Join us as an Enter & View Volunteer

News - 27 June 2022

As an Enter and View volunteer you will join a team of committed and supportive volunteers and will attend training on the role and the skills required for enter & view visits, and how our role fits into the wider context of Healthwatch RBKC.  
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Role outline and personal specification

We welcome volunteers from all backgrounds, faiths and communities, as well as with any disabilities, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Why we need you?

Healthwatch RBKC has statutory powers to visit a wide range of care settings such as hospitals, primary care services, care homes, adult residential units, and day centres, to listen to people’s experiences of these services and to publish reports based on the visits.

What will you be doing?

As an Enter & View volunteer, you will be taking part in visits to health and care settings and to suggest improvements to these, as defined by service users.

This will involve:

  • Liaising closely with our Volunteer Coordinator and the team of dignity champions
  • researching and reading background information about the service or organisation
  • taking part in briefing and de-briefing sessions
  • collecting the views of patients, residents, service users, carers and relatives of patients and service users 
  • engaging with staff to talk about services they deliver
  • carefully observing the nature and quality of services
  • making written records of observations and evidence and sending these to the Volunteer Coordinator
  • reviewing the report produced after the visit.

What skills do you need?

The following are qualities that we look for in our Enter & View volunteers:

  • a desire to help improve other people’s lives
  • reliable
  • objective
  • consistent
  • open minded
  • tactful and diplomatic in potentially challenging situations
  • can demonstrate self-awareness.

We also ask that our dignity champions have:

  • excellent interpersonal skills
  • ability to communicate with people from all walks of life
  • able to work as part of a team
  • keen observational skills
  • ability to record information accurately in writing
  • are computer literate
  • able to travel within the community
  • willingness to have an enhanced DBS check (necessary for the role and which we will organise).

What support will we give you?

  • Full induction training and support
  • ongoing training in areas relevant to the role
  • regular and on-going supervision for the role
  • opportunities to get together with other Healthwatch volunteers and exchange ideas and information
  • travelling and actual out of pocket expenses
  • ad hoc training opportunities
  • A broadening of your knowledge of local health and social care services.

How much time is involved?

This is a flexible role and time commitment will be agreed with you. We will always work closely with you to ensure your volunteering role fits with your other commitments. However, our Enter & View volunteers need to be:

  • available during the day for 2-3 days per month in addition to providing feedback via email
  • able to attend the induction training session/s

We hope that volunteers will stay with us for at least a year after the initial training is provided. You can apply for this role by filling in our  application form. If you have any questions or you would like to find out more, please call us on 0208 968 7049 or email info@healthwatchRBKC.org.uk

We look forward to hearing from you.

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