NHS Lanarkshire Volunteering

Meet & Greet Maternity Services Volunteer

Meet & Greet Maternity – Role Purpose

To support patients and visitors attending the maternity services.

Where

University Hospital Wishaw

When

Volunteers can be expected to spend around 2 hours volunteering per week. These times are arranged with the voluntary services team prior to starting and the maternity services.

Tasks to be undertaken

Volunteers within the Antenatal and Postnatal Ward can be expected to carry out the following tasks:

• Answer controlled entry ward door to visitors
• Explain hand hygiene procedure for ward and importance of the use of hand gel
• Escort patients and families around the hospital as appropriate e.g. canteen, neonatal unit, clinics or other wards
• Support the ward with the coordination of visiting times
• Assist the staff in giving out meals
• Assisting staff in ensuring rooms are ready for new patients and supporting staff during the admittance procedure
• General housekeeping tasks such as keeping rooms tidy e.g. arranging flowers, empty and clean flower vases, refill water jug etc.
• Encourage patients to leave feedback via Care Opinion
• Alerting midwives and other staff aware of any patient concerns

Be a supportive companion by

• Chat to patients and families, and help them feel at ease
• Refill water jugs
• Respond to patient buzzer and refer to appropriate member of staff
• Answer general queries about the hospital, ward and service where appropriate but if unsure please refer to staff

Tasks NOT to be undertaken

There are a number of tasks that volunteers must not carry out under any circumstances. These are: –

• Lifting patients, even when a member of staff is assisting
• Pushing patients or visitors in wheelchairs
• Give drinks/food to patients unless authorised by a member of the clinical staff team
• Give clinical information to a patient, relative or visitor
• Escort patients off the wards without authorisation from a member of the clinical staff team
• Take part in the clinical care of a patient e.g. assist a patient who is vomiting
• Touch or move equipment e.g. drip stands, monitors etc. unless authorised to do so by a senior member of staff
• Escort patients to the smoking shelter on site, or take them off site to smoke tobacco
• Clean up or handle items soiled with bodily fluids or excrement
• Chaperone patients
• Volunteers should not be involved in patients personal care e.g. bathing, toileting
• Volunteers must not photocopy patient information or confidential information
• Babies must only be taken off the wards if accompanied by a member of staff. Inform a member of staff immediately if this does not happen

Skills, attitudes and experience needed

Volunteers do not need to have any prior work experience in the care field but we would expect volunteers to have the following qualities:

• Be good natured and patient
• Be a good listener
• Be able to maintain confidentiality
• Be willing to attend regular support meetings
• Be interested in working with people of all ages
• Be able to work within Health and Safety and infection control protocols
• Be able to relate well to people and be patient
• Be confident to ask people who they are visiting and be able to record information

Support/Supervision

• A named member of ward staff provides day-to-day support for volunteers on site.
• Support can also be provided from the NHS Lanarkshire Voluntary Services team. You can contact the team at HRVolunteering@lanarkshire.scot.nhs.uk. This mailbox is monitored Monday-Friday 9am-5pm. Alternatively, you can call 07966296367.

Expenses

• Travel expenses can be claimed in line with NHS Lanarkshire policy.
  In order to claim expenses all receipts must be provided when submitting expense claim.
  Please contact the team for more support in claiming back expenses.