The Home from Hospital and Community Support project in Newcastle is funded by the Northeast and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board. Preventing admissions, and re-admissions, to hospital is crucial for the NHS.  Re-admissions alone cost the NHS over £2 billion per year, and no-one wants to be in hospital when they can be recovering safely and comfortably at home. 
 
The project was developed to help enable people to thrive back at home, and in the community, while at the same time supporting the NHS.   We recruit, train, support and coordinate volunteers, who provide a “little bit of help” to people who may be socially isolated, have health issues, or don’t have many people around them. 

By becoming a volunteer, you might:

• Gain fulfilment: volunteering provides a sense of purpose, and satisfaction from helping others
• Develop social connections: meeting new people, building friendships, strengthening community ties. 
• Develop skills:  by taking part in volunteering, people often develop new skills and interests, confidence and self-esteem
• Enhance health and wellbeing: volunteering is often linked with improved mental health, reduced stress, and even better physical health through keeping active
• Career growth: networking and gaining new experiences can boost career opportunities, helping to develop your CV
• Have fun! Volunteering can be a hugely enjoyable and rewarding experience

Our Community Responder Volunteers support our patients with a range of activities, including: 

• Help with transport home from hospital
• Essential shopping
• Collecting pensions/ prescriptions
• Wellbeing checks
• Signposting to events in the local community.

• Supporting people following, or before, a hospital stay
• Providing help ang guidance around specific tasks or areas of support needed
• Chatting to older people on the phone, or visiting them at home
• Feeding back relevant information to project staff around volunteering activities.

•  Aged 18+
• Able to give a little time on a regular basis, to complete a task or activity for a person in need  
• Able to complete volunteer recruitment and training process
• This volunteer role requires an Enhanced Level DBS (criminal record check) which is free to volunteers, and processed, by the project

We are passionate about ensuring that each volunteer has a rich and rewarding volunteering experience!  We will provide you with a single point of contact, a member of our staff team, who will check in with you regularly and be on hand to offer help, encouragement and support throughout your volunteering journey.  We will also provide all relevant induction and ongoing training, and access to any resources or guidance that will support you to achieve success. 
 
We will offer flexibility around your volunteering role, recognising the need for holidays, time away, or other personal commitments. We will also provide you with the chance to meet other volunteers, take part in social events, and the opportunity to share your story!  
 
We will re-imburse you with any pre-agreed travel and out-of-pocket expenses. Finally, as a volunteer, you can always expect to be treated with kindness, compassion, respect, with thanks, and so much more.