Ward Based Volunteer - Aintree Site

NHS; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 10,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A regional healthcare provider is seeking Ward Based Volunteers for the Aintree Site to enhance patient experience and support the staff. Volunteers will provide emotional support and assistance to patients while committing to at least 3 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months. The role requires candidates to be 18 or older, with a caring and compassionate disposition.

Qualifications

• Volunteers must be aged 18 or over.
• No previous volunteering experience required.
• Commitment of at least 3 hours per week for 6 months.

Responsibilities

• Provide emotional support and companionship to patients.
• Assist with patient mealtimes and help with menu choices.
• Run errands for patients within role boundaries.

Skills

Good interpersonal skills

Good communication skills

Reliability

Sensitivity and compassion

Job description

Overview

Ward Based Volunteer - Aintree Site. The closing date is 24 September 2025.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is looking to recruit volunteers in various roles in order to enhance patient experience and support staff. We are looking for volunteers at Aintree Hospital.

Why volunteer

Volunteers help improve patient experience and support ward staff. Volunteers must be able to commit a minimum of 3 hours per week for at least 6 months and be aged 18 or over to volunteer on the ward.

Requirements

• Ability to communicate with all groups of people.
• Helpful and accommodating manner.
• Sensitive, compassionate and tactful nature.
• Ability to give clear and concise directions.
• Able to work on own or as part of a team.
• Work in collaboration with the ward staff and other volunteers.
• Work within their role and organisational boundaries.
• Volunteers must provide a minimum of 3 hours per week for a minimum of 6 months.
• Volunteers must be aged 18 and over to volunteer on the ward.

Main duties

Volunteers will be expected to adhere to trust policies and procedure especially relating to Infection Prevention and Control.

Ward Volunteer

• Help improve patient experience by providing a friendly welcome, emotional support, reassurance and companionship to patients and their families.
• Providing support, companionship and appropriate activities for patients with Dementia or Learning Disabilities.
• Assisting in preparing patients for mealtimes and helping with menu choices.
• Assisting patients with eating and drinking and providing refreshments to patients.
• Completing basic tasks and assisting patients within the Volunteer Role Boundaries (attached).
• Running errands for patients to purchase newspapers/magazines/snacks as required.
• Reading to patients, playing games, completing jigsaws and puzzles.
• Tidying and restocking the information racks and notice boards with appropriate resources under the guidance of the Ward Manager.
• Acting as an "alerter" to escalate any concerns/issues to the Nursing Team.

About us

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust comprises Aintree University Hospital, Broadgreen Hospital & Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

We are part of NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, formed on 1 Nov 2024 from the coming together of LUHFT and Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust. The Group was formed to improve the care we provide our patients. UHLG is one of the largest employers in the region, with over 16,800 colleagues dedicated to caring for our communities.

For the 630,000 people across Merseyside, we are their local NHS, providing general and emergency hospital care alongside highly specialised regional services for more than two million people in the North West. Aintree University Hospital is the single receiving site for adult major trauma patients in Cheshire and Merseyside and hosts several regional services including an award-winning stroke facility. Broadgreen Hospital focuses on elective surgical, diagnostic and treatment services with specialist patient rehabilitation. Liverpool Women’s Hospital specializes in the health of women and babies, delivering over 7,200 babies per year. The Royal Liverpool University Hospital provides inpatients with 100% single bedrooms and focuses on complex planned care and specialist services.

For roles at Liverpool Women’s, visit their careers page.

Job responsibilities

Ward Volunteer

Reflected duties include helping improve patient experience by providing a friendly welcome, emotional support, reassurance and companionship to patients and their families; providing support, companionship and appropriate activities for patients with Dementia or Learning Disabilities; assisting in preparing patients for mealtimes and helping with menu choices; assisting patients with eating and drinking and providing refreshments; feeding of patients who need additional support (only after specific training); taking surveys from the Ward Services Office to collect data on patient experience; completing basic tasks within Volunteer Role Boundaries; running errands for patients; tidying the patient’s bed space; contacting family to arrange for toiletries to be brought into hospital; reading to patients, games, puzzles; restocking information racks and notice boards; and acting as an alerter to escalate concerns to the Nursing Team.

Person Specification

Skills

• Good interpersonal skills. Welcoming, friendly, polite and caring with all patients, visitors and Trust staff. Be sensitive, compassionate and tactful.
• Good communication skills. Be a good listener and be able to work with ward staff and other volunteers.
• Volunteer role requires reliability, honesty and punctuality and adherence to role boundaries.

Experience

• Previous volunteering or experience of working in a health or social care environment is not required for this role, although any relevant life experiences should be detailed on the application.

Other

• To embody the Trust Values
• To exercise confidentiality and discretion

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Address

Liverpool University Hospitals - Aintree Site