Befriender Volunteer - Weekday Afternoon (Weston General Hospital)

Organisation Description

NHS Hospital

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) was formed on 1 April 2020 following the merger of University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and Weston Area Health NHS Trust.

Bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff, the new Trust delivers over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites serving a core population of more than 500,000 people.

With services from the neonatal intensive care unit to care of the elderly, we provide care to the people of Bristol, Weston and the south west from the very beginning of life to its later stages.

Our staff are the lifeblood of our Trust. They provide general diagnostic, medical and surgical services to the populations of central Bristol, south Bristol and North Somerset. These services are delivered from our Bristol city centre campus and Weston General Hospital with some services delivered in community settings such as South Bristol Community Hospital.

We also provide specialist services such as children's services, cardiac and cancer services, and other smaller specialist services that are nationally commissioned, to a wider population through the south west and beyond.

When

Requirements

What we are looking for
• A friendly and approachable manner. Reliable and trustworthy.
• Good social and communication skills, and proactive in approaching people.
• Ability to engage in a range of activities such as simple board games/puzzles, finding music
a patient would like to listen to, reading with a patient.
• Experience of a hospital/care setting or experience of spending time with older people.
• Ability to follow protocols relating to drinks service.
• Being sensitive to peoples’ vulnerabilities.
• An understanding of the impact a dementia or cognitive impairment can have on a patient’s
stay in hospital.
• Ability to follow infection prevention and control standards in place (including wearing
appropriate personal protective equipment, PPE) in the hospitals, and tactfully and
sensitively be able to encourage visitors to follow those same standards.
• Understanding of, or ability to learn, personal and professional boundaries.

Other

We ask volunteers to support and demonstrate the Trust Values and Principles of Excellent Customer Service.

Trust Values –
We are supportive. We’re always there for each other.
We are respectful. We always look for the best in people.
We are innovative. We’re full of bright ideas.
We are collaborative. We do things together.
We are #TeamUHBW.

A volunteer is a valued member of University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust and is expected to:
• Volunteer within the guidelines agreed by the Voluntary
Services Manager for the placement
• Carry out their duties with consideration and respect to all staff,
general public, Foundation Trust members and patients at all
times, and in line with Trust Values and Principles of Excellent
Customer Service
• Maintain confidentiality at all times, whilst on placement and
once the placement is complete.
• Maintain good standards of communication with staff, general
public, Foundation Trust members, patients and visitors at all
times
• Comply with the Trust’s Health & Safety Policy and other
policies provided to the volunteer at the start of their
placement.
• Attend all training the Trust considers essential to the
volunteering role, in a timely manner.

Benefits

• Rewarding experience, helping to make a patient’s stay in hospital a bit easier.
• Experience of the NHS at ward level.
• Working as part of a team.
• Training, including in infection prevention and control.
• PPE whilst volunteering.
• Volunteer uniform.
• Access to NHS Discounts.
• Reasonable travel expenses paid.

Additional/Specific Suitabilities

Recruitment Method

Application form, Informal discussion, References, Information Day, Other, DBS Check, Interview