Befriender Volunteer (Bristol)

Transformationunitgm; Bristol; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading healthcare organization in Bristol is seeking volunteers for the Befriender role. This position involves providing companionship and social interaction to patients, particularly those who are older or dealing with cognitive impairments. The ideal candidate should possess patience, good communication skills, and a willingness to engage with patients in various activities, contributing to their overall wellbeing.

Benefits

Personal development opportunities

Supportive volunteer environment

Qualifications

• Willingness to engage with patients and encourage social interaction.
• Availability for at least one session a week for 6 months.
• Desire to provide companionship and assist patients.

Responsibilities

• Provide companionship to adult patients, particularly older patients.
• Encourage participation in recreational activities with patients.
• Complete the 'All about me' document for patients.

Skills

Good social and communication skills

Patience

Understanding of patients' needs

Job description

Employer University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust Employer type NHS Site Bristol Royal Infirmary Town Bristol Closing 08/06/2025 23:59

As an organisation we recognise the value of a healthy work-life balance. When applying, speak to us about how we might be able to accommodate flexible working, so your work life fits around your home life.

We particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates as they are under-represented within the Trust.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MORE THAN 1 ROLE, PLEASE ONLY SUBMIT ONE APPLICATION AND STATE ON YOUR APPLICATION THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN MULTIPLE ROLES.

We are seeking Befrienders to provide companionship and reassurance to adult patients on wards, particularly older patients and those with a dementia or cognitive impairment.

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

We are looking for Volunteers with:

• A willingness to provide company, encourage social interaction and engage in activities with patients, including older people within a hospital/care setting.
• Good social and communication skills.
• Patience and understanding of the needs of patients in a hospital setting, taking direction from ward staff as required.

Main duties of the job

• Providing companionship and promoting social interaction, particularly with older patients, and those with a dementia or cognitive impairment.
• Completing the patients ‘All about me’ document.
• Encouraging and engaging with patients to participate in social and recreational activities, such as reading a newspaper, listening to music, having a chat, playing cards and simple craft activities.
• Proving reassurance to patients.

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.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

Please refer to the role profile document attached to this vacancy.

Person specification

Basic Criteria

• Describes how skills, experiences and values will benefit others: 2 = yes : 1 = working towards : 0 = not achieved
• Explains why they want to volunteer: 2 = yes : 1 = working towards : 0 = not achieved
• Availability matches requirements of role: 1=yes : 0 = not achieved
• Acknowledgement of role requirements
• Desire to volunteer and help patients

We hope that you will decide to join us and become part of this exciting journey, helping us to shape our future together.

· 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 to ensure we’re meeting our pledge.

· The Trust is committed to investing in and caring for all our staff. We will support you in maintaining and improving your health and wellbeing, as well as your career development through management and training support - developing exceptional people for exceptional careers.

· UHBW is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and vulnerable adults.

· To comply with Part 7 of the Immigration Act 2016 all applicants must be able to speak fluent English to an appropriate standard which will be assessed at Interview.

· If you require sponsorship for a visa to work in the UK, to avoid disappointment, please check to ensure you are eligible under the UKVI points based system.

· The Trust uses electronic new starter forms on Trac to collect personal details. Information collected is securely stored and used to set up the employee record on the ESR HR system.

· By applying for this post, you are agreeing to University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust transferring the information contained in this application to its preferred applicant management system. If you are offered a job, information will also be transferred into the national NHS Electronic Staff Records system.

· Please be aware of scams – unless specified above, we will only communicate with you via @recruit.trac.jobs or nhs.net e-mails and we will never ask you for any payments.

IMPORTANT:

Please note that if you apply for a position with this Trust, you may be contacted via Trac or via email. This includes invites for job interviews. We therefore recommend that you regularly check your Trac account and email accounts. We may also contact you by texting the mobile number, if provided, on the application form.

Due to the high number of applications that are received for some posts we may close this vacancy before the advertised closing date. Therefore, please apply for this post as soon as you can, if you are interested and you meet the requirements of the Person Specification

Only those candidates who clearly demonstrate how they meet the person specification will be shortlisted for this job.

As a guide interviews should usually take place within 3 weeks of the closing date.

When providing employment reference details, please provide correct work-related email addresses so references can be sought promptly when we are looking to progress your application. Your referee must all be known to you in a line manager or professional lead capacity.

Employer certification / accreditation badges

The postholder will have access to vulnerable people in the course of their normal duties and as such this post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (Exceptions) Order 1975 (Amendment) (England and Wales) Order 2020 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service to check for any previous criminal convictions.