We are looking for Community Engagement and Outreach volunteers

As a Community Engagement and Outreach volunteer, you will play an important role in speaking and listening to people in the community about their views on local health and care services. You will speak with people via hospitals, libraries, Healthwatch and community events. Online engagement via social media and other platforms may also be part of this role.

Why should you be a Healthwatch Community Engagement and Outreach volunteer?
If you like talking and listening to people, this is the right role for you. We have a vital role to play in ensuring people in Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) are engaged, listened to and provided with an avenue to tell us their views and opinions.
By people sharing their experiences with us we can bring these to health and care providers and decision makers in B&NES to influence services to make them better. You will be an essential part of our team in ensuring people’s voices are collected and heard in the right places. We need your help to be the best that we can be.
 

What will the role involve?
• Working with Healthwatch volunteers and staff team to reach out into different communities to get people’s views on health and social care services
• Planning engagement activities with other volunteers and staff members
• Engaging people using online platforms e.g. Zoom, Microsoft Teams and/or via phone
• Keeping a record of people’s experiences and promptly pass these to Healthwatch staff members
• Holding engagement and information stands in community areas such as hospitals, GP Surgeries and dentists
• Talking to and gathering views of the public and reporting this back to us
• Helping us conduct surveys and consultations with local people
Personal specification/requirements
• Effective communication skills and ability to ask questions and listen well to engage with people
• Enjoys meeting with and talking to members of the public
• Empathy towards people
• Passionate about improving local health and social care services
• Able to separate own experiences from other people’s issues and to faithfully present the views of the people they represent
• Able to work as a team with other volunteers and staff
• Experience of using Microsoft Office, including Word
• Access to the internet/email
• Be comfortable volunteering from home and using online meeting platforms e.g. Zoom or Microsoft Teams (training can be provided in the latter)
• Respectful of confidentiality

Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
A DBS check will be required as part of this role

How we will support you?
As well our volunteering handbook, you will have regular contact with a member of the Healthwatch team to provide you with support and guidance throughout. You’ll receive full training including induction to Healthwatch and be part of a team who’ll make sure your volunteering experience is positive.

How much time is involved?
Our volunteering roles are flexible and fit around your schedule. Ideally, our local Healthwatch Volunteers would be able to make a regular commitment to the role on a weekly or monthly basis, but this role can also be ad-hoc to suit your lifestyle.
We will always work closely with you to ensure your volunteering role fits with your other personal and social commitments.

How to apply
You can apply for this role by emailing us at info@healthwatchbathnes.co.uk
If you have any questions or you would like to find out more, please call us on 01225 232 401
We look forward to hearing from you.