Job Description

Job Advertisement: Community Palliative Care Volunteer Co-ordinator

Location:

Priscilla Bacon Lodge, Norwich

Hours:

37.5 hours per week

Salary:

(Band 5) 31,049pa

Contract:

1 year

Location: Priscilla Bacon Lodge, Norwich

Holiday: 25 days plus bank holidays (FTE)

Reporting to: Tracey Dryhurst, Pathway Lead Well Being Services NCHC

____________________________________________________________________________________

Overview

This role is funded by the Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity as part of a new integrative approach to enhancing and supporting the needs of patients and families in palliative care setting. The successful applicant will be managed by a Pathway Lead in the Living Well Service and will be working alongside the existing NHS Specialist Palliative Care Team and Community teams which are all a part of the Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust

(NCHC)

The successful applicant will manage a one-year pilot project which aims to develop, recruit, train and establish Community Palliative Care Volunteers (Snowdrops) in the South Norfolk Place, working alongside the wider Living Well Service and the Community Team Leads.

This project responds to the rising number of referrals to our Psychological Services, increased calls to the Palliative Care Advice Line and feedback from Community colleagues highlighting unmet needs among families who fall outside the criteria for specialist input but are still struggling with the day-to-day impact of illness and uncertainty.

We know from stakeholder engagement and patient feedback that volunteer support can:

o Reduce family distress

o Offer guidance and reassurance during the dying phase

o Reduce isolation and loneliness

o Provide empathetic understanding for carers

o Connect patients and families with the wider compassionate community

Main Duties & Responsibilitie

PROJECT CO-ORDINATION

The project will be conducted in 3 phases:

Phase 1: Understanding the landscape

1. Scope and utilise information and learning from practice across all peer sites, as well as being informed by National policy and practice, Ambitions for Palliative Care and National policy to develop a model that meets the needs of this community.

2. Engage with relevant stakeholders including the PBH Bereavement Lead, the Compassionate Communities, the Butterfly Volunteer Service at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital and Voluntary Norfolk to support the development of a comprehensive integrated volunteer service model.

3. Set up and administrate a Stakeholders Steering group which will inform the project design and development.

4. Work with the Pathway Leads and the NCHC Research team to develop a set of outcome measures using quantitative and qualitative data from service providers, including the Specialist Palliative Care team, the Place based Community teams, the volunteers, the compassionate community, and the service users. This data will be used to refine future service design with the intention of introducing it throughout all The Places. (South, North, Central and West)

5. The Project Co-Ordinator will supply an update report to the PBH Charity and NCHC at each phase of the project, as well as a final report for quality assurance.

6. Work with the Place based Community teams and identified GP practices to identify the patient cohort and develop referral criteria accordingly.

Phase 2: Selection, training, deployment and ongoing support of the volunteers

1. Work in collaboration with the Living Well Pathway Leads to develop the identity of a new integrated Volunteer Service to be known as, 'Snowdrop Volunteers'.

2. Plan a recruitment strategy and materials in conjunction with the Pathway Leads for the Living Well Service and other relevant Norfolk Community Health & Care NHS Trust (NCHC) & Priscilla Bacon Hospice Charity services.

3. Lead on the recruitment, interview and onboarding processes for the volunteer cohort.

4. Take part in regular promotional events to aid recruitment and to ensure that there is a fair representation from all local communities.

5. Develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate the Volunteer training programme, with support from appropriate teams (i.e. chaplaincy, community colleagues and the wider specialist palliative care team) ensuring that all mandatory requirements are met and regularly updated.

6. Support volunteer induction, mentor and support volunteers to reflect on and develop their skills and knowledge. Setting up a regular supervision programme will be key to this objective.

7. Provide on-going support for volunteers, monitoring placements to ensure effective role satisfaction and making accurate records of this information.

8. Manage any conflict, grievances and complaints in line with the Trust's Volunteering policy.

9. To support reporting of safeguarding or safety concerns within volunteer activity for the Trust and the PBH Charity and be responsible for monitoring patient, staff and volunteer feedback and satisfaction with overall service.

10. Devise and monitor protocols and systems to enable volunteers to comply with relevant policies and protocols.

11. Ensure that clients are properly safeguarded by ensuring that the volunteers meet all the mandatory requirements in accordance with NCHC policy and procedures.

Phase 3: Implementation of the Project

1. Work with the Place based Community teams to manage the workload of individual volunteers and co-ordinate the day-to-day activity.

2. Contribute to clinical discussions with the Specialist Palliative Care Team and Place based Community colleagues to inform the allocation, management and subsequent closure of clients allocated to the Service.

3. Undertake risk assessments as and when required and develop pathways for escalation accordingly.

4. Analyze newly referred clients in terms of difficulties, vulnerabilities and protective factors, and plan care objectives in liaison with the Community teams.

5. Attend regular Gold Standard Framework (GSF) meetings in the community to identify patients who would meet the criteria for a Volunteer.

6. Review the notes made by volunteers and monitor practice in collaboration with the Community teams and respond accordingly.

7. Establish links with the PBHC Bereavement Services.

8. Design and organize the approval, printing, and distribution of educational materials about the pilot project for patients and families.

9. Design, implement health promotion materials and events to support patients and families, and which may also be used by wider staffing groups.

10. To ensure that the Project meetings run effectively, including providing administrative support.

11. To provide regular contact and support to Volunteers, ensuring they have appropriate mentoring and pastoral support.

Phase 4: Evaluation.

This phase will run throughout the project rather than sequentially.

1. Work with the Pathway Leads and the NCHC Research team to develop a set of outcome measures using quantitative and qualitative data from service providers, including the Specialist Palliative Care team, the Place based Community teams, the volunteers, the compassionate community, and the service users. This data will be used to refine future service design with the intention of introducing it throughout all The Places. (South, North, Central and West)

2. The Project Co-Ordinator will supply an update report to the PBH Charity and NCHC at each phase of the project, as well as a final report for quality assurance.

Professional

Maintain accurate, contemporaneous records in keeping with NCH&C protocols and security policies.

Identify and request sufficient time to continue personal/professional development.

Organisational

To provide annual, monthly, weekly returns as required.

Manage diary in context of meeting the needs of the project and report and workload pressures accordingly.

Attend all mandatory training.

Participate in staff development and training as appropriate and use supervision to promote personal/professional development.

General

All staff are required to respect confidentiality of all matters that they learn as a result of the employment with the Trust, including matters relating to other members of the staff and members of the public/patients.

Maintain appropriate patient and clinical records in line with the Trusts policies and procedures, and in line with the agreed service specification.

The post holder will be expected to participate in an annual appraisal of their work where the job description will be reviewed and objectives set. In line with the annual personal development plan the post holder will be expected to undertake any training or development required to fulfil their role.

Ensure that all patients, clients and colleagues are always treated in an equitable manner, respecting diversity and showing an understanding of diversity in the workplace.

Safeguarding Clause

Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Rigorous recruitment checks are carried out and where applicable to the role successful applicants will be required to undertake a criminal records check via the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS).

Person Specification

Essential

defines the minimum criteria needed to carry out the job and the job cannot be done without these.

Desirable

refers to criteria which are not essential and which successful applicants would be expected to acquire during their time in post.

Criteria

Essential

Education to degree level or above in any of the following disciplines:

Experience of working with individuals and families facing loss or experiencing loss as a result of illness, uncertainty and bereavement in a health or social care setting.

Experience of working in a service which has volunteers as core members of the team.

Experience of using a client database.

Experience of healthcare project management.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Able to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment.

Computer literate.

Leadership skills

Clinical decision-making skills

Ability to work both independently and within a team

Able to work under pressure and time manage accordingly.

Knowledge and understanding of the impact of loss, change and uncertainty in relation to illness, dying and death.

Knowledge and understanding of bereavement and models of grief and loss.

Ability to analyse data and evaluate services in order to produce reports using different media for different audiences.

Evidence of presenting service evaluations to key stakeholders, funding bodies or trustees.

Understanding of the wider health and social care agenda.

Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

Able to work effectively in an emotionally demanding environment.

Clinical decision-making skills

Ability to work both independently and within a team

Able to work under pressure and time manage accordingly.

Experience of working in a multi-disciplinary/multi-agency setting.

Other

The postholder will be willing to work occasionally in an evening or at the weekend.

Must hold full and valid driving licence and have access to a vehicle (if applicable)

Able to communicate effectively in written and verbal English Language

The postholder will be willing to work occasionally in an evening or at the weekend.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary

Pay: 31,049.00 per year

Benefits:

Canteen Company pension On-site parking
Work Location: In person