Introduction
Within Belfast Trust our services are supported everyday by volunteers who give their time, to provide a service to patients which compliments the work of Trust staff.
We as a Trust, recognise the value of our volunteers and their contribution to the patient experience as a result of their involvement. We are extremely grateful to our team of volunteers and the role they have.
As an organisation we are committed to the promotion, support and development of volunteer participation. We have developed our new strategy to ensure we can continue to welcome, and support everyone who chooses to volunteer in the Trust.
Our strategy for 2025 – 2028 includes four key objectives:
- Recognising the value and promoting the benefit
- Enhancing Accessibility and Diversity
- Improving the Experience
- Delivering the Strategy
We have co-produced our Volunteer Strategy 2025-2028 in collaboration and consultation with a wide range of staff, volunteers, service users, carers and partners.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this process.
We continue to welcome all those who would like to volunteer in our services to enhance the patients experience with our Trust.
Our Vision for Volunteering
To provide an outstanding volunteering experience, so volunteers can continue to enhance the experience of our patients, carers and staff.
The principal aim of the volunteer is to enhance the patient experience.
Over the three years of this strategy, we will:
- Increase the number of Volunteers across the Belfast Trust by 20%
- Increase the number of young people volunteering in the Trust
- Develop a mechanism to measure the impact of our volunteers on the patient experience
- Develop an improved database to support the Volunteer Services Team to aid measurement of objectives
- Strengthen links with local Community and Voluntary Sector Organisations to enhance equity, experience, and holistic outcomes for our service users
Volunteers are a vital part of our work in order to achieve the Corporate Objectives of Belfast Trust.
Our Values
Within Health & Social Care we have four organisational values which guide us, and the way we all work – volunteers and colleagues alike.
Working Together, Compassion, Excellence and Openness & Honesty
These values and behaviours create our cornerstone message to patients, service users, families, and carers about the care and support they should expect, and how this should be delivered.
Governance
The Volunteer Service is operationally managed within the Nursing and User Experience Directorate, by the Volunteer Co-ordinator Team Lead, three Volunteer Co-ordinators and an Administrative Officer.
A Volunteer committee group is well established and provides guidance and regulation to the service.
“Volunteering is the commitment of time and energy, for the benefit of society and the community, the environment, or individuals outside (or in addition to) one’s immediate family. It is unpaid and undertaken freely and by choice”. (Department of Social Development 2012)