Sheffield Teaching Hospital Young Volunteers Project

BACKGROUND

Case study date: February 2006

Local authority: Sheffield

Date started: project started in 2005, but young volunteers already involved in STH.

Type of organisation: NHS HospitalTrust

Brief description

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust (STH) involves approximately 2000 volunteers, including 300 volunteers under 24, in the Trust's five hospitals across Sheffield. Volunteers undertake a wide range of roles within wards, departments, outpatients, welcome desks, snack bars, trolleys and transport, to complement and support the work of the Trust's paid staff. The voluntary services department includes a young people's coordinator, and a young people's project has recently been set up to recruit and support young volunteers aged 16 to 24. The project is targeting young people from socially excluded groups, to enable them to gain experience in the health sector, improve their chances of future employment, and develop their general and life skills. It will also focus on giving young volunteers a voice, so that their views and experiences can help shape STH's services.

Collaboration

The project has established strong relationships with a range of local organisations, including schools, colleges, universities, youth projects and local community groups. It has also secured support from hospitals and departments throughout the Trust.

Staffing

Young people's volunteer coordinator post included in voluntary services team. Other posts are voluntary services manager, adult volunteer coordinator and clerical coordinator.

Funding

Young people's volunteer coordinator post funded by WRVS; other voluntary services posts funded by League of Friends.

NATURE OF PROVISION

Which groups of young people does the project work with?

Some 300 young volunteers are currently involved in Sheffield Teaching Hospitals (STH). The young people's project aims to double this number, with a particular focus on recruiting 16 to 24 year olds from previously under-represented and socially excluded groups including Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) young people, unemployed people and people with disabilities.

How was the need for the project identified, and by whom?

Young volunteers have been involved in STH for some years, and the voluntary services manager identified the need for a post to support existing young volunteers and encourage more young people to become involved. The young people's volunteer coordinator post took up post in May 2005, and the youth project was formally launched in February 2006.

How do young people become involved? What, if any, commitment do you ask for?

The young people's volunteer coordinator has made presentations to a wide range of organisations - including schools, colleges, universities, youth projects and local community groups - in order to reach young people, particularly socially excluded young people. The coordinator works closely with tutors from local school sixth forms and colleges across the city, promoting opportunities for volunteering across STH. Interest has been high - for instance, one presentation to 200 students resulted in 30 young people completing application forms.

A new website gives potential volunteers information on volunteering opportunities with STH, a brief introduction to the volunteering team and young people's project, and allow them to apply online. A DVD is also being produced to promote the project and encourage the involvement of young people from diverse communities. It will highlight opportunities not related to medicine, for instance in IT, catering, hospital radio, drama and art.

The hospital has well-established volunteer recruitment processes in place, in order to protect patients, visitors, volunteers and staff and to ensure a safe environment. These cover the areas of health, character, criminal convictions and references. Volunteers receive induction, and have a three-month trial period for volunteers and staff to get to know each other and decide whether they are in the right volunteer role. Although there is no minimum time commitment, volunteers are encouraged to stay for at least three months, for a minimum of hours per week.

What are the main approaches used and activities offered?

A key role for the coordinator is ensuring that hospital staff understand the benefits of involving young volunteers. This is done through holding ward and department meetings, including meetings with Sisters and Matrons, and one-to-one meetings with senior staff outlining the benefits of involving young people and offering evidence of positive outcomes for patients, volunteers and ward and area staff.

As a result, strong relationships have been developed with department managers and ward staff, who welcome the involvement of young volunteers as part of the hospital team. Regular updates with staff and volunteers ensure that the role is both meaningful and productive for patient, volunteer and staff.

There are a range of opportunities for young people across the Trust. Current volunteer placements include:

CharlesClifford Dental Hospital- young volunteers provide a welcoming service.
The Jessop Wing (for women's medical needs) - opportunities in the neo-natal, anti-natal, aqua-natal and labour and delivery wards, and is a popular option for volunteers wishing to pursue a career in midwifery.
WestonPark Hospital(for treatment of cancer) - 'buddy' volunteers visit patients on the wards.
A variety of ward based, patient focused roles across the Trust, for example, communicable diseases, spinal injuries, stroke unit, A & E and Jessops.

New roles are continually being developed, building on the success of existing activity, and through the involvement of primary care trusts and GP practices across the city.

Training is a key element of the youth project. It is working with the Trust's training and development department and the university health sciences library to offer young people access to training opportunities that they could otherwise not access. Training initiatives currently include:

First Aid - accredited training in collaboration with South Yorkshire Ambulance Service;
Food and hygiene;
English skills (targeting BME and socially excluded young people);
IT skills;
Disability awareness - to include basic sign language, as well as developing confidence and communication skills

Young volunteers also undertake all mandatory training, which includes infection control, violence and aggression, and moving and handling - all recognised through a certificate of merit produced by the voluntary services team supported by the Trust. A link recently developed with tutors on the popular 'Apprentice in Care Programme' offers unsuccessful applicants an opportunity to volunteer in their desired professional area, gaining experience to support future applications.

How are young people involved in shaping the project/programme?

Young volunteers identify their personal development goals, and are supervised and mentored by the young volunteer coordinator. The youth project will develop a youth parliament, giving young people a chance to voice their opinions and to put forward ways in which STH can become more accessible and user friendly to young people.

How does the project respond to the needs of different young people, particularly the most marginalised?

The youth project is specifically intended to involve under-represented and socially excluded young people, in particular those who are unemployed, disabled or from minority ethnic communities. The expansion of the project to PCTs and GP practices as well as the five hospitals will result in a wider range of placements. Young people will therefore be able to undertake activities which meet their individual requirements and volunteer within their locality if unable to travel.

OUTCOMES OF WORK

How do young people benefit from their involvement in the project?

Volunteering within STH provides experience in a healthcare setting improving employment prospects for individuals wishing to pursue a career in the health sector. Its accredited training programmes offers qualifications which individuals may not otherwise been able to obtain. In a national poll of employers, over 70 per cent of employers said that they would choose an applicant with volunteering experience over one without any experience. Other benefits including increase confidence, developing personal and social skills, and making friends.

How do others (young people, organisations or the wider community) benefit from the project?

Volunteers enhance the services offered to patients. External organisations use STH as a resource to encourage young people, including those who are unemployed, to volunteer to gain skills, confidence and improve employment prospects.

Does the project contribute to community cohesion?

By offering positive activities to young people the project aims to reduce anti-social behaviour and promote positive images of young people to other sections of the local community. It aims to reduce social isolation, and to bring together young people from a variety of backgrounds. In addition, it reflects the Trust's commitment to local regeneration and outreach in Sheffield, which scores highly on official indices of deprivation.

How are young people's progress and achievements measured and recorded?

Young people's personal development plans encourage them to assess and reflect on their voluntary activity. All development, including training, is recorded on personal files and added to a database to measure and monitor progress.

MEASURING EFFECTIVENESS

How is the project evaluated?

Annual reports - the first due in April 2006 - will be made available to external organisations. STH also carries out internal audits. It is working towards Investing In Volunteers status and will be evaluated as part of this process.

What changes/developments have occurred - or are planned - as a result of evaluation?

More training courses are to be offered in the future to provide more variety. Department meetings are held regularly to update on progress development, and provide an opportunity to raise issues, concerns or suggestions for improvements. Further volunteer involvement will be encouraged with the introduction of a youth parliament.

What factors help the work?

Dedicated staffing for young volunteers;
Time devoted to ensuring that hospital departments, wards and staff understand the benefits of involving young volunteers;
Hospital policies that ensure volunteers complement, and do not substitute for, the work of paid staff;

PARTNERSHIP/MULTI-DISCIPLINARY WORKING

What other agencies do you work with?

The project has established strong relationships with a range of local organisations. Relationships with external organisations have allowed the project to offer young people training courses at no cost to the Trust. For example, Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind delivered training on visual impairment awareness to 40 volunteers, and a local school offers IT and English skills training.

When working in partnership, what is the distinctive contribution of your organisation/project?

Addressing government initiatives to reduce social isolation and encourage young people to engage in a worthwhile project.
Contributing to local regeneration, including developing a skilled local workforce for the Sheffield community.

Has this partnership resulted in greater collaboration or increased understanding between partners?

Presenting roadshows to schools, colleges, community events etc. has meant that the local community has a better understanding of volunteering opportunities within STH.

STRATEGIC IMPACT

Do you consider this project to be innovative?

As far as it is aware, STH is the first NHS trust to set up a young people's volunteering project.

How do you disseminate the learning from the project?

Through evidence based awareness-raising. STH has shared its experience and good practice with other NHS trusts considering setting up similar projects, and with external organisations.

What plans do you have to sustain/develop this work?

Future work will focus on developing the young people's parliament and encouraging young people to help influence service delivery through patient and public involvement and service user groups, and building upon volunteers' individual personal development plans.

CONTACT DETAILS

Alan Smith, tel: 0114 2266045; e-mail: alan.smith@sth.nhs.uk. Website: www.sth.nhs.uk/volunteer