Supporting Hands volunteers - Hertfordshire for Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

Welwyn Hatfield Community And Voluntary Services Limited; Watford; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A community service organization seeks volunteers to provide practical and emotional support to patients with life-limiting illnesses and their carers. This rewarding role requires compassion and commitment to reduce social isolation, helping improve patients' quality of life during challenging times.

Benefits

Skills development in empathy and support

Opportunity to make a positive difference in patients' lives

Sense of fulfillment from volunteering

Qualifications

• Age 18 and above.
• Caring and compassionate, able to maintain professional boundaries.
• Flexible and reliable with a friendly nature.

Responsibilities

• Provide companionship and support to patients and their carers.
• Accompany patients on walks or trips out.
• Help with light domestic tasks and meal preparation.

Skills

Caring

Compassionate

Good listener

Trustworthy

Flexible

Reliable

Comfortable using IT

Job description

Before you can register your interest for this opportunity you must be registered as a volunteer.

Before you can register your interest for this opportunity you must be registered as a volunteer.

Register with the Volunteer Centre , or if you have already registered, please log in

Are you someone who enjoys meeting new people and would be able to offer practical and emotional support to people who are dealing with a life-limiting illness? We are looking for volunteers to provide support, companionship, respite care and help reduce social isolation for our patients and their carers in their homes and on trips out across west Hertfordshire. This role may involve practical and emotional support and assistance.

Opportunity Type: Long-term Commitment

District: Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford

Start Date: 30/05/2024
End Date: 30/12/2025

Location: Indoor

Time of day: Weekday Mornings, Weekday Afternoons

Practical Considerations: You will be supporting people in their own homes so will need access to your own transport. We cannot guarantee how accessible individual homes will be, but will discuss any requirements that you have with you.

Requirements: Will require a criminal record check (DBS), Own vehicle or access to a vehicle, Driving licence

Requirements (additional): Reference will be taken

Suitable for: 18 – 25 year olds, Aged 26 and over, Older People, People with a visual impairment, People with restricted mobility

Suitable for volunteers interested in: Carers Support, End of Life, Bereavement & Hospices, Isolation & Loneliness

Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access?: No

Download Full Role Description

Full Description:
Purpose of this role

Volunteers in this role provide support, companionship, and respite care to patients with a life limiting illness and their carers, in their homes and on trips out. This role may involve practical and emotional support and assistance. This service supports both our adult and children services.

Supporting Hands volunteers help to reduce the social isolation often felt by patients with a life limiting illness and their carers, and their help frees up valuable nursing time.

Main tasks

The support that any client needs may differ, and so you may be involved in some or all of the following, depending on their needs.
• providing supportive companionship
• sharing an activity such as playing a game of cards or chess
• accompanying a patient or carer on a walk or a trip out from home
• providing respite for carers so they can attend an appointment or have a break
• helping to complete forms such as Attendance Allowance Benefit and Blue Badge car parking permits
• helping with some LIGHT domestic or gardening tasks, but NOT a cleaner
• dog walking and/or sitting
• helping to prepare a meal
• providing transport in your own car to appointments such as the hairdresser, dentist, GP

What are we looking for?

• someone who is caring, compassionate and sensitive to the needs of others but is able to maintain professional boundaries
• someone who is trustworthy and non-judgemental
• an open person with a friendly nature
• someone who is flexible, reliable and accommodating
• a good listener
• enthusiasm to work as part of a team, but able to work independently to manage clients and workload
• confident and comfortable in using IT. Some supervision is done over Zoom and communication is via email, including the sending and receiving of attachments.
• age 18 and above


What's in it for you?
- you will be using and developing your skills of empathy, listening and support
- the practical and emotional support you provide will be invaluable to our patients and their families, and so you will know that you are using your time to make a real difference
- volunteers speak of a great sense of fulfilment knowing they are making a difference to people's quality of life at a difficult time
- some of our volunteers do go on to get jobs with us. If you would like to see our current job vacancies please visit our website at www.renniegrovepeace.org and click on the Jobs button