Hospice reception volunteer in Hayle

Cornwall Hospice is a 24/7 Cornish healthcare charity that provides specialist support for people with terminal illnesses. Our clinical teams support in and out patients and their families at Mount Edgcumbe Hospice in St Austell, St Julia’s Hospice in Hayle and in Cornwall’s hospitals, care homes and in the community. Most patients come into our units because they are having a difficult time with particular symptoms or because of the overall impact of their illness.

Hospice Reception Volunteers and Ward Volunteers are integral to the care offered at the hospice. They bring a breadth of experience, skill and ability to all areas of hospice care.

What does a Hospice Reception Volunteer do?

The role of the Hospice Reception volunteer is to support the structure and organisation of the In-Patient Unit to ensure that every patient and their family members have a positive experience. Volunteers play a vital role in ensuring visitors feel cared about, comfortable and relaxed. There are a number of specific responsibilities within the volunteer remit. These may vary in relation to the needs of the organisation and the shift time:

• Answering phone calls from relatives, health care professionals, Cornwall Hospice supporters, cold callers and suppliers.
• Transferring calls to the appropriate department or person.
• Act as the first point of contact for visitors to our hospices and welcoming all who visit.
• Managing the visitors signing in book.
• Dealing with incoming post and parcel deliveries.
• Accepting and recording donations.
• Assisting the Fundraising team by counting money from various in-patient unit activities.
• Maintaining the daily diary of relevant information i.e. appointments, room bookings, presentations, courses, etc.

Preferably weekly or fortnightly:

• Morning shift 9.00am – 1.00pm
• Afternoon shift 1.00pm – 5.00pm
• Evening shift 5.00pm – 7.00pm (Mount Edgcumbe Hospice only)

Volunteers will be asked to attend meetings or training sessions where appropriate.

Volunteer skills and qualities:

• Be able to listen and empathise.
• Sensitive to the needs of those affected by terminal illnesses.
• Ability to deal with complex, sensitive and emotionally challenging situations.
• Good telephone manner.
• Courteous, friendly and approachable.
• Possess good interpersonal and communication skills.
• Be able to cope in a sometimes busy environment.
• Enjoy meeting and dealing with a variety of people.
• Be able to work effectively in a team.
• Have a good understanding of confidentiality.
• Have a good understanding of personal and professional boundaries.
• Sense of humour.
• Commitment to the ethos of Cornwall Hospice.

Induction and Training:

We ask all new volunteers to attend an induction session which covers topics including the code of conduct, health and safety, confidentiality, fire evacuation procedures, infection prevention and control measures as well as other relevant hospice information. Volunteers will also be asked to complete some mandatory training online to keep up to date with organisational and legal regulation changes. Help is offered to complete this. We hope each volunteer maintains regular contact with the Volunteer Services team, and takes responsibility for communication regarding their role and responsibilities.

What you can expect from Cornwall Hospice:

• To be valued and respected
• To receive appropriate induction and training
• To have adequate support and supervision
• To have a safe working environment
• To be reimbursed for reasonable out of pocket expenses

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and references:

As you will be volunteering in our hospices, this position is subject to a Disclosure and Barring Service check at Standard Level. Volunteers will be invited to attend a first conversation with a member of our Volunteer Services team prior to getting started with their volunteering.