The presentation was part of a series of Learn and Share events run by NCVO's volunteering in care homes project. The presentation was by Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and explores how working with younger volunteers worked for them and what the benefits are for the NHS. For more information on the project: http://www.ncvo.org.uk/practical-support/volunteering/volunteering-in-care-homes

1. Engaging Younger Volunteers
Aintree University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

2. Introduction
Aintree University Hospital is the community hospital for three large
conurbations of Sefton, Knowsley and Liverpool.
The volunteer service was established in 1997 and a strategic decision
was taken to allow people to volunteer from 16 years of age.

3. Aintree’s Strategy
Another strategic decision to develop work experience was taken in
1997 with the hope that at 16, young people going into further
education would realise the need to demonstrate evidence of voluntary
work and would be eager to undertake this at Aintree if they were
looking to enter the NHS as a profession.

4. In 2002 a designated Work Experience Co-ordinator was appointed to focus on
involving younger people across Merseyside (our future workforce).
The role involved:
• Meeting with all Ward/Department Managers across the Trust to promote and
outline the best way of developing a programme that attracts young people in
the community and enhances the care of our patients.
• Creating roles that would be attractive, interesting and valuable to the young
person whilst keeping within the boundaries of safe practice.
• Visiting local schools and colleges to present to students and teachers the
benefits of both work experience and volunteering.
• Balancing the increased interest from younger people with capacity in the Trust.

5. Having a successful work experience scheme has been key to attracting young
people from the age of 15 years to Aintree.
Currently 550 young people attend Aintree each year for either a one or two
week placement from 108 schools and colleges across Merseyside.
Below is a breakdown of preferred placement areas for 2014 to date:
67%
11%
5%
12%
3%
2%
Clinical
IT
Office Based
Maintenance
Catering
Laundry Services

6. The scheme works in synergy with Aintree’s Volunteer Service and
approximately 59% of work experience students return to volunteer at the age
of 16.
Aintree has 818 volunteers to date, carrying out the following roles:
• Meeting and greeting patients
• Helping out on the many Wards
• Assisting in outpatient clinics
• Supporting patients at the end stages of their life
• Assisting on the Macmillan Support Desk
• Making Tea in Accident & Emergency Department
• Preparing and assisting around patient mealtimes
• Helping post stroke patients to regain communication skills
• Providing assistance in Customer Services Department
• Assisting with activities for dementia patients
• Carrying Admin/IT duties in the Volunteer Office
• Operating a daily trolley service across all Wards
• Fund Raising – being a member of the Volunteer Charity
• Assisting with Arts in hospitals
• Carrying out complementary therapies
• Assist in Chaplaincy activities

7. Benefits to patients
• Provision of a volunteer force is both a social and economic driver
• It allows volunteers to complement delivery of care
• Helps to reduce isolation in the elderly with long term conditions
• Supports both patients and relatives through the end of life process
• Supports patients generally in all areas that volunteers are present across the
hospital site
• The wearing of a dedicated uniform identifies volunteers as an instant
resource available to do whatever is required of them, and more importantly
a friendly face.
• There is an economic driver as well as a social driver in the delivery of care –
volunteer costs are minimal, volunteer presence is inestimable.

8. Benefits to Volunteers
• Personal satisfaction
• Helping the well being of others
• Giving something back to the hospital
• Personal achievement in being accepted as a volunteer and being able to
successfully undertake set tasks
• Social inclusion – community involvement
• Meeting new people
• Learning new skills
• Gaining career experiences
• Assuming personal responsibility
• Enjoyment – having fun!

9. Benefits to the NHS
• Building relationships with the local community and services.
• Economically the provision of an unpaid volunteer force has a
monetary value.
• A well run scheme enhances the reputation of the NHS. (Aintree
volunteers have secured a number of awards for their excellent
work).
• It creates a desire among young people to seek work experience and
then volunteering in an area deemed locally to have an excellent
reputation.
• Bringing diverse points of view to the organisation.
• Dedicated volunteers become passionate ambassadors of the
organisation.

10. Looking closely at Recruitment & Selection
The entire recruitment and selection procedure for both work experience and
volunteering is carried out by the volunteer department. The Volunteer
Manager has a background in HR management and the Trust Board has
endorsed that there is no need for any additional involvement from Ward
Management staff.
How the roles were identified:
In 1997 when the scheme was established questionnaires were sent to
Wards/Departments, visits were made to these areas and discussions took place
with both operational and HR Managers in a bid to research what the
Wards/Depts wanted from the volunteers and what volunteers could safely be
allowed to do. This was a very time consuming but effective exercise which
became the cornerstone of the highly successful and award winning volunteer
scheme that we have today.

11. As new volunteer initiatives are introduced a similar process of consultation is
undertaken.
Risk assessments identify certain areas of the hospital to be unsuitable for 15
year olds, e.g. Intensive Care, Palliative Care and this has to be explained very
carefully and sensitively to the young.
Some Trust areas are clearly in- appropriate for young people, e.g. Mortuary,
Theatre, Pharmacy, Laboratories and dealing with this disappointment that
this creates can be a challenge.
Working closely with the work experience scheme is an ideal opportunity to
recruit young people and at the same time extol the virtue and value of long
term further education preparation through volunteering.

12. Challenges of Recruitment & Selection
• In 1997 at the beginning of the scheme there was hostility from some staff –
usually manual/clerical grades who felt that their job was being threatened.
• This led to issues with the Unions who resisted volunteering initially, feeling
that volunteers were being used as a management strategy to bring cheap
labour into the Trust.
• Training and induction of young people needs to be in depth and tailor made
to take into consideration their age.
• Getting the match right with the young person and designated area for
placement is vital for a successful placement.
• Although the process for recruitment and selection is a lengthy one (allowing
for the many checks to be carried out) and a lot of time is spent with the young
person beforehand, there can be occasions when there is a need to deal with
inappropriate behaviour.

13. Volunteer experiences of the Recruitment &
Selection Process
• Wishing that the process was shorter
• Actively disliking the bureaucracy
• Impatience towards the list of pre-placement checks
• Inability to understand the dynamics of hospital life
• Young people often struggle to provide documentation required by
Disclosure and Barring Service
• Experience difficulties with obtaining vaccination evidence

14. 1. Work closely with those that organise work experience. We are aware at Aintree of the
immense value of work experience as a direct means of recruiting young people.
2. Design role descriptions that are clear and will clarify expectations for volunteers and
staff. Create interesting and attractive roles for young people. Create opportunities that
will develop their individual skills.
3. Take into consideration the period of time that they are with you and allocate project
work that will be completed within that time, thus allowing them to gain a real sense of
personal achievement.
4. Be mindful of other demands on their time. Allow flexibility on their time and be aware
that there will often be a gap in their volunteering over the Summer holidays.
5. Make it known that recruitment and selection is a competitive process – most young
people will then step up to the mark.
6. Always ensure that a young person is clear on who they should go to for help support
and plan in as much contact with them as possible. Offer the facility of an experienced
volunteer mentor to ensure that the settling in period runs as smoothly as possible.
10 Tips for engaging with young volunteers

15. 7. Engage with as many local youth groups in your community as possible.
8. Build strong and robust relationships with local schools and colleges, thus ensuring a
continual stream of young and enthusiastic people who can see at first hand the NHS
at its best and at its worst.
9. Think about using ways of communication that will work, e.g. texting, NHS Mail etc
10. Work closely with your press/communications office. They are key holders to
highlighting your good work with young people.

16. 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
16 -20 21 - 25 26 - 40 41 - 60 61 +
PercentageofVolunteers
Age Range
Total percentage of volunteers
and age range comparison 2002 and 2014
2002
2014

17. Thank you for listening
Do you have any questions?