Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS, the mental health and learning disability service provider for Nottinghamshire, is proud of its work with volunteers within its organisation and as a result was asked to host a visit from Baroness Barbara Young, Chair of the Care Quality Commission in December.
The Trust currently has over 300 volunteers in place and is continually striving to recruit more people. In each individual situation the volunteer’s role is different - but everywhere the aim is the same: to complement and enhance the services provided by specialist staff and to improve quality of life for our service users. Some volunteers have specialist skills which can enhance workshops such as IT and music whilst other visit residential units and hospitals to play game and chat to patients. This can be very beneficial especially in hospital where patients may feel isolated from family and friends and react well to a friendly face.
The Baroness’ visit was arranged after a meeting between the Baroness and Sheila Hawkins, Head of Volunteering (Health & Social Care) of Volunteering England where the Baroness expressed a desire to be informed about all aspects of health and social care provision. Sheila felt that this was an ideal opportunity to observe ‘volunteering in action’ with this Trust as a suitable organisation to demonstrate some aspects of NHS volunteering.
On the day Baroness Young learned about;
• the contribution and value of volunteers to NHS services
• the diversity of who volunteers, their motivations, the benefit to the volunteers
• the wide variety of volunteer roles
• the benefits to patients/clients/service users
• the benefits to the Trust.
To find out more about volunteering opportunities at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust please contact Diane Bown, Head of Volunteering in Nottingham on 0115 952 9424 or diane.bown@nottshc.nhs.uk
