CLCH - Ward Befriender

Details of the Charity:Share this

At CLCH, We provide community health services to more than two million people across eleven London boroughs and Hertfordshire. Every day, our professionals provide high-quality healthcare in people's homes and local clinics, helping them to:

• Stay well
• Manage their own health with the right support
• Avoid unnecessary trips to, or long stays in, hospital

We support our patients at every stage of their lives, providing health visiting for new-born babies through to community nursing, stroke rehabilitation and palliative care for people towards the end of their lives.

Our vision: Deliver great care closer to home.

Our mission: Working together to give children a better start and adults greater independence.

Details of the Volunteering Opportunity:

This volunteer role is available at the following locations

• Finchley Memorial Hospital, North Finchley
• Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home, North Kensington
• Willesden Centre, Willesden
• Heathlands, Wimbledon

Purpose/Summary of role:

To support staff in providing engagement and activities for patients and their carers under the direction of the nurse coordinator, the ward manager and the volunteer manager. 

General tasks of volunteer:

To work alongside members of the Inpatient team to create a safe and welcoming environment.

Support Services:

• You’ll assist in welcoming new patients to the ward e.g. unpacking belongings, providing water jug, etc.
• You’ll provide company to patients under the direction of the nurse in charge and take the activities to patients
• You’ll assist patients with the use of the IPAD to help them to keep in touch with friends and family
• You’ll spend time with patients and their families engaging them in activities such as reading, crosswords puzzles, etc.
• You’ll help patients with tasks such getting newspapers, toiletries, refreshments
• You’ll show family members and visitors around the inpatient unit.
• You’ll answer the intercom and meet and greet staff and visitors by:

• Taking the visitors temperature at the door
• Front door screening i.e., asking if the visitor has had a recent travel, recent Covid contact, new continuous cough.
• Assisting visitors with a lateral flow test directing visiting practitioners to the test and wait area before patient contact
• Assisting the visitor with donning and doffing PPE
• You’ll assist with mealtime’s following the mealtime mantra
• You’ll answer the nurse’s bell and deal with patient queries where possible or providing reassurance someone will be coming soon
• You’ll help ensure the general ward areas are kept tidy e.g. bays, corridors, linen store
• You’ll ensure patient products and facilities are available and fully functional, and discrepancies reported
• You’ll assist patients and carers with completion of questionnaires
• When there are no patient or visitor duties, you’ll assist with administrative tasks e.g. photocopying, collating document packs, filing
• You’ll help ensure patients and visitors concerns and complaints are dealt with immediately and locally.
• You’ll ensure all medical queries are directed to the nurse in charge.

Skills Required:

• You’ll be friendly and proactive
• You’ll be able to use your initiative and ask for help when needed
• You’ll understand the importance of confidentiality
• You’ll be a good communicator with excellent people skills in person and over the phone
• You’ll be comfortable volunteering within a group or by yourself

Additional Benefits:

• Free access to NHS eLearning for Healthcare workers which works as an NHS passport with all learning modules
• Volunteering Hours to go towards the Brunel Volunteers Awards
• Brunel+ Points