Main area Volunteer Grade Voluntary Contract Voluntary: Minimum of 6 months commitment at 4 hours per week. Hours Flexible working - 4 hours per week Job ref 410-VOL-7515234
Employer Liverpool Heart & Chest Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Town Liverpool Salary £0 Volunteer work Salary period Yearly Closing 02/11/2025 23:59 Interview date 11/11/2025
Volunteer - Ward Responder
Voluntary
As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation.
We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine including adult cystic fibrosis and diagnostic imaging, both in the hospital and out in the community.
We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.
Heart and lung disease continue to be amongst the biggest killers in the UK and the communities we serve are marked by increased prevalence of cardiovascular disease, higher levels of heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease and an ageing population.
Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and facilitated by technology. New and upgraded clinical areas are designed with patients and families fully involved to deliver their needs.
As part of our long term plan, we aim to form strong clinical and organisational relationships where possible. There is clear evidence that partnerships improve patient care and enhance quality.
Our vision is underpinned by five strategic goals:
* Quality: to deliver the highest quality, safest and best experience for patients and their families by providing reliable care
* Service and Innovation: to develop our service portfolio for patients by developing innovative models of care
* Value: to maintain financial viability, enhance service delivery and develop new models of care to improve the health of our patients and safely reduce costs
* Workforce: to be the best NHS Employer by 2019 by attracting and retaining the best staff to deliver excellent patient care
* Stakeholders: to develop productive relationships with key stakeholders in order to enhance our profile and reputation.
Our Mission
“Excellent, Compassionate and Safe care for every patient, every day”
Job overview
Being a ward volunteer at LHCH you will be spending time with patients and friends/families of patients. You will can help with meal times, visiting patients and helping ward staff wherever needed.
Please note this role does not include anything medical.
Main duties of the job
* Visiting/chatting/reading to patients who may not have visitors
* To sit alongside and engage with patients at mealtimes by chatting and encouraging them to eat and drink, ensuring food and drink is within easy reach and accessible to the patient
* Helping the hostess to serve meals and deliver snacks to patients
* Refilling water jugs and keeping patient bed areas tidy
* Offering and providing refreshments to patients/relatives
* Helping prepare self-catering patients for washing – i.e. laying out their toiletries for them, assisting them when they are finished
* Helping escort low risk patients who are mobile around ward i.e. walking with them to the bathroom
Working for our organisation
As the largest single site specialist heart and chest hospital in the UK, we, at Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, have a clear vision to be the best cardiothoracic integrated healthcare organisation.
We provide specialist services in cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, respiratory medicine both in the hospital and out in the community.
We serve a catchment area of 2.8 million people, spanning Merseyside, Cheshire, North Wales and the Isle of Man, and increasingly we receive referrals from outside these areas for highly specialised services such as aortics.
Our reputation for strong performance is important in delivering the best care for our patients and high quality clinical services. This is underpinned by a culture of research and innovation, delivered in modern estate and our encouragement of flexible working in a variety of forms.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Place: Ward
Responsible to: Ward Manager/Nurse in Charge
All duties should be undertaken maintaining patient’s confidentiality at all times
* Collecting medications from the pharmacy
* Making purchases on behalf of patients from hospital shop
* Assisting staff with making beds and taking linen to bags to the riser
* Helping with linen deliveries and keeping cupboard to tidy standard
* Taking medical equipment back to the library on instruction from staff
* Ensuring the continued well-being and comfort of patients whilst they are awaiting transport and giving assistance to and from transport where necessary
* Collecting/delivering messages or small items to and from departments – always following a request from a member of staff, ensuring items are placed in sealed carrier
* Acting as a ‘buddy’ for new volunteers
* Carrying bags of clothing/item to the identified ward
* Carrying bags of dirty clothing from the identified ward to the relative
* Check and Chat rounds (ward areas only) to identify patient need and offer support i.e. comfort, refreshments,
* Befriending: spending time with patients who for example: Have few visitors; Are based in side rooms; Have cognitive impairments or suffering from delirium; Have post-operative restricted movement
* Distribute and collate inpatient questionnaires. Assist patients completing the questionnaires
* Distribute Listening & Learning cards to patients
* Ensure that information racks and notice boards are kept tidy and replenish stock as/when necessary
Optional training provided for those who want to support patients psychologically during their hospital stay.
* Providing emotional support for relatives and patients where required
* Providing support for patients that may feel isolated or lonely whilst in hospital
* Support with encouraging patients to engage in activities on the ward i.e. relaxation rooms, playing games, watching television
Volunteers are required to observe hand gel and infection prevention practices at all times
Person specification
Person
* Being a good listener
* Friendly and approachable
* Caring
* Demonstrate Resilience and Calmness
* Being reliable and Committed
* Time to commit to Families at LHCH
Person
* Comfortable approaching people to offer help
* Able to work independently and use initiative after initial training period
* Emotionally mature and able to stay calm in difficult situations
* Adaptable
* Able to offer a regular weekly commitment for at least 6 months
* Dependable
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early. Therefore, interested applicants are advised to apply as early as possible.
Please review the job description and person specification carefully before applying to ensure that you meet the essential requirements for the post.
All applicants will be contacted and informed by email whether they were successfully shortlisted for interview.
As part of you pre-employment checks we will be required to obtain satisfactory references. We require at least one written reference from your current or most recent employer. We are only able to accept references from a professional work email address.
Employers are expected to implement the Care Certificate for all applicable new starters from April 2015. The Care Certificate aims to equip health and social care support workers with the knowledge and skills which they need to provide safe, compassionate care. We expect all new starters in clinical, patient facing posts (bands 1-4) to complete all 15 standards of the Care Certificate, within their first 6 months with the Trust.
Flexible Working applications will be considered in line the Trusts flexible working policies.
The Trust is a no-smoking site.
We reserve the right to close adverts earlier than the closing date should we receive sufficient applications and so urge you to submit your application as soon as possible.
Please note UKVI guidelines prohibits sponsorship for all Band 2 and 3 posts. Guidelines state that many other posts are also not eligible for sponsorship. Please use UKVI guidance on Skilled Worker Visas to determine whether you would be eligible for sponsorship if you were to gain a conditional offer for this role.
If you are a Skilled Worker/ Health and Care visa applicant and you are coming to work in an occupation defined by the relevant Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, you will be required to provide a criminal record certificate from any country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the last 10 years, this is also applicable for your adult dependants.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.
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