Volunteering

Volunteering at Wirral University Teaching Hospitals can offer a great opportunity to give something back or broadening your experience to your local community. Hospitals are busy places that care for sick and critically ill patients and their families which can be challenging yet rewarding.

To be a volunteer you need to be able to commit to the role fully and ensure you are the right type of person to volunteer in a hospital environment.

Volunteers should be:

• Friendly and approachable
• Willing to help us promote equality and diversity in the workplace
• Caring and good listeners
• Comfortable approaching people to offer help
• Able to work independently and use initiative after initial training
• Emotionally mature and able to stay calm in difficult situations
• Adaptable
• Available to offer a regular weekly commitment of at least 2 hours for 6 months or more
• Dependable

Each role has a specific list of duties that the volunteer can undertake, however all volunteers should also:

• Be polite, courteous and respectful to others
• Get to know the hospital layout and be a source of information
• Direct or escort patients and visitors to their appropriate destination
• Wear the Trust volunteer ID badge and uniform at all times
• Promote a positive image of the hospital, staff and voluntary services
• Uphold the values of the Trust

Before you can start in a voluntary role there is a registration process which involves a number of different steps. See section on how to apply.

If you feel that you might need a little more support during the recruitment process to communicate with the team then please let us know in advance so that we can ensure processes are in place to make things as easy as possible. 

The ‘Volunteering vacancies’ dropdown should read:

Click on the links below to view examples of the volunteer roles that could be available at Arrowe Park or Clatterbridge hospitals.

Please contact the team on wih-tr.volunteering@nhs.net or call 0151 482 7981 for further information.

Please email wih-tr.volunteering@nhs.net or call 0151 482 7981 to register your interest in volunteering with the Trust.

If we think that there may be a role available for you we will invite you for an interview in order to work out whether you will be suitable for the role. If you are offered the role then a number of pre-employment checks will be made including one reference from the referees provided on your form, Occupational Health clearance and Disclosure and Barring Service checks. Once we have received satisfactory references and completed the necessary checks, we will contact you to arrange a date for you to attend our Trust Induction.

We want our volunteers to fulfil their potential and make a difference to our patients and staff, which is why our training programme is so important. As part of your on-boarding you will take part in a Trust Welcome Day and be given the tools to access Mandatory Training which will include

• Data Protection Awareness
• Protecting Vulnerable People
• Health & Safety
• Dementia Awareness
• Fire Safety
• Additional training depending on your placement such as how to assist patients in wheelchairs

On your first day of activity at the Trust you will be provided with a local induction to the department you will be working in. You will also receive your uniform which consists of an orange polo shirt to be worn with your own black trousers/skirt.

All Volunteers at Wirral University Teaching Hospital are entitled to the following benefits:

• Confidential Counselling
• Access to library services
• Access to staff intranet
• Chiropody service
• Covid-19 and Antibody test
• Flu vaccine
• Advice and support on giving up smoking
• Lottery
• Chaplaincy services
• Healthcare staff benefits
• NHS discounts
• Reimbursement of travel
• Refreshment and light lunch voucher (if supporting a placement for 4hrs+)
• Applications accepted for internal vacancies
• Access to Trust staff networks eg disability and long term health conditions; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME)

Will I be able to volunteer immediately?

Unfortunately not, there are a number of pre-employment checks that we must do which can take several weeks to complete. You will not be able to volunteer until this process has been completed.

As part of the recruitment process, this Trust, in line with all NHS Trusts is required to seek Disclosure and Barring Services clearance (DBS) on all members of staff and those volunteering their services who, in the course of their normal duties, have access with children and/or vulnerable adults.

You will also be required to complete a work health assessment from the Occupational Health Department whose aim it is to promote and maintain the health of all people. Before health clearance is given for volunteering you may be contacted by the Occupational Health team and may need to be seen by an Occupational Health Advisor or physician. You may be asked to have a vaccination/s if required.

During Covid-19 you will also be asked to complete a Work Health Assessment

Will I be interviewed?

You will be contacted via telephone for an informal interview. This will give us a chance to get a better understanding of what kind of volunteering work you would like to do. We recruit into specific vacant volunteer roles, so this conversation will help us establish if there are any suitable roles for you at the moment.

If there are no suitable vacancies for me, what happens next?

If there are no suitable vacancies for you, we will keep you on our database and contact you in the future when a role becomes available which is a good match for your skills/availability.

Are there any age limitations for volunteers?

Volunteers must be aged 16 or over. To work in some acute areas, Volunteers need to be aged 18 or over. There is no upper age limit.

I would like to shadow staff whilst volunteering. Is this possible?

It is not possible to shadow staff but it may be possible to arrange this separately. You will not be asked to provide any clinical care to patients as a volunteer or if you shadow staff.

Will I get paid Expenses?

Yes, volunteers can claim back any out of pocket expenses they have encountered.

What should I do if I have any concerns during my volunteering about myself or any aspect of the service?

Please speak to your designated department manager, the Volunteer Co-ordinator on ext 8503 or a Freedom to Speak Up Guardian on 0151 640 7766, Ext 7396 or email wih-tr.RaisingConcerns@nhs.net.

How will I know what I'm doing? 

Your department Manager or the Volunteer Co-ordinator will undertake an annual appraisal with you where you will discuss what’s going well, what’s going less well and how you can address this. This is also an opportunity to discuss any additional training needs you may have or any support you may need.

Can I change my volunteering placement or role once allocated?

Once you have spent some time in an area of the Trust, you may want to move to another area or a different volunteer role. Please discuss this with the Volunteer Co-ordinator who will look into this on your behalf and make the necessary arrangements. 

What happens if I terminate my Volunteering role? 

Whilst we want you to volunteer as long as possible as a valued member of the team, we do recognise that you may want to terminate your role with the Trust. Please inform your department manager of your intention to leave and/or the Volunteer Co-ordinator as soon as possible. You will be invited to complete a short exit questionnaire so that we can understand if there is anything we need to do differently for future volunteers. 

What is the National Volunteer Certificate?

The National Volunteer standards were developed by Volunteer Service Managers to provide a framework for induction education for volunteers. The aim is to enable volunteers to develop in their volunteering role. For further information please visit:

https:/volunteerlearning.community/what-are-the-national-volunteer-standards/