Receptionist Volunteers

Location: Lewis-Manning Hospice Care, 56 Longfleet Road, Poole BH15 2JD

When required: On an ad/hoc / when required basis. Reception is open Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm.

Hours available: Half day 9-1pm or 1-5pm, or full day 9-5pm

Volunteer role purpose: To warmly welcome patients, visitors, staff, and other individuals at the hospice reception. The volunteer receptionist will provide support in handling enquiries in person, via email, and over the telephone and administrative duties.

What makes a good Volunteer Receptionist?

• Good interpersonal skills, particularly listening.
• Good communication skills, able to take clear notes to pass onto the relevant person.
• Able to work confidentially and be patient, tactful, discreet, and sensitive.
• Someone who is interested in other people.

Key Responsibilities

• Greet all patients, visitors, and staff entering the hospice with warmth and professionalism, ensuring a welcoming first impression that reflects the hospice’s values of compassion and care.
• Ensure that all visitors sign in and out of the building, maintaining discretion and confidentiality at all times. Promptly inform the relevant staff member or department when a visitor has arrived.
• Answer incoming telephone calls promptly and professionally, responding to queries where possible or redirecting calls as needed. If a contact is unavailable, accurately record a message and ensure they are passed on in a timely manner.
• At the beginning of each day, check the voicemail system for any overnight messages and pass these on to the appropriate staff. Also, collect and distribute any post from the reception post box.
• Monitor and manage the reception email inbox, forwarding emails or escalating queries to the appropriate staff members as required.
• Assist with the preparation of outgoing mail, including franking letters.
• Support the onboarding process for new staff and volunteers by creating and issuing personalised identification badges.
• Monitor and maintain the hospice’s car parking spreadsheet to ensure up-to-date records of bookings and availability. Liaise with the Senior Management Team (SMT) to confirm whether any unused reserved spaces can be reallocated. When notified of a visitor, ask whether parking is required and update the spreadsheet accordingly.
• If volunteering in the afternoon, ensure that car park reserved signage is updated and correctly placed for the following day.
• Manage meeting room bookings on behalf of staff, ensuring spaces are booked efficiently and in accordance with availability.
• Accept card and cash payments from members of the public purchasing items available at reception (e.g., greeting cards), issuing receipts as required and following the hospice’s cash handling procedures.
• Help maintain a clean, organised, and welcoming reception area by keeping surfaces tidy, replenishing any materials (e.g., visitor leaflets), and reporting any maintenance issues as needed.
• Provide training to new volunteer receptionists, with guidance and assistance from support staff.

Skills & Qualities Required

• Attention to detail and good interpersonal skills
• A warm, friendly and professional telephone manner
• Basic outlook experience
• Ability to communicate confidently with a wide range of people and with sensitivity
• Able to work on your own initiative
• Reliable and punctual
• Able to maintain confidentiality and sensitivity in a hospice environment.

Training and support

Volunteers will receive an induction, relevant training, and ongoing support from the Operations & Compliance Manager and the Volunteer Manager. You will be required to complete online mandatory training as part of this role and will be invited to attend Volunteer Training Day’s as/when required. Regular reviews and reception meetings will take place on an ad-hoc basis which will give you an opportunity for peer support through networking events with other Lewis-Manning Hospice Care volunteers.

As part of our volunteer onboarding procedure, this post will be subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. Disclosures provide details of a person’s criminal record, including convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings held on the Police National Computer as well as information on whether or not someone is barred from working with vulnerable people including children. Lewis-Manning will cover the costs of this check.

X2 references upon application will be required. This volunteer role description may be subject to change according to the needs of the service.