Vacancy Details

Come and join our amazing team. As a Ward Buddy Volunteer, you will enhance the quality of patient care by offering comfort, support, compassion and friendliness, helping create a social atmosphere. Sitting and chatting with patients and engaging in agreed social activities to encourage social interaction. Reporting any concerns to the nurse in charge and acting as a link between patients and staff.

Why we want you

We are looking for volunteers to befriend patients on wards with a range of health conditions such as dementia. Patients often do not have visitors and feel socially isolated during their stay. Research has found that social interaction to combat loneliness and isolation is really important for health and wellbeing. We would like volunteers to sit and chat to patients and engage patients in activities to stimulate conversation and improve their overall experience.

What you will be doing
  • Report attendance, sign in handover book and receive ‘update’
  • You will be directed to the patients requiring help or support
  • Participate in patient social activity group sessions to help people take part in a variety of activities which enable the patient to maintain skills
  • Record which patient(s) were seen that day and give a brief overview of activities
  • Report safeguarding concerns
The skills you need
  • Good interpersonal and communication skills
  • A genuine interest in people
  • Proactive and assertive
  • Have a positive outlook and being non-judgemental
What’s in it for you
  • Meet new people
  • Be part of an amazing team
  • Gain new skills or use existing ones
  • Help your community
Disclaimer

Following your successful application, you will be invited to an interview and you may be asked some questions in relation to our current Infection, Prevention & Control guidance – this may impact on which roles we can place you in. Most roles are subject to a DBS check and two satisfactory references being provided.

Minimum age 16