
- Grade
- Band 4
- Contract
- Permanent
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 249-7865250
- Employer
- Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Great Western Hospital
- Town
- Swindon
- Salary
- £27,485 - £30,162 per annum pro rata
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 31/03/2026 23:59
- Interview date
- 22/04/2026
Employer heading
Voluntary Services Co-ordinator (Butterfly Volunteer Lead)
Band 4
Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a unique organisation, serving as the sole integrated provider in the Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon, and Wiltshire system. Our scope extends beyond boundaries as we oversee adult community services in Swindon and provide acute care from the Great Western Hospital.
Our 5,500 staff have 1.2m patient contacts a year, with 13,000 operations carried out in our Theatres, around 4,000 babies born, and our emergency attendances are now well over 100,000 per year. Those numbers only tell part of our story about what an exciting time it is to join Great Western Hospitals.
We are cultivating a culture that fosters our ambitions, prioritising equality, diversion, inclusion, wellbeing, and leadership. We aim to create an environment where every member of our team can truly thrive.
Applications for this role should be written by the applicant. If artificial intelligence (AI) programmes are used, then the application may be rejected due to this document being an important part of the assessment process. This does not prevent applicants seeking appropriate support with applications should they need to for the purposes of any declared disability.
If we receive a high volume of applications, we may close adverts prior to the published closing date. Therefore, we advise you to complete and submit your application as soon as possible.
Job overview
Voluntary Services Co-ordinator (Butterfly Volunteer Lead)
Interview Date | 22nd April 2026
This is an exciting opportunity to join the Voluntary Services Team as the coordinator for the Butterfly End of Life Volunteer Service. The role focuses on leading and coordinating a team of compassionate volunteers who provide support to patients and families at the end of life across the Trust.
The post holder will oversee the recruitment, training, supervision and day-to-day coordination of Butterfly Volunteers, ensuring the service is safe, well supported and responsive to the needs of wards, patients and families. The role works closely with the Anne Robson Trust to ensure volunteers are appropriately supported when working in sensitive end-of-life environments.
Alongside the Butterfly Service, the role also supports the wider Voluntary Services Team with coordinating volunteering activity across the Trust. This includes supporting volunteer placements, responding to requests from wards and helping develop volunteering opportunities that enhance patient experience and support staff.
Our philosophy is that volunteering should be Inspiring, Fulfilling and Worthwhile, and this role plays an important part in supporting volunteers while helping improve the experience of patients and families.
Main duties of the job
The role centres on coordinating and leading the Butterfly End of Life Volunteer Service across the Trust, ensuring that patients and families receive compassionate support at the end of life. It involves recruiting, interviewing, training and supporting Butterfly Volunteers in partnership with the Anne Robson Trust, while also providing day‑to‑day supervision and pastoral guidance as they work on wards in emotionally sensitive situations. A key part of the role is ensuring volunteers are confident, well‑prepared and working safely within Trust policies and governance processes.
You would also be responsible for organising volunteer placements across wards, responding to requests for support, and working closely with the Palliative and End of Life Care team, ward staff and chaplaincy to ensure appropriate referrals. Maintaining accurate records, monitoring volunteer activity and gathering feedback from patients, families, staff and volunteers all contribute to ongoing service improvement and the development of best practice.
Beyond the Butterfly Service, the role supports the wider Voluntary Services Team by helping with the recruitment, training and development of volunteers across the Trust. It also involves promoting volunteering, identifying new opportunities and working collaboratively with colleagues to strengthen and expand volunteering provision across the organisation.
Working for our organisation
We are proud to be part of BSW Hospitals Group – a formal partnership between Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust and Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust. With a combined workforce of over 17, 600 colleagues, and budget of 1.6 billion the Group is united by a common purpose to deliver the best possible care to over 1 million people.
We are creating a health and care system that works with the people we care for, reducing the differences people currently face in access, experience and outcomes, improving the experience of our colleagues and tackling shared challenges like sustainability and finances. Every improvement we make across our Group will be guided by what creates the greatest benefit for our colleagues, our patients, our communities and our partners.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
This is a non-clinical, operational coordination role working with the Trust and partner organisations, supporting volunteer services and contributing indirectly to patient care. The post holder will lead and coordinate the Butterfly End of Life Volunteer Service, overseeing recruitment, training, supervision and day-to-day deployment of volunteers to ensure compassionate support is available to patients and families at the end of life. The role involves working closely with the Palliative and End of Life Care team, ward staff and the Anne Robson Trust to ensure the service is safe, responsive and well supported.
Please find attached the full Job Description
Person specification
Education, Qualifications and Training
Essential criteria
- NVQ Level 4, or equivalent knowledge and experience of Voluntary Services and relevant legislation, with a willingness to work towards the qualification if not already held.
Desirable criteria
- Knowledge of Voluntary Services and relevant legislation within the NHS
Experience
Essential criteria
- Direct experience of working with volunteers
- Knowledge of End of Life or palliative care through study or experience
- Experience of People Co-ordination
- Experience in a busy and varied environment
Desirable criteria
- In-depth knowledge of customer service and business administration
- Experience working within voluntary services
- Experience of working in the NHS or other complex organisations.
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
- Victoria Hayes
- Job title
- Voluntary Services Manager
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 01793 605247
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