Role Description:

How can we possibly know how to deliver the best care possible if we don’t know what it’s like to be on the receiving end of our care? Feedback from our service users (and their families and carers) is critical. Without it, we risk delivering care that fails to make the difference in people’s lives that we’re aiming for.

We are currently looking to recruit people to join a group of volunteers to gather feedback at our Sherwood Oaks Unit in Mansfield. This will take place by talking and spending time with patients and/or carers and then feeding back to the Trust in a variety of ways.

Location:

Sherwood Oaks Unit, Mansfield

Time Commitment:

You will need to commit to 2 hours per week for a minimum of six months from start date.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

For this opportunity you will ideally have

• An interest in spending time with our patients and carers.
• Have an understanding of our Trust and inpatient services.
• Have good communications skills.
• Have good listening skills.
• Have an understanding of mental health.
• Be able to communicate with others and record their feedback.

What Nottinghamshire Healthcare offers volunteers:

Support

• All volunteers in Nottinghamshire Healthcare are supported by a dedicated team of staff and each volunteer will have a named person within the Volunteering Team as their point of contact. If volunteers are within services, they will also have a named staff member within the service itself. We offer provide regular supervisions with each volunteer to help review their support, their training and their voluntary role.
• We offer out of pocket expenses.

Training & Development

We offer support in completing the National Volunteer Certificate and offer further development and training opportunities that are available.

We will offer role specific training.

Community

We’re proud of our community of volunteers that we support throughout Nottinghamshire Healthcare. They are integrated into staff teams and within our services with patients and carers. Our Involvement Centres act as hubs for their work, training and events. We also offer an online NottsHC Volunteer Hub to further support and nurture our community of volunteers.

Important information and interview/training dates to be aware of before applying:

• 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.
• You will need to commit to 2 hours a week for a minimum of six months from start date.
• If successfully shortlisted for this role, you will be sent an invitation to interview and links to complete an online DBS check, links to online training and we will request references (to cover the past three years) which must be completed before the role starts.
• Interviews, Induction and Training for the roles will take place in cohorts on the following dates 2023/2024.  You will need to have attended each session (Interview/Induction/Training) before commencing a role.

Autumn 2023

Interviews held:  Friday 20th October 2023

Induction:  Monday 20th November 2023

Training:  Friday 17th November 2023

Start Date:  December 2023

Spring 2024

Interviews held:  Friday 26th January 2024

Induction:  Monday 19th February 2024

Training:  Friday 15th March 2024

Start Date:  April 2024

Summer 2024

Interviews held:  Friday 24th May 2024

Induction:  Monday 17th June 2024

Training:  Friday 19th July 2024

Start Date:  August 2024

If you had any questions about the role, the application process or about volunteering with us, get in touch and we’ll be happy to help.  If you are happy that you meet the criteria above, please visit our website and follow the instructions to apply as follows:

Patient Experience Volunteer- Sherwood Oaks, Mansfield – Notts Healthcare Involvement, Experience and Volunteering (nottshc.nhs.uk)

How to Apply
New Volunteer Applicants:
All new volunteer applicants for this role must complete and return the Volunteer
Registration Form and Model A Declaration Form. Completed forms can be emailed back to
the Volunteering Team – Volunteering@nottshc.nhs.uk
• Volunteer Registration Form (opens in new window)
• Model A Declaration Form (opens in new window)
If successful, you will be invited to an interview within 10 days of your application. Interviews
for this role can be either Face to Face at the one of our Involvement Centres (Nottingham or
Ollerton) or Via Microsoft Teams.
If successful at interview you will be asked to complete a DBS check along with Mandatory
Training.
Further information about volunteering for Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation
Trust, along with information about our current opportunities available can be found on our
website: https://involve.nhs.nottshc.uk