Surrey Care Home Companion Volunteer

The UK’s leading end of life charity Marie Curie is launching a volunteer-led companion service in East Surrey to provide care/nursing home residents with companions in their last year of life.

The Service will complement the support already provided by the Nursing Team, and local community service, providing end of life expertise to patients and their circle of support. Whilst clinical and care professionals provide hugely important services, we want to ensure that those who have a life limiting condition and/or experiencing health decline have all the support they need to help navigate the practical and emotional journey.

Companions will be trained in a variety of end-of-life support needs, to allow the person to choose what they need, when they need it. This volunteer role will involve regularly attending the care home, pro-actively engaging with residents, hosting Life-Cafés, having ‘what’s important to you conversations’ and being with those who are actively dying, where required.

The role will be based within a nursing home or care home in Surrey and the Patient will be offered Companion support. Once the person has been identified, Marie Curie will arrange to visit the person in their care or nursing home. In the initial session we will explain more about the service and provide the individual, and their support network, to decide what support they feel they would like.

Support provided could be a one-off activity such as completing an Advance Care Plan or supporting them to access Carer’s Support Allowance, or it could be a going engagement providing different aspects of support over a longer period of time.

WHAT YOU CAN GAIN FROM THIS OPPORTUNITY:

• An excellent opportunity to build on your skills in a charity environment

• An induction, training, support and supervision in your role

• Agreed reasonable out-of-pocket expenses

WHAT WE ASK OF YOU:

• Over 18s only

• To provide two references from non-family members and other relevant documents related to the role

• To keep to all the charity’s policies and guidelines

• To complete an induction and any training related to the role

• Complete mandatory training and role related renewals, as requested

Marie Curie is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of patients and their families and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. Marie Curie will treat all volunteers fairly and with respect. We will not discriminate on the basis of disability, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy or maternity, sex (i.e. gender), sexual orientation, religion or faith, or gender reassignment. We will not discriminate on the basis of age, unless the responsibilities of a role require us to do so in order to safeguard our volunteers and/or service users.

For more information or if you have any questions regarding this volunteer role, please contact [email protected] OR mariecurie.org.uk/volunteering

What skills do I need?

• Individuals who are willing to support others during death, dying and bereavement.

• Individuals who live within the Surrey community.

• Individuals who are interested in supporting people face to face in care homes.

• Access to IT equipment and basic IT skills e.g. typing on word and email attachments

• Passionate individuals who are keen to support us in making this pilot a success, to benefit the people we support and Surrey Team.

• Patience, empathy, and emotional awareness

• Excellent active listening skills and an ability to build a rapport with others.

• Commitment and reliability

• Inclusive and respectful values

• Willingness to learn and operate within Marie Curie processes and boundaries.