Job overview

PLEASE NOTE THIS VACANCY HAS LIMITED AVAILABILITY AND WILL AUTOMATICALLY CLOSE WHEN THE LIMIT IS REACHED. WE ADVISE AN EARLY APPLICATION SUBMISSION.

We are seeking End of life care Volunteers at UHBW. This role involves providing support and care to patients and their loved ones 
in a hospital setting, in the last days and weeks of a patient’s life.

We ask volunteers to commit to one volunteering session per week for at least 6 months. 

We are looking for Volunteers who:

• Are passionate about making a difference to patients and those around them at the end of life, through care and compassion.
• Have the ability to communicate well with patients, staff and the public.
• Have an awareness and pro-active approach to your own self-care needs, especially if you have 
personal experience of loss, bereavement and grief.
• Are comfortable in a hospital setting and have the confidence to volunteer on a ward independently.
• Have empathy, transparency and be non-judgemental in your approach.
• Are able to use your initiative and apply common sense but also knowing when to seek support.
• Are courteous, friendly and have an approachable manner.
• Reliable, punctual and trustworthy.
• Flexible and adaptable, recognising that patient needs may change.
• Have the ability to follow infection prevention and control standards in place (including wearing 
appropriate personal protective equipment, PPE) in the hospitals, and tactfully and 
sensitively be able to encourage visitors to follow those same standards.
• Have an understanding and ability to implement good personal and professional boundaries.
• Ability to engage with support and supervision provided, including 1:1’s and/or groups.

Main duties of the job

End of Life Care Volunteers provide support and care to patients and their loved ones/carers, by carrying out tasks such as:

• Sitting quietly by the bedside to reassure patients and their loved ones or carers that they are not alone in the last days of their life.
• Spending time with patients to allow their loved ones or carers to take a break.
• Engaging in activities such as reading a patient’s favourite book to them or holding their hand for comfort.
• Sharing information about the services available to the loved ones or carers of patients who are dying.
• Offering a listening ear to both patients and their loved ones.
• Volunteering alongside and engaging with Health Care staff on your allocated ward(s) and communicating patient needs as required.
• Making a written record of your visits using the agreed process.
• Engaging in one to one and group volunteer support sessions as agreed.

Working for our organisation

University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UHBW) is one of the largest acute Trusts in the country, bringing together a combined workforce of over 13,000 staff and over 100 different clinical services across 10 different sites, serving a core population of more than 500,000 people across South West England.

UHBW has been rated by the CQC as ‘Good’ overall and our staff are proud to deliver excellent care to the people of Bristol, Weston and beyond. As a forward thinking multi-award winning Trust and a digital exemplar committed to improving patient care, our world-leading research and innovations are having a positive local and global impact.

Our hospitals are spread across Bristol and Weston, join us and you can enjoy the very best of both worlds; city living within a stone’s throw of the 
countryside or beside the seaside, both with easy access to all that the South West has to offer. UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults.

As an equal opportunities employer actively working towards a diverse workforce we aim to recruit and retain a workforce which represents the rich diversity of the local population at all levels and are committed to designing our services around the needs of individual patients and those around them.

Anonymous information will be used from your application in order to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.