The NHS Placement Scheme. This is a valuable opportunity for student and community volunteers to befriend and facilitate activities for adults with mental health related conditions in clinical and residential settings across Cardiff, the Vale of Glamorgan and Gwent.
SVC are offering placements across 15 local NHS mental health wards. Placements will include experience within acute mental health, dementia and older people, rehabilitation and recovery and assessment, care and treatment. Volunteers will provide fun, stimulating and rewarding activities for inpatients in communal rooms on NHS mental health wards. The aim of the project is to enhance the lives of patients, relieve feelings of loneliness, aid recovery, provide social interaction, facilitate stimulating activities and support NHS staff.
Time commitments vary from weekly and fortnightly placements. Successful applicants are expected to commit to regular volunteering, hours will be discussed and negotiated prior to beginning the placement and times and dates will be confirmed. Please note, volunteers will never volunteer alone and will always attend the sessions in pairs or a small group. Volunteers will receive training, staff support, travel-expenses, and invaluable experience for their CV. The NHS Placement Scheme is of huge benefit to volunteers, in terms of gaining transferable skills and experience. Volunteers are able to gain unique clinical mental health experience, and knowledge within this sector. It is evidentially a fantastic opportunity for future employment.
This will be a highly rewarding scheme, as it gives volunteers an opportunity to give something back to the community. It will provide volunteers with a chance to support vulnerable people and give volunteers first-hand experience of what it is like to be on an NHS mental health ward. The volunteering sessions give volunteers the opportunity to build rapport with beneficiaries, and help with the progress and wellbeing of beneficiaries through activities and conversation.
The NHS Placement Scheme is of huge benefit to volunteers, in terms of gaining transferable skills and experience. Volunteers are able to gain unique clinical mental health experience, and knowledge within this sector. It is evidentially a fantastic opportunity for future employment. The skills that volunteers will achieve include interpersonal skills, teamwork, problem solving and empathy, just to name a few. It is ideal for anyone interested in the field of mental health, or someone who enjoys working closely with people. This scheme might be of particular interest to anyone pursuing a career in Mental Health, Occupational Therapy, Support Work, Social Work, Nursing, Neuroscience or Medicine. Anyone can apply but you must be a good listener and willing to initiate conversations and activities. Commitment to the scheme is essential as both the beneficiaries and the staff team value the volunteers.
Volunteers do not need to have previous experience of being on an Acute Mental Health ward, but suitable volunteers will need to be tough-skinned, have an awareness of risk and their own level of ability. Volunteers applying for this project will be invited in for an informal chat with the Project Coordinator. The Project Coordinator will then place successful volunteers at a local hospital.
For more information, please visit SVC’s website – www.svcymru.org
Applications for the NHS Placement Scheme will open on Monday 30th September. To secure a space to volunteer, please ensure you apply at your earliest convenience – www.svcymru.org/apply-to-volunteer