Volunteering in Care

Homes Project Update

April 2015

Introduction

Issue 3

As we move in to the final year of the project, we enter a period of reflection

and planning. We need to respond to the recommendations in the interim evaluVolunteering is the best
thing Ive ever done; Ive met
some amazing people and

ation report (see extract below) and fine tune the processes that underpin successful volunteer engagement in care homes. Where we have got it right , as is
clear from the highlights in this update, the impacts on both resident and volunteer are profound.

had some great experiences!

Remember, just a
conversation with someone
who may be a little lonely can
make a big difference.

Evaluation recommendations for successful volunteer

recruitment and selection...
The draft interim evaluation report produced by IVR is currently being circulated with key stakeholders in the project for feedback. The findings will be
shared at the next round of Learn & Share events in the summer but some of

Volunteer at One

the evaluation recommendations for successful volunteer recruitment are:

Westminster.

1. Be more selective. Look for volunteers who show commitment to volunteering, understanding of the care home environment; confidence and compe-

It is so rewarding thinking

tence to communicate with different people and have emotional skills.

that you probably made that

2. Continue to use informal recruitment methods.

persons day simply by sitting

3. Make expectations of commitment explicit e.g. 6 months minimum

and chatting with them for a

4. Engage volunteers in taster sessions, (that dont require DBS checks), as part

few minutes, especially to

of recruitment and selection

those who dont get many

5. Recruit more men.

visitors. Volunteer at South

6. Recruit relatives and residents as volunteers.

Derbyshire CVS

7. Involve care homes in recruitment where possible.

Volunteer Induction Training Resource

The Volunteer induction training booklet is now in
the final draft. It is being circulated to volunteers,
care home staff and volunteer centre staff for final
comment. We aim to finalise the copy and have it
available to download in the next couple of months.
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South Derbyshire Case Study

Issue 3

The importance of volunteer induction.

This is the account of a 22 year
old student who wanted to

I would strongly encourage

make use of her spare time dur-

anyone with a bit of spare time

ing a summer break from univer-

to get involved, because I have

sity. She had been thinking

really enjoyed myself so far.

Following on from the successful

about volunteering in a residen-

Quote from Volunteer, South

Learn and Share events in March

tial care home for a while and so

Derbyshire CVS

made contact with a local care

Learn & Share Event,

Shrewsbury

and December last year, we held

an event in the Midlands region in
February. The aim of the event

home which referred her to the

dents who I turned out to see regularly.

was to identify the good practice

CVS.

The lady who showed me around also

in volunteer recruitment and se-

Following my successful appli-

told me a bit about each of the resi-

lection through highlighting the

cation, I was invited to attend

dents, which was very helpful as it gave

training workshops, which were me ideas about what to talk to the resi-

emerging themes from the evaluation and showcasing a range of

examples from the pilot sites and

highly informative and really

dents about. The staff were very friend-

local NHS hospital trusts.

gave a sense of what the volun-

ly, I felt welcome from the start and it

The presentations, photographs,

teering entailed. I learned a lot

was made very clear that they were

case studies and summary discus-

about what the role was and

very grateful for as much or as little

sions from the event can be found

what we could and could not

time I could spend there.

do. I was given a thorough tour

around the care home and was
introduced to some of the resi-

here:
https://storify.com/ncvo/
midlands-learn-and-sharevolunteering-in-care-home
Immediate left, Matt Hill, from
IVR, presenting the evaluation

I look forward to
volunteers coming in every
Friday, they are really

findings
Get in touch
National Council for Voluntary Or-

friendly and talk to me while

ganisations (NCVO), Society Building,

we are doing different

8 All Saints Street, London, N1 9RL

things. I especially like

Email: tracy.whittle@ncvo.org.uk

bingo. Resident, Longwood

Lodge.

Telephone: 020 7520 3155

Deadline for next issues copy: 19th
June 2015

(Right) Resident being

shown how to use a tablet.

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