Why we need your help The Community of Dumfries and Galloway - Marie Curie, health professionals, patients and families - together have identified a need to offer a service to support patients and their families at the end of life. Volunteers spending time with patients alone or with their families and friends, providing emotional support, a listening ear, short breaks for friends and family, help with signposting for information and support, and to simply be there for people at this very difficult time makes a huge impact and will help us to ensure a better end of life for all. What we need you to do As a volunteer these are some of the tasks that you may be asked to carry out in your role, this list is not exhaustive, but all tasks will be withing the boundaries of the role of Community Companion Providing one-to-one companionship and support. E.g., offering a listening ear, engaging in everyday conversation, doing activities or hobbies together. Spending time with patients who have been identified as nearing the end of their life and providing support for them and their loved ones. Allow family, friends or carers to have a short break while you spend time with their loved one. Signpost families, friends and carers to other services, as appropriate Support us with the evaluation of the service, including writing a brief report on each visit Keep staff informed of any changes or significant happenings in connection with the patient, either in person or by telephone Attend individual support sessions, group support and development sessions as required Carry out planned visits as agreed with you as a volunteer. These could be in a variety of settings, for example, on a ward, in a family’s home, in a care home or taking a patient out for a short break in the community Driving a patient to pre-arranged medical appointments or taking short trips out. Helping with small, daily tasks, e.g. making tea or accessing the internet and signposting to relevant local support services or finding out information as requested. Represent the Companions service positively to those using the service N.B This is only an outline as support will vary according to individual needs. Companions do not provide nursing or personal care, or offer counselling or advice What skills or experience do you need? A friendly and sensitive nature – a good listener Patience, empathy, self-awareness and emotional stability Excellent listening skills and an ability to build a rapport with others Commitment and reliability - able to keep appointments An understanding of the importance of confidentiality Willing to be flexible to the needs of the individual Mature perspective on life and death Willingness to learn, participate in training and operate within the boundaries of the role Respect for individuals, regardless of their race, gender, culture, religion, disability, sexual orientation and marital status What we can offer you An excellent opportunity to build on your existing skills or gain new skills in a charity environment through induction, training and ongoing support. Meet and engage with new people – staff, volunteer’s, patients and families Paid out-of-pocket expenses in line with the Marie Curie Policy - including mileage etc An opportunity to be part of a dynamic team at Marie Curie who make a real difference to people at the end of life. What we ask of you To provide two references from non-family members and other relevant documents related to the role – this role will require a disclosure check To provide the details of one or more lone worker Buddies in line with our lone working procedure and to keep to all Marie Curie policies and guidelines To complete an induction, training and participate in support opportunities related to your role To ensure you make us aware of any issues or concerns you may have in your volunteering role as soon as you can. To make us aware of any changes in your personal circumstances that may impact you and your ability to carry out your volunteer role. Marie Curie is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of patients and their families and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Marie Curie will treat all volunteers fairly and with respect. We will not discriminate on the basis of disability, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sex (i.e. gender), sexual orientation, religion or faith, or gender reassignment. We will not discriminate on the basis of age, unless the responsibilities of a role require us to do so in order to safeguard our volunteers and/or service users. ABOUT US Every day of your life matters – from the first to the last. When you volunteer for Marie Curie, you understand that better than ever. W

Marie Curie Companion is a professional service provided by trained volunteers who offer one-to-one companionship and support to people with a terminal illness and their families. To enable us to reach more people who would benefit from our support we need help to; Raise awareness and knowledge of the Companion service Ensure that people who are referred to the Companion service are appropriately assessed Increase our number of trained Companion volunteers and ensure they are well supported in their role. Demonstrate Marie Curie values; always compassionate, making things happen, leading in our field, people at our heart Support volunteers in training, offering 1:1 support and facilitating peer support groups Organise social events and engagement activities for volunteers Provide cover for Companion volunteers, offering companionship and emotional support, practical support and short breaks for carers With support from their Volunteer Coordinator a Lead Volunteer will play an important part in supporting the Companion service to reach more people within their own local community. Your role will mainly be based in your local community and may include some of, but is not restricted to, the following typical tasks: Assess terminally ill people and/or their carers either in their own home, nursing or residential care to identify their needs and determine if the Marie Curie Companion service would be appropriate for them. Provide cover for Companion volunteers, offering companionship and emotional support, practical support and short breaks for carers. You may be supporting your client’s family or carers before or during bereavement. This may involve offering emotional support, signposting to relevant local support services or finding out information as requested Driving clients to pre-arranged health or social care (eg to chemotherapy appointments or day therapy at the hospice) Follow all mandatory procedures that form part of the Companion service. Provide cover as a lone worker Buddy to support Companion volunteers, as needed Keeping up to date with Companion service guidance and best practice Liaising with existing and potential referrers to the Companion service Liaising with clients and their families via telephone Promoting the Companion volunteer role including (with training/approval) media activity Helping with the recruitment of new volunteers, including interviews and selection Keeping accurate records Liaising regularly with the Volunteer Coordinator and other team members Reporting concerns and celebrating compliments and successes Assisting with evaluations and development of the Companion service Help with other related tasks when necessary For more information or if you have any questions regarding this volunteer role, please contact the Volunteering Operations Team at volunteering@mariecurie.org.uk ABOUT US Every day of your life matters – from the first to the last. When you volunteer for Marie Curie, you understand that better than ever. We’re a passionate, committed and diverse team of more than 4,400 staff and 6,500 volunteers, here for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. We offer expert care, guidance and support, to help them get the most from the time they have left. Marie Curie is committed to its values, which underpin our work. We take stringent steps to ensure that the people who join our organisation through employment or volunteering, are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. This includes our staff, volunteers and all those who use or come into contact with our services. We are dedicated to creating not just a safe place to work but also a supportive and rewarding one. Marie Curie is committed to a world where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. We are devoted to the social justice imperatives and organisational benefits of full diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace, and are a Stonewall champion. We actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

Marie Curie Companion is a professional service provided by trained volunteers who offer one-to-one companionship and support to people with a terminal illness and their families. The service would not be able to reach those most in need if it was not for the commitment and hard work of the volunteers delivering the service. Companion Volunteers provide companionship and emotional support, practical support, short breaks for carers and help with signposting for information and support. Your role will include some of, but is not restricted to, the following tasks: Carry out weekly visits with the person(s) you’re supporting, as agreed with the Volunteer Co-ordinator. This could be in a variety of settings, eg family home, a care home or in the community. Provide one-to-one companionship and support. For example: offering a listening ear and spending time engaging in every-day conversation, activities or hobbies with the person you are supporting. Driving clients to pre-arranged health or social care (e.g. to medical appointments) or taking short trips out. Helping with small, daily tasks, e.g. making tea or accessing the internet. Allowing carers to have a short break. You may be supporting your client’s family or carers before or during bereavement. This may involve offering emotional support, signposting to relevant local support services or finding out information as requested (This is only an outline as support will vary according to individual needs. Companion volunteers do not provide nursing or personal care, or offer counselling or advice) Keep your manager informed of any changes to the situation, or any significant happenings in connection to the person you’re supporting and/or their family, either in person or by phone Submit regular visit reports to your manager and update relevant computer systems as required Be reliable and committed to regularly spending time with someone and offering support Attend individual sessions with your Volunteer Co-ordinator, training and group events as required Represent the Marie Curie Companion service positively to those using the service For more information or if you have any questions regarding this volunteer role, please contact the Volunteering Operations Team at volunteering@mariecurie.org.uk ABOUT US Every day of your life matters – from the first to the last. When you volunteer for Marie Curie, you understand that better than ever. We’re a passionate, committed and diverse team of more than 4,400 staff and 6,500 volunteers, here for people living with any terminal illness, and their families. We offer expert care, guidance and support, to help them get the most from the time they have left. Marie Curie is committed to its values, which underpin our work. We take stringent steps to ensure that the people who join our organisation through employment or volunteering, are suitable for their roles and are committed to safeguarding all our people from harm. This includes our staff, volunteers and all those who use or come into contact with our services. We are dedicated to creating not just a safe place to work but also a supportive and rewarding one. Marie Curie is committed to a world where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. We are devoted to the social justice imperatives and organisational benefits of full diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace, and are a Stonewall champion. We actively encourage and welcome applications from candidates of diverse cultures, perspectives and lived experiences. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early.

We are looking for volunteers to support us for the duration of one (or more if you have time) of our 5-day holidays in 2025. See our 2024 holiday destinations and dates to give you an idea of where we go https://dementiaadventure.org/holidays/holidays-2024/ You will assist and support one or two people living with dementia and their carer(s) to help them have a great holiday. You’ll be: ▪ Meeting the Holiday Leader at the holiday location. ▪ Working together as a team to support all the activities planned in the itinerary such as trips, walks and tours ▪ Providing an extra pair of hands, supporting holiday guests with as little or as much assistance as they require with tasks such as unpacking/packing, and support during activities (there is no expectation to provide personal care). ▪ Offering physical support such as pushing a wheelchair. ▪ Encouraging guests to be appropriately dressed for the weather. ▪ Working together to support mealtimes. This may include some basic cooking, heating of pre-prepared meals, or preparing packed lunches. ▪ If needed, taking a person living with dementia through a photo album, listening to some music, reading sections of a book and so on. This could offer their carer a break for an hour, or may be required to divert their attention if they’re feeling restless/anxious/tired during the day. ▪ Assisting the Holiday Leader in encouraging the guests to participate in the holiday as much as possible, encouraging them to get ready, to eat and drink. ▪ Taking photos and/or videos on behalf of Dementia Adventure on a Dementia Adventure device. ▪ Administering first aid (training provided), should the need arise. ▪ Completing a feedback form after the holiday.