Volunteer
Become a Healthwatch Volunteer
Healthwatch volunteers play a vital role in helping people have their say on health and social care. Volunteering with Healthwatch can help you develop skills, gain experience and make a difference to your community.
Our volunteers are at the heart of what we do. When it comes to improving local health and social care services, our volunteers play a crucial role in raising the profile of issues that matter to patients and service users.
Whether you can only spare the occasional couple of hours or are looking for more regular involvement, we can match you to a role which fits both your interests and the time you can spare.
Healthwatch East Sussex is delivered by East Sussex Community Voice (ESCV), to find out more about our host organisation visit their website here. To find out more about ESCV’s approach please read – ESCVs ‘Volunteers, Our Community Involved’
“I get a lot of satisfaction knowing what I am doing is ensuring that the patients voice is heard and represented in a constructive way. I also like working as part of a volunteer team making a difference to health and social care I have made lots of friends and met like-minded volunteers who also believe that patients need to be represented and heard to enable change in our community”
– Healthwatch East Sussex Volunteer
We have volunteer opportunities to suit everyone. Take a look at the role descriptions below to find out what one is best for you.
Enter and View (Authorised Representative) Volunteer
What is ‘Enter and View’?
As a local Healthwatch, we have special legal powers to ‘Enter and View’ local health and social care services. This means we can enter and view (visit) all publicly funded health and social care services premises and speak to those using the services about their experiences.
What is an Enter and View Authorised Representative?
Authorised Representatives are specially trained volunteers who carry out Enter and View visits to NHS and social care services to see how they are delivered and gather feedback from people using those services.
What’s involved?
- Collecting the views of health and care service users, patients or residents at the point of service delivery
- Listening to and collecting the views of carers and relatives of service users
- Observing and recording the nature and quality of services
- Travel across East Sussex
What you can expect
- Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated volunteering team
- Meeting people from all walks of life
- Using and building your communication skills
- New experiences and learning new things
- Free on-going training opportunities
This role will suit people who:
- Can approach people sensitively
- Are good listeners
- Are observant, discreet and professional
- Have a genuine desire to improve services
This role will require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check.
Extra information
Time commitment: Flexible days; approx 4hrs per month
Volunteer Manager: Riona Doidge, Head of Volunteering and Engagement
Staff Contact: Matthew Ryan, Senior Engagement Officer
Expenses: Out-of-pocket travel costs between home and volunteering place will be paid, and other reasonable expenses agreed in advance.
Interested in applying?
Call us: 0333 101 4007
Email: Volunteer@escv.co.uk
Liaison Representative
What is an Engagement Liaison Representative?
An Engagement Liaison Representative is a volunteer who helps us to spread awareness of who we are and what we do and help us to gather information and feedback about issues in their communities by attending forums, meetings, and events.
What’s involved?
- Collects information, updates and news from events/meetings/groups and feedback relevant information to the ESCV staff team.
- To raise issues at events/meetings/groups forums as directed by the ESCV staff team.
What’s in it for you?
- Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated volunteering team
- Meeting people from all walks of life
- Using and building your communication skills
- New experiences and learning new things
- Free on-going training opportunities
This role will suit people who:
- Are strong communicators
- Are good listeners
- Are observant, discreet and professional
- Have a genuine desire to improve services
Extra information
Time commitment: Flexible days; approx 4hrs per month
Volunteer Manager: Riona Doidge, Head of Volunteering and Engagement
Staff Contact: Matthew Ryan, Senior Engagement Officer
Expenses: Out-of-pocket travel costs between home and volunteering place will be paid, and other reasonable expenses agreed in advance.
Interested in applying?
Call us: 0333 101 4007
Email: Volunteer@escv.co.uk
Mystery Shopper
What is Mystery Shopping?
Mystery shopping is a method used by companies and organizations that wish to gather specific information about a service and measure its quality.
What is a Mystery Shopper?
Mystery shopper volunteers act as a real patient or client would. This can involve using the phone, internet or email, and in some cases, visiting agreed locations across East Sussex, to gather information on local services.
What’s involved?
- Contacting health and care services, and occasional travel
- Finding out whether people are being signposted to the correct places, and reporting back to us
- Making sure Healthwatch East Sussex material is on display in your local area
What Can you expect?
- New experiences and learning
- Helping to improve the health and care services you and your family use
- Use and build your communication skills
- Ongoing training opportunities
- Be part of a dedicated team
This role will suit people who are:
- Curious
- Good at listening
- Able represent wider views
Extra information
Time commitment: Flexible days; approx 4hrs per month
Volunteer Manager: Riona Doidge, Head of Volunteering and Engagement
Staff Contact: Matthew Ryan, Senior Engagement Officer
Expenses: Out-of-pocket travel costs between home and volunteering place will be paid, and other reasonable expenses agreed in advance.
Interested in applying?
Call us: 0333 101 4007
Email: Volunteer@escv.co.uk
Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment Volunteer (PLACE)
What is PLACE?
PLACE stands for Patient Led Assessment of the Care Environment. Every year there is a 10 week period where all hospitals and hospices are required to have an external agency (Healthwatch) send in impartial, lay observers to look at the services environment from the perspective of a patient using the service.
What is a PLACE Volunteer?
A PLACE volunteer is someone who visits local hospitals every year, to provide a patient’s view of the service. You will work as part of a team, and look at things like food, cleanliness and general building maintenance.
A PLACE volunteer must undertake special training to become an Authorised Representative.
What’s involved?
- Visiting places of care and working through a checklist of observations together with members of care staff.
- Sharing your observations with others in the team
What you can expect
- Becoming part of a friendly and dedicated volunteering team
- Using and building your communication skills
- Enjoying new experiences and learning
- Free on-going training opportunities
This role will suit people who:
- Are observant and curious
- Are discreet and professional
- Have a genuine desire to improve services.
This role will require an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Check.
Extra information
Time commitment: Flexible days; approx. 4hrs per month
Volunteer Manager: Riona Doidge, Head of Volunteering and Engagement
Staff Contact: Matthew Ryan, Senior Engagement Officer
Expenses: Out-of-pocket travel costs between home and volunteering place will be paid, and other reasonable expenses agreed in advance.
Young Healthwatch Volunteer
What is a Young Healthwatch Volunteer?
Young Healthwatch volunteers work with other volunteers and staff to plan and take part in a range of health and social care projects. Our volunteers take part in different events, activities and meetings to share their views, experiences and opinions of different health and care services, to make sure that young people are listened to and involved in the decisions that effect them.
What’s Involved?
You will have the opportunity to take part in a range of different activity, which could include:
- “Mystery-shopping” reviews of websites
- Survey and questionnaire design
- Attending conferences, events and meetings (these may be online or in-person)
- Audits of healthcare settings
- Attending engagement events and talking to young people and the public
- Attending meetings with professionals to give your experiences, ideas and opinions
Young Healthwatch have regular meetings, where we meet to discuss current and future plans and activity. In addition we hold wider Healthwatch volunteer meetings, where our volunteers of all ages have a chance to meet and discuss activity, and share their experiences. These meetings are held both online and in-person across East Sussex.
What you can expect,
- Develop new skills
- Gain experience and knowledge of health and social care
- Training opportunities
- Make new friends
You don’t need any previous experience of health and social care to volunteer with us, just some spare time and a real interest in making things better for young people.
Extra Information
Time commitment: How much time you spend volunteering depends on you, what you are interested in and what projects and events we currently have for you to get involved in. As a guide, we suggest that you should be able to commit 4 hours per month to the role (although this is flexible and can be less or more as needed/wanted).
Duration: Flexible. Some may only want to volunteer for a few months, or for a certain project, while others may want to volunteer for longer periods.
Volunteer manager: Riona Doidge – Head of Volunteering and Engagement
Staff Contact: Kira parsons – Trainee Engagement Officer
Expenses: We payout of pocket expenses for travel between home and place of volunteering, and other reasonable expenses agreed in advance
Interested in applying?
Call: 01323 403590
Other ESCV Volunteering Roles
Our host organsiation East Sussex Community Voice has various other volunteering opportunities available. To find out more please visit their website via this link.
ESCV embraces diversity and equality, and we are committed to building a team of volunteers with a variety of backgrounds, skills and experiences. The more inclusive we are means we can better engage with all communities in East Sussex.
“Young Healthwatch has given me insight into the importance of the public voice in improving the health and social care services they use…Young Healthwatch has motivated me to take forward what I’ve learnt (specifically about having independent champions of patient voices) to my career”
– Young Healthwatch Volunteer
Apply to become a Healthwatch volunteer by getting in touch via the form below, and the team will then arrange a suitable time to meet with you or speak to you on the telephone.
Get involved
Your personal information will only be used to progress your application to volunteer with Healthwatch East Sussex (East Sussex Community Voice) and will not be shared with any third party.
For more information about how we use your data please view our privacy policy here.
To find out more about our volunteering opportunities please get in touch.
Call 0333 101 4007
Email volunteer@escv.org.uk
“What motivates me to volunteer is my belief in the importance of patient voice. There are legal requirements on the NHS to listen to the patient voice. Healthwatch enables others and me to contribute to that voice in East Sussex.”
– Healthwatch Volunteer
FAQ
How do I apply to be a Healthwatch Volunteer?
To apply to become a volunteer at Healthwatch East Sussex please get in touch. You can:
Email: volunteer@escv.org.uk
Call: 0333 101 4007
Or send post: Unit 31, The Old Printworks, 1 Commercial Road, BN21 3XQ
The team will then arrange a suitable time to meet with you or speak to you on the telephone.
How old do I need to be to be a Volunteer?
To be a volunteer with Healthwatch East Sussex you need to be at least 12 years old. If you are under 18 Healthwatch East Sussex will need consent from your parent or guardian.
How much time do I have to have to be Volunteer?
Healthwatch East Sussex has many volunteer opportunities, some are regular and ongoing, others short-term and some may be for one-off events. We will work with you to find the most suitable role for you.
Will I need a Disclosure and Barring Service check (DBS)?
If you will be volunteering directly with children and vulnerable adults then you will need a DBS check. Healthwatch East Sussex will pay for this and organise it.
Will I get paid?
No. Healthwatch East Sussex will however cover all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. When you volunteer you will receive guidance on our expenses policy and claim forms.
Will I get training in my volunteer role?
Yes. Healthwatch East Sussex will provide induction and ongoing training to all volunteers.
Do I need a qualification to volunteer?
No, although for some roles you may need relevant experience.
What support will I get as a volunteer?
As well as an induction, any relevant free training will be offered where possible. All the resources you need in your role will be provided.
Not found what you were looking for?
Please get in touch for any further information.
