Volunteer Service
The State Hospital recognises the important and valuable contribution made by volunteers to enrich the quality of everyday life for patients. As a result, the Volunteer Service continues to develop to meet the needs of our patient population.
Within the State Hospital volunteers engage in a variety of roles: patient visits; supporting the work of the Spiritual & Pastoral Care Team, patient learning, patient activities, and the Person Centred Improvement Team.
New Roles
A number of new roles are being explored, creating the opportunity to complement existing services where there may be specific skill gaps i.e. teaching a foreign language / musical instrument. A role description is created which helps to match the skill set and personality of the volunteer to the identified need of individual patients.
Volunteers are represented through a number of forums including the Person Centred Improvement Group, consultation groups and focus groups. The e-Volunteer Service Group is central to supporting and facilitating active consultation and engagement.
The e-Volunteer Service Group meets in person four times a year to share experiences and identify opportunities for improvement.
The Hospital supports National Volunteers’ Week every June. This provides an opportunity to meet with patients, other volunteers and staff in an informal setting.
What’s required to be a volunteer?
All volunteers must:
- Be reliable and dependable.
- Commit to the requirements of the role for one year or more.
- Complete the NHS Recruitment process, which includes appropriate clearance from Disclosure Scotland, and satisfactory reference and Occupational Health checks.
As a volunteer, you will:
- Display your ID badge and wear your uniform whilst on site.
- Receive training, support and supervision appropriate to your role.
- Be encouraged to claim out of pocket travel expenses.
- Be covered by appropriate insurance whilst undertaking your volunteering duties.
- Make a genuine difference to patients, carers and staff in the State Hospital.
NOTE! While we recognise how valuable volunteering can be for young people, the organisational position is that we are unable to place under 18s within clinical roles.
The Person Centred Improvement Team is unable to organise shadowing or work experience placements. Please visit the Recruitment page of our website to find out more about Employment Pathways.