Volunteer Handbook - Main

Let’s Get Started

Welcome!

I am pleased to extend a warm welcome and issue you with our volunteer handbook . I hope that you find volunteering with The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust both rewarding and enjoyable.

Volunteers play an important role within our hospitals, working in a variety of departments alongside our sta . The purpose of this volunteer handbook is to answer some of the questions we are often asked by volunteers.

The handbook contains guidance about volunteering within the Trust. If you require any further information, which is not contained in this handbook or the volunteer policy, then please contact a member of the Volunteer Team.

- Julia Clarke, Director of Public Participation

Last Updated: August 2022

The Volunteer Team & Useful Numbers

The Volunteer Team

The Volunteer Team is here to support you prior to and during your placement. You will be contacted by the team on a regular basis with requests for support and information updates concerning your placements.

The Volunteer Team is based at Stretton House on the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital site. The o ce operates core hours of 09:00 – 17:00, Monday to Friday.

Useful Numbers

There is a lot of information contained in this handbook, if you have any questions or queries, please ask a member of sta or a member of the Volunteer Team.

Volunteer Team: 01743 492256

Telford Hospital switchboard: 01952

641222

Shrewsbury Hospital switchboard: 01743

261000

Cardiac Arrest / Security / Fire: extension: 3333

My Impact

My Impact is how you sign up for volunteering shifts and how you keep up to date on guidance and roles. It is important that you log regularly and keep your shifts up to date so that we can communicate important issues and so we can measure our volunteering. Some things to remember:

• Remember your username and password (contact the volunteer team if you need support)

• Sign up to your shifts in My Impact online - please do this the week before so we have time to share the rota with ward teams

• Please email us asap if you are unable to attend a particular shift to sath.volunteers@nhs.net

• If you don’t have a smartphone or if you can’t use technology then contact us and we can assist you

Who are we?

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is the main provider of acute hospital services to over half a million people in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and mid-Wales. Most of our services are provided at the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital. About 99% of our patient appointments take place at these hospitals. We also provide services in a range of community settings including Telford’s Wrekin Community Clinic and Midwife-led maternity units in Bridgnorth, Ludlow and Oswestry.

The Trust has over 6,500 members of sta providing and supporting frontline care. Our sta are supported by a wide range of volunteers and students.

The Volunteer Team is part of the Public Participation Department here at SaTH, which also includes SaTH Charity and our Community Engagement Team. The three areas work closely together to provide links into the community and to allow local people to have a direct impact on the hospitals that provide them with care.

Volunteers often provide support to SaTH Charity to help fundraise or support wellbeing projects for sta . The Engagement Team often asks for help from volunteers to engage with local people to ask them how they would like hospital services developing in the future.

Our Services

Princess Royal Hospital (PRH)

The Princess Royal Hospital opened in 1989. It provides medical assessment and inpatient services, surgical day cases, women and children’s inpatient services, a midwife-led maternity unit, A&E services, renal dialysis stations and outpatient & diagnostic facilities.

Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (RSH)

The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital opened in 1977. It provides medical assessment and inpatient services, a midwife led maternity unit, surgical, inpatient and day case services, cancer services including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, A&E services, designated trauma unit, renal dialysis stations and outpatient and diagnostic facilities. In 2012, it became the county’s main centre for acute inpatient surgery.

Expectations

What you can expect from us

We hope that you enjoy your time volunteering with us. Our commitment to all volunteers is to:

• Respect your skills, dignity and individual wishes and to do our best to meet them.

• Provide relevant training, support and information for you to carry out your volunteering role.

• Provide support and supervision within your volunteering role.

• Communicate with you and keep you informed of any changes.

• O er you fair, honest and open feedback about your volunteering.

• Provide insurance to cover you whilst volunteering within the duties of your role description.

• Provide a safe workplace.

What we can expect from you

We also have expectations and standards that we expect from all our volunteers. To get the most out of your volunteer placement, we ask that you commit to the following:

• To perform your volunteering role to the best of your ability.

• Maintain the confidential information of the organisation and of its patients.

• Always wear your volunteer ID badge whilst on Trust premises.

• Adhere to the dress code whilst volunteering, including wearing any uniform that you have been provided with.

• Not to perform tasks that are outside of your role description, without seeking the approval of the placement supervisor or the Volunteer Team.

• Attend any training relevant to your duties.

• For the safety and wellbeing of yourself and patients, you will not lift, handle or lower patients. You will also not carry out any manual handling activities that you have not been trained to undertake.

• Inform the most senior member of sta immediately, of any concerns that you may have regarding a patient, a child, member of the public or member(s) of sta .

• To always show respect to patients, carers/relatives and members of the public and treat them with dignity, and always maintain confidentiality.

• To provide as much notice as possible if you are unable to attend your volunteer placement or if you no longer wish to volunteer for the Trust.

Volunteer Roles

For all volunteering roles, there is a role description. As a volunteer, it is important that you only carry out tasks that are outlined within your role description. You can ask for a copy of your role description at any point from the Volunteer Team. If you feel that you are being asked to carry out duties that go beyond those outlined in your role description, then it is important that you discuss this with either your ward/department supervisor or the Volunteer Team.

Attendance

Volunteer recruitment and placement can take several hours of processing time; therefore, we ask all volunteers to make an initial minimum commitment to volunteer with the Trust for 6 months (or 50 hours); however, as a volunteer you are under no legal obligation and a volunteer placement can be cancelled at any time at the discretion of either party.

Some volunteers work irregular intervals, as and when they are needed; however, most volunteers will commit to a specific day and time. It is important that, once a volunteer placement has been organised, you are committed to the arrangement that has been agreed. Please notify the Volunteer Team Team if you need to change the day or time that you volunteer so we can inform the relevent team.

Reliability, Illness and Holidays

It is important that you keep to the volunteering arrangements you have made with your ward/department. If your circumstances change and you are unable to attend your placement due to illness or unforeseen circumstances, then please let the volunteer team and your department/ward know at the earliest opportunity.

If you are planning on going on holiday, then please let the volunteer and your ward/department know that you will be unavailable for certain dates and when you plan to return. Volunteers make a big di erence to the level of care we can provide to our patients, if you are not able to make a shift, we may be able to find cover by someone who does a similar role on a di erent day.

Change of Placement

If you wish to change your voluntary placement for any reason, please contact the Volunteer Team. Where possible, we try to accommodate changes in placements, but

this will be subject to the availability of an alternative placement and the volunteer’s suitability for a role.

Unsuitability

Suitability of an individual to carry out a volunteer role is assessed within the first 12 weeks by the department/ward supervisor. A volunteer who is unsuitable for a role, fails to abide by the Trust’s policies or procedures, or who does not attend their placement regularly may be asked to leave following a conversation about any di culties they may be experiencing.

At any time during a volunteer placement and for relevant reasons, the Trust may decide to terminate a volunteer’s placement at the Trust. This would be after a review and discussions with all parties involved with the placement. As a volunteer, you may also feel that your placement is no longer suitable and you should advise the Volunteer Team of your intention to leave.

Notice of Departure

Volunteering is a mutual arrangement between the volunteer and the Trust, which can be terminated at any time by either party. Where possible, the Trust asks that you should give as much notice as possible, ideally this should be a minimum of 4 weeks for the Trust to make suitable arrangements to ensure there is no impact on the continuity of the service. At the end of your placement, you will be asked to complete an exit questionnaire, which will include the reason for leaving and any comments and suggestions you have. This will allow the service to be evaluated on a regular basis and where possible, to make improvements.

Change of Circumstances

Please notify the Volunteer Team of any of the following changes:

• Your name

• Your address

• Your next of kin

• Emergency contact details

Infection Prevention Control

It is important for the health of our patients, public and sta that you do not attend your voluntary placement if you:

• Are su ering from diarrhoea and/or sickness (you need to be symptom free for at least 48 hours before coming into the hospital).

• Have a viral infection e.g. cold, Covid-19, flu, sore throat.

• Have a contagious infection e.g. chicken pox.

Healthcare-related infections are costly in both human and financial terms. Body secretions and skin surfaces can carry bacteria, viruses and fungi that are potentially infectious. E ective hand hygiene is the single most important procedure for significantly reducing/preventing the spread of infection and is an essential practice for patient safety. Volunteers are required to abide by the Trust’s hand hygiene policies and protocols; this topic is covered within the volunteer mandatory training video and in this handbook on page 8.

Infection Prevention on the Wards (where applicable)

On the first day of a ward-based placement, you will be required to spend time with a trained member of sta from the department to go through the Trust’s hand hygiene technique as part of your induction. You will be required to complete a formal hand hygiene assessment every year. This is in line with the Trust’s Hand Hygiene Policy. If an outbreak is declared (such as Norovirus) on a ward where you volunteer, the Volunteer Team will contact you to advise you not to attend your placement as the area will be closed to all volunteers. Occasionally, it may not be possible to contact you prior to you arriving at the hospital, in this situation the ward will send you away.

Keep an eye out for any guidance changes. These will be communicated via email from the volunteer team.

Using Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Volunteers may be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect themselves and others. Depending on your specified role and tasks, you will be expected and supported to wear specific items of PPE.

Blue surgical mask: In line with Trust guidance, you may need to wear one of these throughout your volunteering shift in clinical areas. You will have access to a new one when you start your shift. You may also need to change your mask if you are moving in and out of wards. You can go outside the hospital for a ‘mask break’ at any point during your shift.

Apron: unless you are in a bay area, you will not need to wear an apron. Volunteers should wear a green catering apron when serving meals on wards.

Gloves: gloves should only be worn when volunteering in bay areas and going within 2 metres of a patient. They should also be worn if making direct contact with a patient.

Infection Prevention Control

Regardless of which PPE you are wearing you need to keep the following in mind:

• Volunteers must not enter any zones where Aerosol Generating Procedures (AGPs ) are being carried out. These are high risk areas and are clearly marked.

• You must attend a training session with the Volunteer Team before you volunteer, so you can receive training on how to correctly use PPE.

• Volunteers must not enter “red” high risk patient pathways. These are wards and areas being reserved for treating infectious patients.

• Volunteers must not enter side rooms on wards. These could be in use to isolate infectious patients when needed.

• Gel your hands on arrival at the hospital.

• Change any PPE you are wearing (including mask) before entering or leaving a ward, and replace it with new PPE.

• Make sure you wash/gel your hands before putting your PPE on or taking it o .

• When entering a ward always report to the nurses’ station.

• Always ask a member of sta if you are not sure what PPE to wear or what order to put things on or take them o .

• If your PPE becomes damaged or soiled, replace it immediately.

• Discard your PPE in the orange/yellow clinical bins, not in general domestic waste bins.

• Never take PPE home or wear PPE that you have brought from home.

• PPE is an addition to, not a substitute for, good hand hygiene and social distancing.

Good hand hygiene is always essential. Please familiarise yourself with the location of the sinks and hand gel dispensers. This will ensure that you are practising good hand hygiene. The main times you should wash your hands are:

before and after patient contact after contact with any patient surroundings if you have been exposed to bodily fluids

• after wearing gloves

• before and after eating

• before and after using the toilet

• before and after your shift

• regularly during your shift.

Rub each wrist with opposite hand REPEAT AT LEAST 5 TIMES

Palm to palm

Palm to palm with fingers interlaced

Right palm over left hand and left palm over right hand

Hand Hygiene

Hand Hygiene Procedure

Backs of fingers to opposing palms with fingers interlocked

Rotational rubbing backwards & forwards with clasped fingers

Rotating rubbing of right thumb clasped in left palm and vice versa

Dress Code

It is really important that, as a volunteer, you are identifiable in our hospitals. We expect all volunteers to wear a volunteer polo top; this helps our patients, visitors and sta to identify you as part of our organisation.

A member of the Volunteer Team will provide you with a polo shirt prior to or on your first shift. Please ensure you are wearing a volunteer uniform whilst on your shift. You should have one volunteering t-shirt for every two shifts that you do per week to ensure you have enough. If you require a second polo shirt or a di erent size, please contact the Volunteer Team.

• It is expected that all volunteers adhere to Trust Uniform Policy - all volunteers must present themselves professionally; wear correct ID badges and their designated uniforms.

• When you are in a clinical area you should be bare below the elbow.

• Wear closed-toe shoes without high heels to protect you against spillages and tripping.

• No jewellery is to be worn (including wrist watches) except for small studs and wedding bands with no stone details - no engagement rings with stones are to be worn.

• Acrylic nails or nail polish are not permitted for infection control reasons.

Identification (ID) badge

Prior to beginning your voluntary placement, you will be issued with an ID badge. You should always wear your ID badge whilst volunteering. If your ID badge is lost or stolen please notify your ward/department supervisor or the Volunteer Team immediately.

• Long hair must be tied up and o your collar

• For safety and hygiene reasons, please ensure you do the following:

- Do not wear your t-shirt or ID badge anywhere other than the hospital. Only change into and out of your t-shirt at the hospital.

- When you have finished your volunteering shift, change out of your t-shirt, put it in a plastic bag and wash it at home. You should wash it at 60 degrees or alternatively wash it at 40 degrees then iron it.

Who’s who?

Housekeeper

Physiotherapist

Dietician

Radiographers

Cleanliness Technicians

You can tell di erent sta members apart by their uniforms. Below are some (but not all) uniforms used within the Trust.

Cardiorespiratory

White / Hospital Blue Trim

White / Burgundy Trim

Speech & Language Therapist

Whte / Sky Blue Trim

Ward Clerk

Navy with white pattern

Medical Engineering Grey / No Trim

Estates

Midnight Blue / No Trim

Volunteer

Royal Blue / No Trim

Response Volunteer

Royal Purple / No Trim

Light Purple / White Trim

Porters

Sky Blue / No Trim

Pretty Pink / White Trim

Healthcare Assistant / Womens Services Assitant

Eau De Nil / White Trim

Nursing Associate

Grey/White Stripe /White Trim

Sta Nurse

Pale Blue / White Trim

Sister / Charge Nurse / Midwife

Navy / White Trim

Specialist Nurse

Royal / Yellow Trim

Occupational Therapist

White / Bottle Green Trim

Physiotherapy Assistant

Metro / Navy Trim

White / Navy Trim

Senior Nursing Team

Grey / Red Trim

Matron

Navy / Green Trim

Ward / Department Manager

Dark Blue / Red Trim

Occupational Therapy Assistant

Bottle Green / White Trim

Speech & Language Assistant

Blue-Green / White Trim

Dietetics Assistant

Metro / White Trim

White / Red Trim

Theatres Sta

Aqua Green/ No Trim

Pharmacist

Black / White Trim

Local Induction, Support and Supervision

The Trust believes it is important to recognise a volunteer’s contribution through regular support and supervision. When you start your voluntary placement, you will be introduced to a local ward/department supervisor. Your supervisor will be responsible for ensuring that you have a local induction to your placement area.

Your supervisor will also be available to meet with you regularly to see how your placement is going and discuss any concerns or queries you may have. Please contact your supervisor directly to arrange a meeting.

All new volunteers have a three-month trial period. This allows the volunteer an opportunity to try out their role and the Trust to assess the suitability of the volunteer placement

At the end of the three-month trial period, the volunteer team will have a review meeting with you and if you do not wish to continue the volunteer role after this time or it is felt that the role is not considered suitable then an alternative volunteer opportunity may be o ered, or the volunteer placement may be terminated.

Training

Prior to starting your volunteer placement, you will have to complete the e-learning modules or attend face to face training sessions. You will not be able to commence your role until this has been completed. The training covers topics such as fire safety, safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, infection prevention and control etc.

As a volunteer you will be required to undertake refresher training every 3 years. The Volunteer Team will send you a reminder when your training is due.

For some volunteer roles you will be required to undertake additional training so that you can carry out your role. The Volunteer Team will advise you of any additional training you will need to complete.

Problems within your role

If you have a complaint about a member of sta or volunteer, then in the first instance you should raise it with your ward/department manager. If you feel the issue has not been satisfactorily resolved then you can take the complaint to the Volunteer Team. You may be required to put any such grievance in writing and assistance can be provided if appropriate and necessary. The complaint will be investigated and a decision reached usually within 14 days.

A complaint made against a volunteer

The Trust aims to identify and solve problems at the earliest opportunity and seeks to ensure fairness and equality in the management of volunteers. The purpose of the procedure outlined here is to inform volunteers of the process the Volunteer Team will follow if there has been a complaint made about a volunteer or an alleged breach of conduct concerning a volunteer. We aim to deal with all complaints quickly and fairly, where possible within 14 working days.

If a complaint is made about a volunteer regarding their behaviour or ability to carry out their volunteer role, the Volunteer Team will contact the volunteer as soon as possible, either by telephone, letter or face-to-face. When a volunteer has been accused of serious misconduct, it may be deemed in the best interest of the volunteer, patients and sta that they are asked not to attend their placement pending the outcome of the investigation.

General Information

The Volunteer Team will meet with the volunteer to discuss details of the complaint and to gain the volunteer’s views. The volunteer may choose to be accompanied at this meeting. All discussions from the meeting will be recorded in writing and a copy of these notes will be given to the volunteer.

The Volunteer Team will decide from the meeting whether one or more of the following actions are needed:

• Further investigation.

• No further action

• Further training and support

• Further action

• If it is necessary to take further action then this could be:

- Informal advice (valid for 12 months)

- Formal counselling (valid for 12 months)

- Termination of volunteer agreement

Any decision will be confirmed in writing with a full explanation. A copy will also remain on the volunteer file for the period of time outlined above. The volunteer has the right to appeal against any formal action.

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)

Most roles at the Trust require volunteers to have a DBS check (formally known as a Criminal Record Bureau or CRB check). It is a requirement that your DBS check is repeated every 3 years unless you are registered with the Update Service, the Volunteer Team will contact you when your DBS needs renewing. If you have any subsequent cautions or convictions after starting your volunteer placement, you are required to declare these to the Volunteer Team.

Data Protection

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust has a duty to protect the confidentiality of volunteers involved in our work. We will only collect and retain personal information that is relevant to your volunteering placement. In accordance with the Data Protection Act, personal information about volunteers is kept securely and no personal information will be shared with other organisations/individuals without the consent of the volunteer, unless we are legally obliged to do so. Volunteer files will be destroyed 3 years after an individual’s volunteer placement has ended.

Public Relations

Volunteers may be featured in Trust public relations activities and consent is sought from volunteers during the application stage to use photographs in which you may be identified. Volunteers are requested not to make any statement to the media without prior consultation with the Trust’s Communication Team. The Communications Team is always willing to answer any enquiries you may have regarding the media, and can be contacted via the Volunteer Team.

Equality and Diversity

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust is committed to equal opportunities and diversity. We accept volunteers based on their suitability for the role. We will not discriminate against our volunteers because of their gender, sexual orientation, disability or impairment, age, race, nationality, marital status, religion or belief.

As an organisation we value di erence and recognise the value that di erent backgrounds, skills, outlooks and experiences bring to the organisation.

General Information

Dignity and Respect

All volunteers are expected to treat patients, carers, visitors and sta with courtesy, care and compassion at all times, treating each person as an individual and adopt behaviours and attitudes that promote, support and respect privacy and dignity.

Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults

All individuals have the right to live a life free from fear, to be treated with dignity and have their choices respected. Prior to starting your voluntary placement, you must complete your mandatory training that covers the safeguarding of children and adults. Everyone has a responsibility to protect children and adults at risk from abuse and neglect. This is called safeguarding. IMPORTANT: never promise to keep a secret. You may need to pass on important pieces of information to Trust sta . Safeguarding can also be viewed as protecting yourself, as a volunteer, from risk and allegations. There are a number of ways in which you can do this:

• Always ensure you are wearing your blue volunteer polo shirt.

• Always volunteer in an open environment with others around.

• Operate within the boundaries of your role. Remember; you should be friendly to patients but you are not their friend.

• Remember to respect the personal space of others.

• Do not adopt a hostile body language e.g., arms crossed, standing square to a patient or visitor.

Raising Concerns and Safeguarding

If you have any concerns whilst on your voluntary placement, please escalate these to a senior member of sta immediately. The Volunteer Team is here to support you with any issues, please call us or email us.

Should you be approached by a patient, carer, family member, visitor or member of sta to sign any form of legal document such as Power of Attorney forms or a Will, you must decline and immediately inform a senior member of ward/department sta .

Information Governance and Confidentiality

As a volunteer, you must always be aware of the importance of maintaining the confidentiality of information gained during your volunteering placement. In many cases during your placement, you may have access to personal information relating to service users / patients.

Volunteers must treat all information in a discreet and confidential manner and particular attention is drawn to the following:

• Any personally identifiable information regarding patients must not be disclosed either verbally or in writing to any unauthorised persons.

• If it is necessary to share information to e ectively carry out your role, volunteers must make sure that as far as is reasonably possible this information will be exchanged on a strictly ‘need to know’ basis, using the minimum that is required and be used only for the purpose for which the information was given.

• Written records, computer records and correspondence in relation to any aspect of the Trust must be always kept securely.

• Do not make written notes of patients. You can easily forget to dispose of them and keep them on your person when you leave the hospital. This is a data breach.

• If you feel you may have compromised a patient’s confidentiality, please report it to a member of the Volunteer Team or your supervisor immediately.

Security

Smoking

Smoking is not allowed on NHS premises although there are designated smoking ‘shelter’ areas in the hospital grounds, which volunteers are entitled to use.

Security

Security in hospitals is very important but can be very di cult to manage. By virtue of what we do, many areas of the hospital are e ectively public spaces. When starting your volunteer placement, your ward/department supervisor will inform you of security arrangements. The Trust’s priority in terms of security is the personal safety of our patients, volunteers and sta . It is vital that you take care of your own safety and that of colleagues and patients. If you have concerns about an individual’s right to be where they are please alert a member of sta immediately. Never be afraid to ask for an identity card if you need to verify someone’s identity. Likewise, never be o ended if you are asked to produce your ID card for verification purposes.

If you need emergency security assistance, please dial 3333 from any hospital phone.

Security codes

Access to many areas of the hospital is controlled by security-coded keypads. As a volunteer, you may be given these codes and it is important that you follow these guidelines to help to maintain protection within these areas:

• Never give out codes to strangers, members of the public, patients or anyone who has no apparent or unverified need to know them.

• Never display codes in uncontrolled or public areas or where unauthorised individuals may see them. If possible, memorise the codes.

• When using keypad codes, ensure your actions are not being viewed or watched.

• When gaining entry through doorways, do not allow anyone else access unless they are wearing a Trust photo-identity card. Ask for identity and verify the individuals’ need for access. If they cannot provide identity, politely refuse access and seek advice from your manager or a senior person in the area you are entering.

• If you have any concerns about anyone’s attempts to gain access, alert your ward/department supervisor or Security immediately (via Switchboard – dial ‘0’) to what has happened and where the individual(s) has gone.

Valuables

The Trust will not be held responsible for the loss of any personal items and it is recommended that you do not bring any personal and/or high value items in to the hospital.

Health and Safety

As a volunteer, you need to be aware of health and safety issues when undertaking your voluntary role. Your ward/department supervisor is responsible for your immediate supervision and support. Should you have any doubt about a health and safety matter, then you should discuss this with your supervisor in the first instance.

You have a responsibility as a volunteer to:

• Only carry out tasks that are outlined within your role description.

• Take responsibility for the health and safety of yourself and of others who may be a ected by your actions whilst volunteering.

• Immediately report any accidents, hazards or injuries sustained by yourself or others to a member of sta .

• You must notify your ward/department supervisor and the Volunteer Team if:

o You have an accident whilst volunteering.

o You fall ill prior to, or whilst volunteering.

Incidents

Sometimes things happen or almost happen to patients, relatives, public or sta that should not happen. An incident could be the use of inappropriate language, someone falling over or someone leaving a ward area without sta knowing they have gone.

When an incident occurs, then a DATIX form should be completed by a member of sta and in serious cases, an investigation into what happened may be required. Volunteers may be asked to take part in an investigation if it a ects the area where they are volunteering. In such cases, volunteers will have the same rights as sta and will be supported throughout the investigation. If you witness or are involved in an incident whilst volunteering,

you should report it immediately to your ward/department supervisor as well as the Volunteer Team.

Pregnancy

There are certain areas of the hospital in which it is inadvisable for pregnant women to volunteer. If you are pregnant or become pregnant, please inform your placement supervisor and the Volunteers Manager who will ensure you are adequately safeguarded whilst volunteering.

Insurance

As a volunteer you will be indemnified through the Trust’s insurance (by the NHS Litigation Authority), providing that you only carry out activities within your role description and with the agreement of your supervisor.

If you use your own vehicle as part of your voluntary role, it is your responsibility to ensure that your own insurance policy covers the use of the vehicle being used.

Moving and Handling

For the majority of volunteering roles you are not required to undertake any moving and handling or heavy lifting. If your role requires any moving and handling, then

Health and Safety

Boundaries (where you cannot support or what you cannot do)

• No clinical care of patients.

• No clinical advice to patients.

• No heavy cleaning duties or disposing of bodily fluids, dressings or sharps.

• No lifting of heavy equipment.

• No personal care (e.g. toileting or getting patients changed).

• Please do not assist patients with eating and drinking if you have not had the relevant training, a member of the volunteer team will be able to organise this training for you, so please contact them if you would like to support our patients with food and drink.

• No entering side rooms on the wards.

• No entering red zones.

• No personal contact outside hospitals with patients, no exchange of details, social media etc.

Unless specifically trained in bedmoving, do not adjust a patient’s bed at any time –this includes moving them, putting the guard rails up or down, or using any of the buttons - patient’s beds are a tool of clinical care. Therefore, their adjustment is part of clinical treatment; for example, a patient is put at a particular angle after they have had a bowel operation, or a patient’s guard rails are put up if a patient is a falls risk or is disorientated. If you feel a patient’s bed needs adjusting (or if they ask you to), always ask a sta member to do it.

Remember that when you are wearing a volunteer polo shirt you are a representative of the Trust. If you have concerns about the quality of care do not air them with a patient but raise them with the sta team. Also, do not get involved with “political” conversations with patients whereby you venture an opinion on the government or various political parties.

Fire Safety

Remember that the hospital has a staged fire alarm system that will sound throughout the site, signifying that activation has taken place:

• A continuous sound – stage 1 alarm –will only sound within the a ected area.

• An intermittent sound – stage 2 alarm –will sound in all areas of the hospital other than that of the a ected area.

When a staged 1 alarm sounds, make your way to the nearest exit. Please do not collect your belongings. Instead, follow instructions from the ward sta as required. Under no circumstances should a volunteer get involved in evacuation procedures unless they are asked by a member of sta to support on a specific task.

During the evacuation, you are required to follow the team of the area where you were located on the time of the alarm sounding. This is important as there will be a fire procedure whereby the area sta will identify if everybody from the evacuated area is present in the new location.

If you discover a fire:

• Operate the nearest manual fire call point.

• Call 3333 to report a fire to Switchboard.

• Ensure the safety of persons in the area.

• Only attempt to use fire extinguishers if safe and you are trained to do so.

• The alarm is routed directly to a call handling centre, which automatically calls the fire service.

Car Parking and Expenses

Car Parking

Volunteers may apply for a free car parking permit for volunteering purposes. If required, volunteers will be asked to complete a Car Parking Permit application. Once completed, you must park within the designated sta parking areas only. The Trust will not refund the cost of parking in other areas of the hospital grounds nor reimburse the cost of parking. You should only use your parking permit for volunteering purposes. Please contact the Volunteer Team if you change your car registration, as we will need to notify car parking of any changes.

All ID badges, parking permits and uniform items are the property of The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust and must be returned to the Volunteer Team once you have ceased volunteering.

Expenses

As a volunteer you can claim for travel expenses and reasonable reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses. The Trust will only reimburse actual expenses and the amount claimed should never be rounded up. Claims for reimbursement need to be submitted on a volunteer claim form, which must be signed by the appropriate manager and then payment should be authorised by the Volunteer Team. It is Trust policy that claims for expenses will be invalid after three months. We advise that all claims are submitted within two months of the expense being incurred.

It is expected that in travelling to the site of your volunteer placement, you will use the cheapest and most practical form of transport available to you i.e., personal vehicles or public transport. The Trust is not able to reimburse the cost of taxis unless agreed in advance with the Volunteer Team. Travel expenses should only be claimed from

the individual’s home to the place of volunteering unless a diversion in relation to the volunteering activity has been authorised.

Any travel claims not supported by receipts cannot be reimbursed, except for mileage costs.

Those not eligible for reimbursement include:

• Individuals attending public meetings or meetings open to the public.

• Individuals giving views through a public consultation or survey.

• Individuals attending health programmes as part of their treatment regime.

• Individuals mandated to undertake a volunteer placement as part of a course or work-based training to obtain a qualification.

• Individuals receiving payment from any other organisation for volunteering.

General Information

Volunteering and Benefits

If you are claiming benefits in accordance with Government guidelines, then volunteering should not a ect your right to claim benefits, as long as the money you claim is to cover your volunteer expenses.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you meet the conditions of your benefits and/or tax credits (where applicable) whilst volunteering, hence we strongly recommend that you discuss your choice of voluntary work with your benefit advisor prior to starting your placement.

If you are in receipt of more than one type of benefit, please ensure that you discuss your voluntary placement with each of the relevant advisors.

The Trust cannot o er advice regarding volunteering and benefits and shall not be liable for individuals who do not meet their benefit conditions.

O ers of Gifts

If you are o ered a personal gift or inducement whilst volunteering, you should:

• Refuse the gift unless it is of low intrinsic value i.e., chocolates

• Inform the Volunteer Team, who will determine what action should be taken

Volunteer Policy

This handbook is designed to be a quick reference guide for volunteers. For more information, please refer to the Trust’s Volunteer Policy and other related policies and guidance. If you have a query about this or would like to see a copy, please contact the Volunteer Team