- Volunteers will be expected to visit and provide a befriending service to patients in acute hospital wards and maintain contact with them during their inpatient stay in line with local on-site needs. Volunteers will respect the patients’ personal beliefs and provide a basic level of emotionally support. There is no experience required for this role but the following attributes are desirable Although volunteers may be practising members of a religious faith, this is not essential to become a volunteer - Be good natured and patient - Be able to deal with people with personal belief systems that are different from your own - Be a good listener - Be able to maintain confidentiality - Be willing to attend regular support meetings - Be interested in working with people of all ages - Be able to work within Health and Safety and infection control protocols - Be able to relate well to people and be patient - Be able to spend time with patients who may not want to speak - Have good interpersonal skills

Volunteers can carry out a range of duties to support the nursing staff in the A&E department. This may include sitting with a patient who has no one with them, chatting to relatives, observing the waiting area, topping up supplies on trolleys and escorting people to x-ray. Volunteers can also serve refreshments under instruction from clinical staff. There is no experience required for this role but the following attributes are desirable - Be able to work as part of a team as well as individually - Be good natured and patient - Be a good listener - Be able to maintain confidentiality - Be willing to attend regular support meetings - Be interested in working with people of all ages - Have an awareness of mental health problems, in particular dementia, depression and anxiety or be willing to undergo awareness training Be able to work within Health and Safety and infection control protocols

Volunteers will be expected to provide directions to patients and visitors in the acute hospitals, escort patients and visitors to department (where appropriate) and show visitors where they will be able to find wheelchairs. There is no experience required for this role but the following attributes are desirable - Be good natured and patient - Be a good listener - Be able to maintain confidentiality - Be willing to attend regular support meetings - Be interested in working with people of all ages - Have an awareness of mental health problems, in particular dementia, depression and anxiety or be willing to undergo awareness training - Be able to work within Health and Safety and infection control protocols - Be able to relate well to people and be patient - Be confident to ask people if they need help in locating a department Have good interpersonal skills

Volunteers can carry out a range of duties to support patients within the wards. Patients may be elderly or not have any visitors so having volunteers spend time with them can really make a difference. Our ward helpers can support with some or all of the following tasks: - Chatting to patients and helping them feel at ease - Assist during the patient mealtimes (12pm or 5pm) to distribute food and drinks and help to clear up at the end - Serving juice, tea and coffee to patients under ward instruction - Playing board games or arts and crafts with patients - Offering companionship and someone the patients can talk to There is no experience required for this role but the following attributes are desirable - Be able to work as part of a team as well as individually - Be good natured and patient - Be a good listener - Be able to maintain confidentiality - Be willing to attend regular support meetings - Be interested in working with people of all ages - Have an awareness of mental health problems, in particular dementia, depression and anxiety or be willing to undergo awareness training Be able to work within Health and Safety and infection control protocols