Role Profile –Hospital Liaison Volunteer

Background

Sheffield Carers Centre is the citywide provider of support for unpaid carers in Sheffield. It offers a range of support and information services tounpaid carers who look after a relative, child or friendwho is unable to manage alone due to disability, illness, frailty, a mental health problem or an addiction.

As part of the citywide carers contract the Centre is also responsible for the coordination and delivery of statutory carer’s needs assessments across Sheffield.

The Carers Centre offers a range of services including:

  • A confidential Carers Advice Line offering information on anything to do with the caring situation. This includes signposting to services to help with the caring role, people’s rights as carers,as well as referral to specialist services offering advice on benefits and on legal issues such as lasting power of attorney and wills.
  • Individual case work to carers who require ongoing support and advice – this can include guidance on how to navigate the complex social care and healthcare systems, as well as advice on balancing working or studying alongside caring.
  • Emotional support for carers, to give space to talk through challenges in their caring role
  • Opportunities to meet and speak to other carers such as our monthly carers café, mental health information hub and the opportunity to receive a regular call from one of our volunteer befrienders.

Why we need volunteers

There are almost 60,000 carers in Sheffield and it is our aim to reach as many of these carers as we can. We know it can take an average of 2 years before a carer recognises themselves in this role. It is our aim to reach these ‘unidentified’ carers as early as possible in their caring role so that we can potentially support them, making them aware of our services and providing them with information on how to contact us.

A good opportunity to do this is by engaging with carers whilst their friend or relative is in hospital. In partnership with Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, we would like to have a small number of volunteers available on the wards to promote the work of Sheffield Carers Centre and to speak to friends and relatives about how we can potentially support them. Ward staff will also work with our volunteers to identify which friends or relatives may benefit from our support.

When we need volunteers

We can be flexible about what day you can volunteer but we would like you to commit to at least 3 hours a week. Following training at the Carers Centre, volunteering will take place at the Northern General hospital. We hope to extend this to the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in the future. There will be occasions when you will need to visit our office in the city centre for training and supervision.

Role Purpose

To reach carers and provide information about the support available to them via the Carers Centre, helping carers to acknowledge their caring role and know how to access support as necessary. Through doing this, there will be a noticeable increase in number of carers registering with the Carers Centre who learned about the service in a hospital setting.

Core tasks

  • Engaging with relatives or friends of patients who may have care needs once they are discharged from hospital.
  • Talking to them about their caring role, taking the time to discuss the impact this role has, or may have inthe future.
  • Provide information,both verbally or written, (eg Carer Centre fliers)that will enable carers to access support.
  • Complete documentation that with a carer’s consent, will enable their details to be entered onto the Carers Centre database
  • Pass back any concerns to a Carer Advisor where it has been outside the volunteer’s remit or expertise to respond
  • Signposting to other services as appropriate

Skills, experience and qualitieswe would like you to have in order to carry out the role

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  • Good interpersonal & communication skills.
  • Confident and empathic
  • Good listening skills and the ability to analyse and assessinformation given by carers.
  • Able to understand the issues carers may face
  • Good keyboard skills and the ability to input data.
  • Ability to work on own initiative
  • Reliable
  • Punctual

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Skills, knowledge and experience you will gain in this role.

(we will provide initial or refresher training depending on your experience))

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  • Understanding of the needs of carers.
  • Experience of assessing the needs of carers.
  • Working to company policy and procedures.
  • Confidentiality and data protection
  • Boundaries and good practice.
  • Adult safeguarding

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You will also be required to undertake training that is mandatory for all staff and volunteers at Sheffield Teaching hospitals. This will include a half day training session at either Northern General or Royal Hallamshire hospitals.

Benefits of volunteering in this role

This role is a great opportunity to gain experience in providing advice, guidance and support to people who may be finding it difficult to cope with their caring role or who are seeking guidance in order to carry out their caring role to the best of their abilities.

  • You will be provided with the appropriate training in order to carry out your role effectively and with confidence.
  • You will gain experience of talking to carers about their situation and support needs, advising appropriately.
  • An excellent opportunity to be involved in a ‘front-line’ advice and guidance role or to gain experience in a hospital based setting.
  • A great opportunity to be able to ‘give something back’ if you have previously been supported by the Carers Centre.
  • We will provide you with valuable experience if you are seeking a career in social work, information advice and guidance work or counselling.
  • Provides an opportunity for volunteers who have previously held professional roles in for example social work, nursing or advice work to continue to apply some of the essential skills & knowledge of these roles

Development or progression opportunities

  • We hope that you will gain transferable skills, that will increase your confidence and experience
  • To improve your own employability skills and enhance your CV.
  • Chance to progress to more developed roles such as mentoring of new volunteers.

Supervision

You will be provided with ongoing regular support from members of the team as well as more formal supervision with your allocated supervisor.

Expenses

Sheffield Carers Centre will reimburse reasonable out of pocket expenses incurred by volunteers in support of activities undertaken within the scope of their role.

Contact

If you would like to apply for this role or have any enquiries you can telephone Scott Liddle on 0114 272 8362 or email

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