NHS Ayrshire & Arran
Volunteering opportunities within NHS Ayrshire & Arran
Current opportunities
Key duties:
• Provide entertainment through use of games, and other activities such as
arts/crafts, musical instruments
• Provide patient with refreshments
• Direct patient to nurse for any concerns regarding their care
• To carry out Patient Experience surveys on behalf of the Patient Experience
Team, helping those who require assistance where appropriate
Personal specification:
• Volunteers must be 18 or over
• This is not a clinical role and you will not be shadowing or assisting staff
• Patience and composure
• A caring, sympathetic, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach
• Reliable/ dependable and flexible
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Have a positive outlook and enthusiastic approach
Additional requirements and general information
• Successful placement will be dependent on Disclosure Scotland PVG and
Occupational health clearances plus two character references
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Volunteers should not: undertake duties outside this role description without
checking first with the Volunteer Manager; undertake any manual handling
tasks without the appropriate training; undertake patients’ personal or clinical
care
• A volunteer can offer emotional support and empathy but must under no
circumstances offer advice of medical opinion on a patient’s treatment
• Volunteers are in place to complement the work of the paid staff and are not
used to replace roles that are normally undertaken by paid hospital
employees
• Volunteers are bound by the ‘Volunteer Agreement and Confidentiality
Agreement’ which should be signed and returned to the Volunteer Manager
prior to undertaking this role
• You will be required to undertake training relevant to the role including
corporate induction and any other training as identified for the role whilst on
placement.
Key duties:
• Spending time with patients who are on their own.
• Recreational, social and therapeutic activities including: games, puzzles,
reading, reminiscing hobbies and musical entertainment.
• Accompany patients to non-clinical areas e.g. chapel, shop, restaurant/café
with consent from families/patient. Patient must be independently mobile and
deemed fit for leaving the ward area.
• To ensure patients know where facilities are located.
• Referring any patient concerns about their clinical care to a nurse.
• Assisting at mealtimes with guidance from nursing staff.
• Helping patients complete menu cards.
• Handing out food trays and collecting used trays.
• Cutting up food/opening containers
• Assisting patients to eat their meals
• Checking and completing food/fluid charts (depending on ward area)
• Providing fresh drinks and refilling water jugs
Personal specification:
• Volunteers must be 18 or over
• This is not a clinical role and you will not be shadowing or assisting staff
• Willingness to undertake any necessary training as outlined by staff
• Ability to work as a team player
• Ability to communicate well with patients
• Patience and composure
• A caring, sympathetic, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach
• Reliable/ dependable and flexible
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Have a positive outlook and enthusiastic approach
Additional requirements and general information
• Successful placement will be dependent on Disclosure Scotland PVG and
Occupational health clearances plus two character references
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Volunteers should not: undertake duties outside this role description without
checking first with the Volunteer Manager; undertake any manual handling
tasks without the appropriate training; undertake patients’ personal or clinical
care
• A volunteer can offer emotional support and empathy but must under no
circumstances offer advice or medical opinion on a patient’s treatment
• Volunteers are in place to complement the work of the paid staff and are not
used to replace roles that are normally undertaken by paid hospital
employees
• Volunteers are bound by the ‘Volunteer Agreement’ which should be signed
and returned to the Volunteer Manager prior to undertaking this role
• You will be required to undertake training relevant to the role including:
corporate induction; role training prior to ward placement and other training as
identified for the role whilst on placement
• Volunteers are required during the following hours: breakfast 8am – 9.30am;
lunchtime – 12 – 2pm (approx.); and evenings 5pm – 7pm.
• Ability to commit to the same times each week would be preferre
Role aim:
The experiences of people using our services is vitally important to us and provides
us with opportunities to learn and make improvements to our services based on our
patient’s feedback. Through volunteering in this role, you will help us find out these
views and opinions to help us identify what we are doing well and how we could do
better.
Volunteers in this role will assist the Patient Experience Facilitator to gather feedback
from both patients and visitors using a variety of approaches such as interviews and
surveys, and will also provide assistance on bespoke pieces of work that require
service user input.
Key duties:
• Deliver survey cards and posters to wards and departments
• Assist in the completion of patient surveys utilising paper and/or iPad
• Carry out interviews with patients, visitors and other volunteers
• Assist in the analysis and presentation of feedback to various groups such as
Senior Charge Nurses
• Will work under direction of the Patient Experience Facilitator
• This role has the potential to expand and evolve as the service develops
Key duties:
• Physiotherapy prescribed activities for identified patients
• Social interaction and support through activity
• Check the safety of the walking aid prior to use
• Encouragement and motivation to carry out exercises and walking activity
• Promote physical activity opportunities with identified patientsTo ensure
• Referring any patient concerns about their clinical care to a nurse
Personal specification:
• Volunteers must be 18 or over or young people aged 17 – 18 undertaking a
recognised youth programme e.g. Duke of Edinburgh This is not a clinical role
and you will not be shadowing or assisting staff
• Ability to change direction of work to meet new demands
• Good listening and communication skills are essential
• Patience and composure
• A caring, sympathetic, sensitive manner and a non-judgemental approach
• Reliable/ dependable and flexible
• Understanding of confidentiality
• Have a positive outlook and enthusiastic approach
• Ability to motivate patients to actively engage in exercises as identified
Additional requirements and general information
• Successful placement will be dependent on Disclosure Scotland PVG and
Occupational health clearances plus two character references
• Maintain patient confidentiality at all times
• Volunteers should not: undertake duties outside this role description without
checking first with the Volunteer Manager; undertake any manual handling
tasks without the appropriate training; undertake patients’ personal or clinical
care
• A volunteer can offer emotional support and empathy but must under no
circumstances offer advice of medical opinion on a patient’s treatment
• Volunteers are in place to complement the work of the paid staff and are not
used to replace roles that are normally undertaken by paid hospital
employees
• Volunteers are bound by the ‘Volunteer Agreement’ which should be signed
and returned to the Volunteer Manager prior to undertaking this role
• You will be required to undertake training relevant to the role including:
corporate induction; role training prior to ward placement and other training as
identified for the role whilst on placement