Are you at your best in a busy, people-centred role where no two days look the same -- and where your work has a direct impact on patient and visitor experience?
We are looking for a highly organised and motivated Volunteer Services Administrative Officer to support the delivery of an efficient, high-quality volunteer service across the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group, working with teams at both Northampton General Hospital (NGH) and Kettering General Hospital (KGH).
This 6-month fixed-term post sits at the heart of Volunteer Services and is ideal for someone who enjoys a fast-paced environment, juggling priorities, building relationships quickly, and keeping services running smoothly behind the scenes.
About the role
Volunteer Services is a dynamic, responsive and highly visible service. Our volunteers play a vital role in welcoming, guiding and reassuring patients and visitors every day -- and this role is key to making that happen.
You will help ensure the right volunteers are in the right place at the right time, supporting rota management, recruitment and onboarding processes, compliance monitoring and accurate record-keeping. You will also be a first point of contact for enquiries, working closely with volunteers, coordinators and hospital teams to resolve issues and keep things moving.
Main duties of the job
You will be responsible for managing volunteer rotas (including desks, guides, buggy drivers, runners, and response roles).
Liaise with Volunteer Coordinators to identify service gaps and ensure appropriate volunteer allocation.
Provide comprehensive administrative support to the Volunteer Services team, including data entry, record management, and responding to enquiries from internal and external stakeholders.
Act as a first point of contact for Volunteer Services enquiries, exercising sound judgement to provide appropriate information or escalation.
Maintain high professional standards, confidentiality, and customer service at all times.
Support the end-to-end administrative process of volunteer recruitment, ensuring compliance with NHS standards and safeguarding requirements. Assist in coordinating recruitment campaigns and onboarding sessions, ensuring new volunteers receive accurate induction information and required training.
Act as the primary administrator for the Better Impact volunteer management system, ensuring data accuracy, compliance monitoring, and effective recording of information.
Support the creation of promotional materials and communications for internal and external audiences using Canva or similar tools. Although the role will be primarily based on one site, cross-site working between NGH and KGH is required.
About us
University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) was formed through the grouping of Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust. As one group, we are on a journey to improve services for our communities by working collaboratively, modernising the way we deliver care and continually striving for excellence.
Working together allows us to share expertise, strengthen services and create greater opportunities. There may be a requirement to work across our hospital sites depending on service needs.
Our Excellence Values: Compassion, Accountability, Respect, Integrity and Courage.
UHN welcomes applications from people from all protected groups and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and have achieved the Gold Award under the Armed Forces Employer Recognition Scheme. Our active staff networks support colleagues from all backgrounds and help ensure everyone feels valued here at UHN.
Job responsibilities
The position will be managing the volunteer rota’s (desks/guides/buggy/runners/response) to ensure our volunteers are supporting our patients throughout the hospital.
Act as the point of contact for dealing with routine enquiries made to Volunteer Services department using judgement and decision making to ensure outcome of communication is satisfactory. This will include liaising with other team members and or Volunteers as appropriate.
Ensure office standards are adhered to; ensuring a high level of professional, empathy and exceptional customer service at all times.
To liaise directly with clinical, non clinical areas and external organisations to ensure volunteering opportunities are effectively advertised and promoted.
Ensure communication to clinical/non clinical areas is effective and clearly identifies what tasks can be undertaken by a volunteer and what is inappropriate.
High level of IT literacy and attention to detail with the ability to analyse data to produce graphs and presentations.
Production and interpretation of monthly reports of the utilisation of volunteers and identify actions taken to improve performance.
Extract data from the management software package to produce graphs and presentations for the Head of Volunteer Services to present to stakeholders.
Manage and communicate a wide range of information, some of which will be sensitive and complex relating to patient information and needs.
Support the coordinators in the management of the volunteers when needed.
Provide general administrative services as required by Volunteer Services.
To continually develop the onboarding process for new volunteers and ensure it includes all mandatory information.
Attend meetings, as required to ensure effective communication with all the service users and volunteer services are represented.
Maintain accurate and up to date training records for all volunteers to give assurance that compliance is adhered to in line with trust policy.
Provide timely collection and delivery of paperwork throughout the Trust on a regular basis which will involve frequent visits to clinical/ non clinical areas.
Prepare papers and complete necessary documentation for meetings/recruitment days.
Provide group cross-cover within team during absence.
Support with the weekly rotas of volunteer cover within the Trust.
Arrange/Support the induction for volunteers on their first shift and make any reasonable adjustments if required.
Act as the point of contact with HRSC for progress of volunteer applications and attend weekly progress meetings.
Plan for situations which are known; and to be able to re-prioritise work and accommodate.
To monitor the charitable funds within the department and support with the Fundraising Group.
to ensure sufficient funds are available for future purchases. Monitor and review the fundraising.
group in Volunteer services ensuring that budget is adhered to and that funds are appropriately spent.
Be able to work flexibly when required, including the occasional evening/weekend working if needed (this will be agreed with the appropriate amount of notice).
Deal with concerned patients, relatives, carers and visitors with tact, patience and discretion especially when conveying sensitive information.
Ensure confidentiality is maintained in all communications and that documents and othersensitive information are secure at all times.
Whilst the post is predominantly based on one site, this is a group position and there will be the requirement to work cross site when needed.
Person Specification
Education, Training & Qualifications
* Educated to GCSE level or equivalent level of education, training or experience
* NVQ3, RSA2 or equivalent experience or qualifications
* IT Skills - Microsoft office package including advanced excel, Word, PowerPoint
* Knowledge of Better Impact or Equivalent Management Software Database
Knowledge & Experience
* Experience of data entry, including advanced keyboard skills
* Excellent written and verbal communication skills
* Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills with the ability to communicate effectively
* IT Skills - Microsoft office package including advanced excel, Word, PowerPoint
* Experience of working in a busy office environment.
* Ability to produce graphs from statistics taken from systems/software
* Knowledge and experience of working within the NHS
Skills
* Plan and organise tasks including arranging interviews, appointments and diary commitments
* Excellent interpersonal and organisational skills with the ability to communicate effectively
* Must be able to work as part of a team
* Accuracy and attention to details
* Organisational skills and the ability to work methodically and prioritise
* Ability to cope under pressure with periods that require high levels of concentration
* Able to maintain confidentiality at all times
* Experience of analysing and interpreting data in order to make informed decisions
* Willingness to seek and find new solutions to problems and propose change
* Ability to use own initiative
* Confident to establish and maintain good working relationships at all levels
* Must be able to understand the needs of patients and deal with them with tact and sensitivity
* Ability to handle difficult conversations
* Ability to sit and work at a desk / VDU for long periods of time.
* Word process and data input for a substantial proportion of working time
* Concentration when transcribing dictations or; possible frequent interruptions
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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