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  • Volunteering

Voluntary Services Department

The Voluntary Services Department's main
function is to ensure that the time and skills offered by volunteers are used in the most effective ways to enhance and complement the care given by paid staff to patients and visitors to the Trust.

The Trust greatly values the work of its volunteers many of whom are currently working in the following roles organised by the Voluntary Services Department.

Potential volunteers should be over 17 years of age and willing to commit to 3-4 hours per week for a minimum of 12 months.

All volunteers are required to complete a Police Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) form and to satisfy the Trust’s personal identification and right-to-work checks along with a health check. This is necessary for everyone who works in this hospital.

Roles

• Ward helpers (minimum time commitment three hours per week)
  assist with practical tasks such as helping patients to fill in menu forms, helping to make beds and chatting to patients.
• Welcomers (minimum time commitment three hours per week)
  work in main reception areas and help patients and other visitors to the Trust find their way around, either by directing or escorting them to their destination.
• Welcomers clinical areas (minimum time commitment three hours per week) work in the clinics assisting with reception duties.
• Chapel escorts (minimum time commitment two hours per week)
  collect patients from wards to attend Sunday morning chapel services.
• Library service (minimum time commitment four hours per week)
  volunteers provide a mobile trolley service to the wards once a week.
• A&E children's play area (minimum time commitment three hours per week) volunteers organise activities for children in the waiting area of A&E.
• Hospital buggy service (minimum time commitment four hours per week)volunteers transport patients within the Royal Berkshire Hospital in golf type buggies. They operate on level 2 of the hospital but the drivers will take you to the nearest lift/stairs should you need to access a ward or department on another floor. The main pick-up is main reception on level 2.
• PAT dog scheme (minimum time commitment three hours per week) (pets as therapy) volunteers bring their dogs that are specially vetted and registered through this scheme to visit on elderly care wards.
• Survey team (minimum time commitment two hours per week). The team carries out ongoing surveys on behalf of the Trust throughout the year.
• Information zone (minimum time commitment four hours per week). Volunteers work in a 'one stop shop' for health information for patients, relatives, carers, visitors and staff.
• Partnership panel members. If you wish to sit on a Partnership panel you will be expected to attend meetings at least four times a year; these might be during the day or evening.