Discharge support volunteer role description
About this role:
As a Discharge Support Volunteer you will focus on what support patients need after an admission to hospital, ‘how can we help you’ and taking a holistic approach to patient’s health and wellbeing. Connect patients to community groups and statutory services for practical, emotional and social support once they are at home.
The programme supports patients aged 65 or over who are anxious about leaving hospital and how they will cope once home. The aim of this role is to help reduce fear and anxiety that patients may experience when leaving. To follow up patients that have been discharged with a package of care to ensure they manage well once at home. And reduce risk of loneliness and social isolation.
Once the patient is home you will offer the service to the patient, provide a short term befriending service and carry out a telephone assessment to identify their needs. This is an exciting opportunity to get to know patients and help to ensure they have a positive experience after being discharged, along with much needed support when they get home. You will proactively build a rapport with the relevant staff and carers to understand how best you can help.
What will I be doing:
When the patient is still in hospital, immediately prior to discharge:Complete an assessment to identify what help would be useful.
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Companionship – sitting with the patient (and their carers as appropriate) to stimulate and engage in conversations on topics of interest to the patient.
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Dining Companion – providing companionship, conversation and assistance to ensure mealtimes are pleasant and sociable for patients.
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Listening to patients, e.g. helping them to make comments using the Friends & Family Test and feedback to ward staff.
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Help packing when leaving hospital.
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Liaising with ward staff to ensure transport home is arranged.
Once the patient has returned home:
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Telephone patients who have been referred to the service by a health professional. Offer the 6 week service and if patient consents, complete an assessment to identify patient’s needs. Agree a weekly time to call the patient.
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Provide information, signpost and refer to community and voluntary and other support services and monitor these referrals.
How will I be supported and what will I gain from this opportunity?
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Managing your own caseload of patients, updating paperwork weekly and submitting via email to project lead .
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Actively supporting and communicating with other Discharge Support Volunteers.
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Attending meetings and in service training when required. These are currently held via MS Teams
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Giving your feedback in a variety of ways to help the Hospital improve care for older people and the support offered on discharge.
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Can demonstrate a sense of maturity as well as compassion for others
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Caring, reliable and enjoy being with older people.
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Ability to communicate well with patients, their relatives/friends and other community services.
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Ability to support staff for the benefit of patients.
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Ability to use your own initiative and assume responsibility for ensuring staff are aware of any difficulties patients and carers are experiencing.
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Strong personal boundaries and confident to sign-post patients and carers to alternative sources of support, advocacy and information e.g. PALs, Staywell, Age UK, Falls Prevention Service
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Understand the importance of maintaining patient confidentiality at all times.
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Access to a private laptop/PC and phoneline.
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Over 18 years of age
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All Volunteer Visitors will require a DBS check
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Commitment of at least 1 shift / 3 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months / Service Operational hours are Mon-Fri 10-4pm
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Live, work or study within a 5 mile radius of Kingston Hospital
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Before you get started with your volunteering role, you will be invited to attend the Volunteer Induction day. This will give you a full insight into the basic things that you need to know before you start your volunteering journey at the trust. This training is mandatory.
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Participation in the training relevant to your role and confidential discussion of any reasonable adjustments required to meet your needs.
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To live our values through your volunteering role at Kingston Hospital:
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Join an enthusiastic volunteering team of people who want to make a difference, just like you.
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Learn new skills and develop existing skills via in service training.
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A buddy to support you through your initial induction.
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It can contribute to your personal development and confidence.
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You will be making an important contribution to your local community throughout your volunteering journey at the hospital.
- Invitation to 2 x annual awards to celebrate the support our volunteers give. An opportunity to meet other volunteers at the trust.
- Annual refresher training.
- A reference to support applications – please kindly note that this is only provided after our minimum 6 months commitment has been met.
For the full document please download the attached PDF
