Patient Feedback & Survey Volunteer

Role Profile

·      The purpose of this role is to support NCH&C by gathering feedback from patients, by phoning patients at home who have recently received treatment from community teams, other specialist services, or as a hospital inpatient.

·      Volunteers will be making phone calls from their own homes, to suitably identified patients in the community, to go through the relevant questionnaire. They will then record responses through the online link which has been specially set up for the survey.

·      By carrying out and recording the surveys, volunteers will be adding to the total feedback, both positive and negative, received by NHS Trusts on their services. Senior management staff will be able to respond to patient feedback, and thereby to improve the services which they offer.

·      This role requires approximately 2 - 3 hours per week, at a time to suit the volunteer.

·      Volunteers will be given an NCH&C e-mail account, in order to receive the patient names and phone numbers in a way which complies with data security legislation, and must be willing to use this account for the role.

Activities undertaken by volunteers will not be used as a substitution for that of paid staff. Volunteers will not be asked to help in ways which facilitate a decrease in paid employment. The work of volunteers will always be to complement and not supplement that of paid employees of the trust.

Key Responsibilities

1. To make phone calls to patients, from a prepared list.

2. To carry out the Patient Experience survey and various Hospital Discharge surveys, with those patients who have agreed to do this.

3. To record the responses through the online link.

4. To record the number of surveys completed.

5. To report back to the Volunteer Co-ordinator any concerns which arise from the phone conversations.

Registration and training

All volunteers will need to provide two appropriate character references. All volunteers will be required to attend our Mandatory Volunteer Induction Training.

Your volunteer induction will give you all the information you need to feel confident to volunteer with us, and in addition you will attend a training session specifically to learn about the Patient Experience and Hospital Discharge work, and the practicalities of volunteering in this role.

Volunteer profile

A Telephone Support volunteer will be friendly, compassionate and enthusiastic about supporting the work of NCH&C NHS Trust.

In addition they will have / be:

1.     A friendly and approachable telephone manner.

2.      Fluent in verbal and written English

3.      A commitment to undertake training appropriate to the role

4.      A good understanding of the importance of confidentiality

5.      Good communication and interpersonal skills

6.      Ability to work with the technical requirements of the role

7.      A flexible approach and attitude

8.      Punctual, trustworthy and reliable

9.      Responsible, mature and honest

10.     Non judgemental

11.     Willing to treat all patients, relatives, staff and other volunteers with consideration, politeness, dignity and respect

12.     Able to deal with patients who may be angry or upset

13.     Able to work within the guidelines

14.     Able to accept appropriate supervision and guidance from staff

Support

You will be supported by the Digital Volunteer Co-ordinator, who will also support you through your induction and provide ongoing support throughout your time as a volunteer.     

It is unlikely that you will need to claim any expenses for this role, but please note that we do reimburse volunteers for any reasonable expenses, mainly travel expenses, for roles which involve coming in to an NCHC site.