Job summary
- Main area
- Patient Leader
- Grade
- Volunteer
- Contract
- 2 years (Voluntary)
- Hours
- Flexible working
- Other
- Job ref
- 193-Vol-Patient Leader 25
- Employer
- Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Royal Berkshire Hospital
- Town
- Reading
- Salary
- Volunteer - no salary
- Closing
- 02/09/2025 23:59
Employer heading
Volunteer - Patient Leader
Volunteer
Royal Berkshire Hospital are pleased to announce that following our CQC inspection we have been rated ‘Good’ with inspectors reporting that we have made significant improvements. The Trust’s overall rating has also improved to ‘good’. This is a great opportunity to join our clinical or non-clinical teams to create a positive and motivating environment within our trust. Come and join our team in this exciting time of change as we pride ourselves, our staff and our services on excellence.
At the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust we put our patients at the heart of every element of health and care that we provide. The Trust works together as a community to deliver its vision which is “Working together to provide outstanding care for our community.”
We are Compassionate in our thoughts, words and actions
We are Aspirational and have a true desire to be dynamic and to innovate
We are Resourceful and responsible in the way we work and live
We are Excellent in our development, fairness and sharing best practice
Amazing things happen at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust; delivered by amazing people so why don’t you come and join us. We offer a range of learning and development for all employees may you be clinical or non-clinical.
Job overview
It is our vision to work together to provide outstanding care for our community. We aim to deliver this through five strategic objectives:
- Quality (including Safety) - Deliver the best and safest healthcare in the best possible place for patients.
- People - Provide the best place to work, train and learn.
- Partnership - Work together to create a modern and sustainable healthcare system.
- Innovation – Recognise productivity improvement opportunities and utilise technology to improve efficiency.
- Sustainability – Live within our means, optimise our capacity and get it right first time.
Would you like to work with us to improve patient care? Join us as a Patient Leader and become part of a network of specially trained volunteers, who are working with us to design and transform services in our Trust.
(Please note - this is an unpaid volunteer role)
We are currently only able to recruit Patient Leaders who live within a 15 mile radius of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, RG1 5AN.
Main duties of the job
Patient Leaders are specially trained volunteers who work alongside colleagues across the Trust, influencing and shaping decisions at all levels.
Patient Leaders can help us build on established relationships between health professionals, patients, carers and the public. They ensure we are putting the voice and needs of patients at the forefront of decision making, and that views of patients, carers and families are represented at all levels of the organisation. This includes across partner organisations in the region (such as voluntary organisations, community and mental health services).
Patient Leaders should be keen to develop their understanding of challenges faced by the Trust, and be committed to improving NHS services. Patient Leaders will be able to think widely about health and wellbeing.
Patient Leaders will be able to positively motivate and support people to work with change, and have a mindset for improving outcomes and the experience of patients and service users.
Working for our organisation
LIVING OUR VALUES EVERY DAY
Our values reflect the type of Trust we aspire to be.
Compassionate - Our relationships are based on empathy, respect, integrity and dignity. In every interaction and communication we treat colleagues, patients and families with care and understanding.
Aspirational - We strive to continuously improve, to be the very best that we can be as individuals and an organisation.
Resourceful- Living within our means. Responding to the challenges of today and tomorrow in effective, efficient, innovative and optimistic ways.
Excellent- Committing to excellence in everything that we do; placing patient safety and quality at our heart. Learning from mistakes, doing what we say we are going to do and holding ourselves and others to account.
Upholding a culture where the voices of our patients, carers, and communities are at the heart of all that we do. Actively listening to their knowledge and lived experiences will enable us to deliver high quality, innovative, inclusive and safe care.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Activities Patient Leaders may be asked to participate in:
Quality improvement projects
Steering/Working groups
Ward Accreditation and Peer Reviews
Task and Finish Groups
Interviews (including interviewing consultants and senior nurses)
Policy and document reviews
Patient surveys
Clinical leadership development programmes
Strategy reviews
Regular meetings, including:
Governance and Care Group meetings
Patient Safety Partners
Transformation projects
Digital Improvements
Projects may arise when a department has identified a potential improvement they could make, and they want your input as a Patient Leader to provide constructive feedback or balanced debate on how to move that idea forward. Alternatively you may have identified (or someone may have let you know about) an idea for improvement, which you can bring to us so we can help you explore avenues for taking it forward.
WHO CAN BECOME A PATIENT LEADER?
As a Patient Leader you should have a have a willingness to develop an understanding of NHS services; be able to think widely about health and wellbeing; be committed to improving NHS services; and able to provide and be open to constructive challenge. It may be that you have recently accessed NHS services yourself and/or have experience of caring for someone with a health condition.
You must be able and willing to reflect the different views and diversity of patients/service users, including those living with different conditions and from different backgrounds. Having an understanding of the different challenges faced by the local community who use the hospital would be considered an advantage.
You will need to be able to attend all 5 days of the Patient Leadership Programme (held on one day a week over 5 weeks). The training programme is run twice a year, in April and September. You will need to be able to commit to the role for a minimum of 2 years, after completing the Patient Leadership Programme. After this time you can opt to continue, if you would like to.
There is no set requirement for the number of hours you need to commit to on a weekly basis, but if you join a group, meeting or project you’ll need to be able to continue attending as a regular and sustained commitment. It might be that a department needs a Patient Leader to be on a committee for an hour a week for several weeks, or for two hours a month as an ongoing regular meeting, or a department would like help over several days with interviews for a specific role.
PLEASE NOTE: We are currently only able to recruit Patient Leaders who live within a 15 mile radius of the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, RG1 5AN.
Please see attached job description for full details.
MAKING YOUR APPLICATION
Please describe to us in your application why you are interested in becoming a Patient Leader and how you meet the listed person specification, values and behaviours. You may also wish to:
- express any additional qualities you feel you would bring to the role
- share your experiences of accessing services at the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust
- share your experiences of caring for someone with health conditions.
* Previous applicants need not apply*
EXISTING ROYAL BERKSHIRE NHS FOUNDATION TRUST STAFF
If you are already an employee of the RBFT you may want to become a Patient Leader when you retire or leave the Trust. You can’t be a Patient Leader whilst you are also an employee of RBFT, but there are many other volunteering roles available that you can take part in whilst still employed.
As a member of staff, if you carry out voluntary services for the Trust while employed, you would be eligible to be part of the Deliver a Difference scheme. This recognises staff who go that extra mile, by volunteering as well as working for the Trust. If you are interested in Deliver a Difference, contact either the Patient Experience Team or Voluntary Services.
Email: [email protected]
Email: [email protected]
For further details / informal visits contact:
Name: Naomi Roberts
Job title: Patient Experience Lead
Email address: [email protected]
Telephone number: 0118 322 7446
Person specification
Experience
Essential criteria
- Experience of healthcare systems as a patient or carer
Desirable criteria
- Experience / knowledge of setting up and implementing processes and procedures
Education/Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Good all round education
Desirable criteria
- Evidence of recent appropriate experience eg: Customer Relations, Quality Management, Business Management, NHS or other business involvement
Skills/Knowledge & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Interest in Healthcare and the NHS
Desirable criteria
- Ability to think widely about health and wellbeing, as well as service delivery and improvement.
Skills/Knowledge & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Ability to constructively challenge, and reflect on different views, including those from people with different diversities and from different backgrounds.
Desirable criteria
- Previous experience of improvement projects or hosting/chairing meetings or groups.
Skills/Knowledge & Attributes
Essential criteria
- Willingness to listen and question until you reach the level of information required to understand.
Desirable criteria
- Confident in engaging with a broad range of staff, patients and service users and being open to constructive challenge.
Employer certification / accreditation badges
Applicant requirements
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Naomi Roberts
- Job title
- Patient Experience Lead
- Email address
- [email protected]
- Telephone number
- 0118 322 7446
- Additional information
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