Volunteer Update Newsletter
We’ve created a newsletter to keep our volunteers updated with what’s happening. This is emailed out to all our current volunteers.
Have a read of all our past issues below:
Volunteer Updates 2020Useful documents and resources
These resources have been put together to help support our volunteers. If there’s something else you’d like to see included here, please contact the team and let us know.
This handbook is for volunteers, it has contact information, checklists, information on the Volunteering Team and support available.
Every volunteer with Nottinghamshire Healthcare will have signed a copy of our Volunteer Agreement which sets out what we can each reasonably expect from a volunteer’s role with our Trust.
Expenses forms need to be signed off by a placement officer and approved by a member of the Volunteering Team. We ask that volunteers submit their expenses within three months.
This is a personalised plan to help you identify what keeps you well when volunteering, what causes you to become unwell, and how to address a health issue at whilst volunteering should you be experiencing one.
Attending Meetings – Practical Tips & Advice
These practical tips and advice have been created and produced by volunteers based on their own experiences.
Many of our volunteers present the story of their own experiences in their involvement. They co-produced this sheet to help others in thinking about and designing their own stories.
This resource pack has been designed to help train and guide members of staff or volunteers through the process of supporting people sharing their feedback on Care Opinion. It provides both general information about Care Opinion and a step by step guide to supporting someone to share their feedback.
This list of acronyms has been created by volunteers and is added to whenever we come across a new one. If you know of any jargon that needs to be added to the list, please let us know.
As well as the training we offer from our team, we’ve gathered some more training resources that may be of interest to volunteers.
The Volunteering Policy is for people who volunteer with Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. It is a clear statement and framework of the commitment that service users, carers and external applicants can expect from the Trust prior to, and during, their period of volunteering with the Trust.
The Expenses Policy sets out how we will ensure that all reasonable expenses incurred as a result of people’s involvement and volunteering are reimbursed. It sets out which expenses are covered and the process for claiming reimbursement of expenses.
Support for volunteers during coronavirus
If you’re an existing volunteer and need support or information, contact a member of the Volunteering Team and we’d be happy to help.
Keeping yourselves wellIt’s important, as with everyone else, that you look after yourself and those you love. Please follow the official advice from the government and the NHS – www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/
It’s not only your physical health that could be affected, your mental health may also take a dip while you’re isolated. If you are already in touch with a mental health team, please contact them if you need their help.
There is lots of information online to help you if you are feeling low or anxious and helplines should still be operating if you need urgent help:
- The main Nottinghamshire Healthcare website has information on help in a crisis and on COVID-19.
- Mind.org.uk. You can call their helpline on 0300 123 3393, or text 86463. They have more information and links available on their website.
- Action for Happiness have published a “Coping Calendar” which suggests 30 ways in which to maintain your wellbeing during this time.
- Mental Health Foundation have published information on their site about how to look after your mental health as well as information on working from home.
- See this easy read guidance from colleagues at Kingsmill Hospital on COVID-19; Coronavirus; Things to do at home; New ways of working; Self-isolation; and Wearing protective clothing.
Keeping in touch with volunteers
During the last few months, we’ve been sending regular updates to all volunteers to let you know what’s happening and to offer support where we can. We’ve been sending emails, texts, calling by phone and by video using Microsoft Teams. We’ve also been updating our social media on Instagram and Twitter. We’re also in the process of opening the Involvement Centres and following guidance to be able to see volunteers in person.
We are not a clinical service but we understand that being isolated can lead to some people feeling quite distressed and anxious. If you are worried (about yourselves or a fellow volunteer), you are welcome to email or call us 0115 956 0845 and we will do what we can to help, or signpost you to other organisations for help.
Volunteer expenses
We’re still processing and paying volunteer expenses as usual. We have electronic versions of expenses forms that can be sent to our team. If you are owed expenses that you have not yet claimed, you are welcome to submit them to us by email using our expense form and we will process them as soon as we can. You would usually have a six month window to claim expenses but as these circumstances are highly unusual, we will extend this to accept expense claims once we reopen volunteering.