Seminar report Draft 18/07/12 - Volunteer No Report hungry for... · Seminar report – Draft 18/07/12 1.0 Seminar Aims The seminar was brought together by a steering group comprising

Seminar report – Draft 18/07/12


SEMINAR REPORT


Contents

1.0 Seminar Aims 2.0 Rationale for Seminar

3.0 Attendance

4.0 Seminar Overview

4.1 Discussion Group Feedback 4.2 Questions put forward to the panel at the seminar

5.0 Evaluation of Seminar 6.0 Next Steps

7.0 Appendices


1.0 Seminar Aims The seminar was brought together by a steering group comprising Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT), Western, Northern and Southern Health and Social Care Trusts and Volunteer Now. The seminar aims were:

To broaden understanding of the role and contribution of volunteers supporting nutrition within a health and social care setting across Ireland.

To consider the challenges in involving volunteers within the health and social care settings to support nutrition.

To consider the unique opportunity volunteering offers in meeting strategic objectives.

To share good practice in the involvement of volunteers as partners in health and social care delivery across Ireland.

2.0 Rationale for Seminar The seminar stemmed from increased interest in the role which volunteers could play in a number of aspects of supporting nutrition. The impetus came in part from the launch of Promoting Good Nutrition, a strategy for good nutritional care for adults in care settings in Northern Ireland published by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in 2011. This strategy identifies a role for volunteers and the seminar was seeking to look for examples of good practice from both sides of the border where volunteers were already supporting nutrition and to share the learning from these examples.

3.0 Attendance The seminar was well attended by a range of people from the statutory and voluntary sectors both North and South of the border. There were representatives from:

CAWT

Western Health and Social Care Trust

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust

Southern Health and Social Care Trust

Northern Health and Social Care Trust

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust

Volunteer Now

Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety

Public Health Agency

Care Local

Health Service Executive


Cavan and Monaghan Hospitals

Action Mental Health

Age Concern Causeway

Macmillan Cancer Support

4.0 Seminar Overview Elaine Way, Chief Executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust opened the seminar and set the context of the day. Mrs Way emphasised the important role volunteers play in the Western Trust. Anne Mills, Nursing Officer from Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety gave an overview of the Promoting Good Nutrition Strategy. She outlined the issues in involving volunteers which were: people‟s safety (good governance), people‟s confidentiality, workforce substitution, getting the balance right and involving society. She underlined that all of these issues could and should be overcome so that volunteers could play a role in supporting good nutrition. Janet Calvert from the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland outlined the regional approach to involving volunteers in breastfeeding support. She outlined the training and support provided to the peer support volunteers. She outlined the pilot of the programme which had taken place north and south of the border and identified the challenges and the benefits to involving volunteers. Ann McCrea, the Human Milk Bank Manager for the Western Health and Social Care Trust gave an overview of the work of the Milk Bank across the island of Ireland and underlined the key role volunteers play in donating their time and milk to the bank. Bebhinn Hare, Care Local, Plate Pals Co-ordinator gave an inspiring overview of the role the volunteers played in supporting nutrition in a number of hospitals in the Dublin area. She stressed the importance of the relationships developed. Pat Lee, Age Concern Causeway/NHSCT Meal Time Companions. Pat gave an overview of her role as a meal time companion and outlined the benefits to the patients she supports. She gave a real sense of the enjoyment and satisfaction she gets from her role.

The seminar then broke in to three discussion groups and the feedback from these groups is set out below.


4.1 Discussion Group Feedback

Group 1- Breastfeeding Support and Volunteers Audrey Moore, Lactation Midwife from Altnagelvin Hospital introduced the workshop with a brief summary of her current work within Strabane and Castlederg as well as involvement in Monaghan and Donegal. Audrey highlighted that breastfeeding volunteers seem to give time for an average of 18 months which has a direct impact on the regularity of training programmes. One of the primary challenges has been to develop an acceptance and confidence from staff in using lay mothers as volunteers. Audrey added that the offer of the Open College Network qualification is an added attraction for the potential volunteers as it offers an opportunity to re-enter education pathways. Q1. Are Breast Feeding volunteers an asset to midwifery care or Health Visiting care? A – All involved in this group felt volunteers were an asset to both midwifery and Health visiting care. It was reported that there were pockets of volunteering in the south of Ireland but the challenge is to get it up and running. Barriers included: training e.g. Infection Control, Child Protection. There is a need for evidence and proof that this approach to breastfeeding support is beneficial. Positives: OCN accredited training. Q2. How can midwives, health visitors and relevant support staff maximise the added value of breastfeeding peer support to their client group? Is there currently a partnership approach? What are the working models of this? A – It was reported how successful mentors are to the volunteers. The mentor could be a community midwife or health visitor who supports a small group of volunteers and one who is passionate about breast feeding. Problem identified: no support for those volunteers looking to move on, no funding for additional training. It was also shared that having a mix of peer and professional support and a key worker for the volunteers would be beneficial, someone who was a champion for breast feeding and would act as a support to the programme and provide feedback. It was suggested to look at other models to learn from them; also to look at some kind of uniform for the volunteers so they are easily identified by staff and service users when they are on the hospital ward e.g. t-shirt.


Q3. Are breastfeeding volunteers more accessible for mothers if managed through the HSCT or through National Breastfeeding Peer Support organisations e.g. LLL, NCT? A – There was a mix of volunteers who came through their Trust as well as other organisation in a partnership approach. Discussion around which was best for volunteers when speaking with mothers – meet on ward verses a cold call. Then discussion followed on how best to support the service such as:

volunteers going to ante-natal or parent craft classes to share their stories

peer support for every mum

Information Boards – photo of volunteer breast feeding peer support for staff and service users to easily identify these volunteers and their role.

Q4. What are the training requirements for breastfeeding volunteers and how does this enhance their supportive role for mothers? A – It was felt that the volunteers are trained for one thing and the life span of the volunteer is short. Q5. Are there challenges in the recruitment and retention of breastfeeding volunteers? A – Crèche facilities are needed/essential and the need to promote breast feeding at an earlier stage. Group 2 - Volunteer support at Meal times Question: Can Volunteers Assist in Feeding? The general view was that yes, volunteers can assist with feeding, however it was established that nursing staff should first identify suitable patients, and patients with swallowing difficulties should be assisted to feed by trained staff. Question: How do you manage the risks? Within the Northern Trust, trained staff identify suitable patients for volunteers to assist with feeding. “Mealtime Companion” volunteers have specific role descriptions which include:

Preparing the client for their meal by: 1. Ensuring the client is in a suitable upright position 2. Any dentures are clean 3. The client is provided with opportunity to wash their hands


Preparing the food for easy access to the patient

1. Any tray trolleys are accessible 2. Condiment sachets are opened /lids removed from yogurts etc. 3. If required plates are on non-slip placemats 4. Ensuring the client has access to fluids and drinking aids such as

straws /feeding cups

Assisting the client with feeding 1. Cutting up food if required 2. Ensuring food is of right consistency 3. Helping the client with feeding and drinking

Inform ward staff if patient is has any problems or is unable to eat or has specific food

Stay with the client if they would like company when eating their meal.

Question: Who is best placed to develop and support this role on a day to day basis? The Northern Trust which, in partnership with Age Concern Causeway, has been a successful model of the development of volunteer roles assisting with mealtimes. The volunteers have their own support meetings and regular contact maintained by phone or email. The volunteer manager is invited to some of the meetings. Question: What training is provided for volunteers in this role? Volunteers receive an induction programme which includes general overview of the Trust. They also receive an onsite induction to the ward/department. Issues such as infection control; health and safety are also provided. Question: How do we ensure that staff understand and support volunteers in this role? It was agreed that awareness sessions for staff should be provided around this issue. Nursing, speech and language staff and dieticians should be involved in the development of volunteer role descriptions and risk assessments. Efforts should be made to raise the profile of the benefits of this service particularly with the development of the Regional Food and Nutrition Strategy. Support from Volunteer Now, volunteer managers, Trust Chief Executives, Directors of Nursing, dieticians and speech and language therapists is essential to make certain the future development of volunteers to assist clients with feeding .


Group 3 - Volunteers supporting Health and Social Care

1. Wendy Osborne briefed participants about a scoping study carried out

by the HSCB in relation to volunteering. It clearly recognised the

importance of volunteers, but also the need for a regional plan. The

development of the plan will be facilitated by Volunteer Now.

2. There was great support for volunteers contributing in H&SC, and

participants identified a wide range of areas where volunteers are

already involved (e.g. Angel Eyes, Belfast) or could become involved,

for example, volunteer drivers and befriending service.

3. It was stressed that Trusts need to understand the motivation of those

volunteering i.e. they‟re doing it for the right reason, not as a source of

cheap labour. They should become part of the team.

4. A number of barriers were identified including:-

- Potential volunteers could lose interest because of the time delay

between showing an interest and a volunteering opportunity being

identified (bureaucracy around checks, training, matching skills to

roles)

- Some staff may feel threatened by volunteers coming in to their

work area and this needs to be carefully managed

- Trade unions need assurance that paid jobs are not being replaced

by volunteers

- Trusts do not have enough volunteering resources to cope with the

demand and create a positive volunteering experience

- It was accepted that there was the need for “protective hurdles”, but

the process should be relatively uncomplicated

5. Recommendation 1: there should be more sharing between Trusts

and between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to maximise

sharing of learning.

6. Recommendation 2: guidelines should be developed to smooth the

process and reduce bureaucracy. Wendy Doherty, Western Trust

described their risk management process which can speed up

clearance of volunteers in relation to e.g. Occupational Health. This

could be shared with others.

7. Recommendation 3: organisations should consider promoting

volunteering in pre-retirement courses.


Following the discussion groups there was a panel discussion and a number of questions were addressed directly to a panel, which was made up of Elaine Way, Bebhinn Hare, Bernie McCrory, Evelyn Hall, Janet Calvert and Lynne Smart. All questions put forward are noted below and an answer based on the general discussion at the seminar has been included for information.

4.2 Questions put forward to the panel at the seminar

1. Due to our proximity to the border we should consider

opportunities for volunteering and shared resources and learning.

How might we promote volunteering across borders?

A network of volunteer managers in health and social care exists in

Northern Ireland and meets quarterly. This network will look to include

representatives from Southern Ireland as appropriate.

2. Would Trusts or Volunteer Service consider financing crèche

services for peer support mothers coming into the hospital as

often they have to pay for someone to look after their baby as

they help others?

Individual Trusts will need to examine their budgets and policies in relation to this issue.

3. How do you think the key „disturbances‟ can be worked through to facilitate involvement of volunteers in supporting nutrition?

There needs to be a flexibility and willingness to work together.

Volunteer roles need to be clear and volunteers need to be well trained

and supported. Communication with staff working with volunteers

needs to be clear and good communication channels need to be in

place.

4. From a Trust perspective could we have a guideline/protocol

established which would make it easier for professionals to move

forward as soon as possible?

No current protocols in place, a number of Trusts are piloting mealtime

companion‟s roles and further discussion will be required before

guidelines and protocols can be established.


5. Interesting focus on nutrition – what are the other priority areas

for volunteer input in hospitals and nursing homes?

Volunteer roles are determined by needs in service areas and cover a

wide range of things from meet and greet to befrienders and drivers.

6. How do we cut down on bureaucracy?

This issue will be reviewed as part of the regional plan for volunteering

in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland.

7. How can we ensure that health professionals see the benefit of

having volunteers and not see it as an encroachment on their

roles?

Roles need to be clear and well communicated health professionals

need to be involved in the development of new roles. Clear guidelines

on job substitution need to be in place. There also needs to be better

communication and celebration of the impact volunteers are making.

8. How can we ensure that volunteers are seen as „added value‟ in

the acute sector and not seen suspiciously as being recruited to

compensate for staffing challenges?

Roles need to be clear and well communicated health professionals

need to be involved in the development of new roles. Clear guidelines

on job substitution need to be in place. There also needs to be better

communication and celebration of the impact volunteers are making.

9. How can we engage antenatal mums to come and see what

benefits breastfeeding can do for their unborn child?

Breastfeeding support volunteers are a useful resource for midwives

and health visitors who have contact with antenatal mothers.

Volunteers can sensitively provide information at antenatal clinics with

the support of the community midwife. Alternatively they can bring their

own baby along to antenatal/ parent craft classes, breastfeeding

workshops and breastfeeding groups and chat to parents along with

the midwife and health visitor. Volunteers can support and complement

health professional advice by promoting breastfeeding within their own

communities and reinforce key information about breastfeeding from


the unique perspective of a local mother who has successfully

overcome breastfeeding challenges.

10. How can we engage positively with the unions to ensure

volunteers are welcome in the Trust?

Volunteer Now has developed an active partnership with the Royal

College of Nursing to develop a charter to underpin volunteer

involvement. This could be a model for other unions.

11. What focus on training for volunteers is required to assist or be a

meal time companion and how do we assist professional staff to

engage and support this?

There is a wider debate on the role of volunteers in assisting with

feeding and this will impact on training in the future. However the

development of training for volunteers should reflect a multi-

professional approach and at all times reflect a clear link to the

volunteer role description. There should be an inclusive and

consultative planning and development process with clearly defined

lines of responsibility and accountability which are agreed in relation to

the management of the volunteer.

12. Incentives for retention of volunteers, to encourage volunteers to

remain in their role long term?

The best way to ensure retention of volunteers is to manage volunteers

in line with good practice. This means to provide adequate training and

support and to recognise them for the contribution they make.

13. What is the legal age to become a volunteer?

People can volunteer at any age however most Trusts involve people

above the age of 16.

14. Who has management responsibility for the volunteers?

In Northern Ireland in Trusts day to day management is generally

provided by the placement supervisor with the volunteer co-ordinators

providing support if issues arise and through annual reviews.


15. Are all volunteers vetted and who pays?

Vetting arrangements depend on the roles volunteers play and the

regulations in place in both jurisdictions. In Northern Ireland the Trusts

pay for vetting.

16. What type of induction do the volunteers receive before arriving

on wards?

Each Trust provides a volunteer induction and these vary depending on

local policy frameworks. Trusts provide a generic volunteer induction

where key information relating to the volunteer participation agreement

is shared. Some volunteer roles will require specific training. Facilities

where volunteers are placed are advised to provide a local induction

and the volunteer policies provide a template in relation to this.

17. How are volunteers recruited?

Most volunteers are recruited via word of mouth however promotion via

leaflets, posters and websites are also used.

18. How can we engage with post-primary schools, FE colleges,

universities and youth groups to promote volunteering among

young people seeking work experience?

Volunteer Now promotes volunteering opportunities widely across all

post primary schools, FE colleges, universities and to the general

public. Individual Trusts have developed positive relationships with

their education colleagues in raising awareness of volunteering which

may link into career paths.

19. Has consideration been given to volunteers from colleges and

schools such as pre-nursing/allied health courses?

Volunteering is something separate from work experience undertaken as part of training programmes. Each Trust has processes in place to enable students to avail of work experience opportunities.

20. How do we promote volunteering in the community – to those

living alone, etc?

Volunteering is promoted via leaflets, websites, posters and through

local media.


21. Is befriending as important as helping patients to eat properly?

Are these patients‟ isolated/limited wider networks?

Befriending schemes are wide spread and widely promoted however

there may be a need for further work in this area and this could be the

subject of a future event.

22. Managing risk – feeding elderly – can pts be identified by trained

staff?

A network of volunteer managers in health and social care exists in

Northern Ireland and meets quarterly. This network will look to include

representatives from the Republic of Ireland as appropriate.

Gerard Guckian, Chairman of the Western Health and Social Care Trust closed the conference and thanked everyone involved for a very interesting and useful day.

5.0 Evaluation of Seminar An evaluation form was provided for completion by each Seminar delegate. In general, the Seminar was viewed as meeting expectations either completely by 95% of respondents or partly by 5% of respondents. The questions associated with the event were answered by 37 participants.

6.0 The Next Steps The planning group for the conference will seek to deliver another event in the next year to look at another aspect of volunteering in health and social care. Findings from the seminar will be provided to the Health and Social Care working group looking at a regional plan for volunteering in Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland. Further networking on an individual basis has already taken place to share learning based on connections made at the event and a number of new volunteer roles have been developed as a result.

7.0 List of appendices

1. Delegates list 2. Seminar Evaluation 3. Press Release


Appendix 1: Delegates list

NAME ORGANISATION

Anne Love WHSCT

Kristy-Lee Greene NHSCT

Denise Hayward Volunteer Now

Elaine Way WHSCT

Anne Mills DHSSPS

Janet Calvert PHA

Ann McCrea WHSCT

Bebhinn Hare Care Local

Pat Lee Volunteer Age Concern Causeway

Siobhan Glenn WHSCT

Wendy Osborne Volunteer Now

Lynne Smart SHSCT

Kathryn Way

Rachel Boyd CAWT

Bernie McCrory CAWT

Bernadette Mallon HSE

Moira Mannion BHSCT

Siobhan Hourigan HSE

Joan Doherty WHSCT

Liz Martin HSE West

Niamh Fitzpatrick HSE West

Laura Keenaghan HSE West

Mary Davidson Action Mental Health

Audrey Moore

Evelyn Hall

Anne Gormley WHSCT

Gerard Guckian WHSCT

Bernie Mitchell BHSCT

Kathey Neill SEHSCT

Gerardette McVeigh SHSCT

Sonya Duffy SEHSCT

Sandra Hewitt SHSCT

Clare Greenfield Age Concern Causeway

Lucy Hull BHSCT

Paul Rafferty WHSCT

Hazel Winning NHSCT

Diane McCaffrey WHSCT

Angela Abbate BHSCT

Fionnuala Cooney HSE West


Jennifer Robinson Macmillan Cancer Support

Frank Johnston Volunteer Now

Barbara Stuart

Hilary Mathieson SHSCT

Lesley Finlay WHSCT

Wendy Cross WHSCT

Ruth Sweeney WHSCT

Hilary Armstrong WHSCT

Lesley Kelly WHSCT

Claire Brown WHSCT

Geraldine McKenna WHSCT

Patricia Griffith WHSCT

Julie Aiken Volunteer Now

Hetty Kelly SHSCT

Martina McCance WHSCT

Rosemary Kerr NHSCT

Anne Gill CAWT

Pauline O‟Hagan CAWT

Anne Lynch WHSCT

Grainne McAleer

Wendy Doherty WHSCT

Misha Kelly WHSCT


Appendix 2: Seminar evaluation

1. Did this event meet its expectations?

Not at all Partly Completely Box not ticked

2 = 5% 35 = 95%

2. How satisfied were you with the following presentations?

Speaker(s) Not at all Partly Completely Box not ticked

Anne Mills 37 = 100%

Janet Calvert 37 = 100%

Ann McCrea 37 = 100%

Bebhinn Hare 37 = 100%

Pat Lee 37 = 100%

Remarks:

Ann McCrea – very good presentation

Bebhinn Hare – very enthusiastic, great to hear her talk.

Pat Lee – again, great to hear Pat‟s experience.

3. How satisfied were you with the panel discussion and feedback?

Completely Partly Not at all Box not ticked

36 = 97% 1 = 3%

How would you rate the following organisational aspects?

Unsatisfactory Satisfactory Good Excellent Box not ticked

Event organisation 5 = 14% 32 = 86%

Quality of speakers 1 = 3% 36 = 97%

Venue and catering 1 = 3% 36 = 97%

Information packs 2 = 5% 35 = 95%

Remarks:


This is a fabulous event – I am so delighted to have been here and shared examples of good practice across Ireland. A basis for future events.

Inspirational the work that the volunteers do. Thank you.

Really enjoyed the event, found the presentations very powerful and close to home.

Excellent day.

Very beneficial. Great information sharing – volunteers are very worthwhile „workers‟

Very inspiring but a lot of work to be done.

Great opportunity to hear what‟s happening regionally, make contacts and exposed further development for volunteers

Thank you very much.

Inspiring!

Good start but please keep this going especially in focus areas so that volunteers are kept involved and valued as trust has invested lots of time and money to get the volunteer trained, now keep them and develop it forward. Also identify the „pockets‟ and let the „trousers‟ i.e. the rest of us know where and what they can provide and are holding!!

Found the event extremely positive and informative! “Food for thought”

Very inspirational and informative!

Would have been useful to have the programme emailed in advance of the event. Otherwise, excellent and inspiring conference.

A very thought-provoking workshop. Has highlighted the need for a more regional approach to developing robust roles for developing a volunteer policy for supporting nutrition.

Excellent event. Thank you.

Raise the profile. Put some patient stories into the Western Trust „Now‟ magazine of where a volunteer has made a difference.

Such an enjoyable day and so powerful if we actually grasp some of the learning and empower volunteers to complement the role of our paid staff.

Lots of food for thought, lots of ideas around engaging and supporting volunteers. Also, good discussion on addressing barriers to peer support. The „added value‟ if volunteering was obvious.

Not long enough; could have been a full day. Very interesting.

An excellent event and now leaving even more enthusiastic.


Appendix 3: Press Release 27 March 2012

Volunteering in Health and Social Care - Food For Thought! Good nutrition is fundamental to the recovery and wellbeing of patients and clients. With this at the forefront in the West this week, a special cross border seminar took place which celebrated and recognised the immense contribution volunteers make to the health and wellbeing of patients and clients. The „Hungry for Volunteers‟ seminar, organised by the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust), Southern Health and Social Care Trust (Southern Trust), Volunteer Now and Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT), received financial support from the European Union‟s INTERREG IVA programme. It was held in Enniskillen and was attended by representatives from the health services and voluntary sector across the island of Ireland. Commending the invaluable support provided by volunteers within health and social care, Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Elaine Way said: “This seminar highlights the invaluable support provided by volunteers on a daily basis in hospital and community settings and I would like to thank them for all they do. The seminar has also deepened my own understanding of how volunteers contribute to supporting nutrition and furthers my admiration for our many volunteers.” On a day-to-day basis many people, as volunteers, assist with meeting the nutritional needs of patients within hospitals, health and social care facilities and also within communities. These volunteers support health and social care staff, by giving of their time and expertise, primarily through volunteering programmes. Examples of volunteer support include milk bank schemes which enable women to provide breast milk for sick and premature babies. Also, many hospitals and care homes welcome volunteers who support the nursing staff in feeding patients at mealtimes. Voluntary organisations and initiatives from both sides of the border were represented at the event and included Age Concern, Plate Pals - a Dublin based volunteer programme that assists older people in hospital during mealtimes and Human Milk Bank based in Irvinestown. Speaking at the conference, Anne McCrea, Human Milk Bank Co-ordinator, said: “Over 1,000 women across the island of Ireland to date have provided human milk donations to sick and premature babies. I applaud their unique contribution which has meant that so many ill and premature babies have survived and thrived. I have to admire their generosity in supporting babies they have never seen. We would be


delighted if any mothers would like to make contact with us with a view to assisting. Our telephone number is 028 686 28333.” Wendy Osborne OBE, CEO Volunteer Now, the lead organisation for volunteering in Northern Ireland said: “Volunteers play a most important role in our communities and we are delighted this seminar shared the good practice in the involvement of volunteers as partners in health and social care delivery. Their input supports the health of many people through roles such as breast feeding peer support and meal time companions,” Commenting on the event, Health Minister Edwin Poots said: “Good nutritional care is absolutely essential to maintain the best possible health and well being for all, in particular those within our society who are vulnerable. I applaud volunteers, who offer an invaluable contribution to the health service and are a reflection of our caring society.” If you are interested in finding out more about the process of becoming a volunteer with the Western Trust, please contact Anne Love, Volunteer Manager on tel: 028 7161 1155.

-ENDS-

Photograph captions CAWT Volunteering Conf 2 Speakers at the cross border „Hungry for Volunteers‟ seminar, organised by the Western and Southern Trusts, Volunteer Now and CAWT (l to r): Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT; Wendy Osborne OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Volunteer Now; Anne Love, Volunteer Manager, Western Trust and Elaine Way, Chief Executive, Western Trust. CAWT Volunteering Conf 6 Pictured at the cross border „Hungry for Volunteers‟ seminar, organised by the Western and Southern Trusts, Volunteer Now and CAWT (l to r): Elaine Way, Chief Executive, Western Trust; Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT ; Anne Love, Volunteer Manager, Western Trust; Maeve Donaghy, Volunteer Now, Enniskillen and Kathryn Way, Volunteer, Western Trust. CAWT Volunteering Conf 7 Anne Mills, Nursing Officer, DHSSPS (left); Elaine Way, Chief Executive, Western Trust (centre) and Janet Calvert, Health and Social Well-being Improvement Manager, Public Health Agency (right) who presented at the cross border „Hungry for Volunteers‟ seminar, organised by the Western and Southern Trusts, Volunteer Now and CAWT. CAWT Volunteering Conf 19


Attendees at the cross border „Hungry for Volunteers‟ seminar, organised by the Western and Southern Trusts, Volunteer Now and CAWT (l to r): Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT; Maeve Donaghy, Volunteer Now, Enniskillen and Anne McCrea, Human Milk Bank Co-ordinator, Irvinestown, Co. Fermanagh Contacts Sadie Bergin, Communications Manager, Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT). Tel: 00 44 (0) 28 71 272100 Mob: 00 44 (0) 77 64204430 E: [email protected] W; www.cawt.com Notes to editor 1. Funding for the conference „Hungry for Volunteers: What we can achieve

together,‟ has been secured from the European Union‟s INTERREG IVA Programme which is managed by the Special EU Programmes Body and delivered by Co-operation and Working Together through the „Putting Patients, Clients and Families First‟ programme.

2. The Western Health and Social Care Trust provides hospital, community and primary care services across the Limavady, Strabane, Derry City, Fermanagh and Omagh Council areas in Northern Ireland. Erne Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital are the Trust‟s two acute hospitals.

3. Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) is a cross border health and social care partnership comprising the border counties of the Health Service Executive in the Republic of Ireland and the Southern and Western Health and Social Care Trusts in Northern Ireland. The Health and Social Care Board and the Public Health Agency in Northern Ireland are also partners. Established in 1992, the CAWT partnership is celebrating its 20 year anniversary in 2012.

4. Volunteer Now is the lead organisation for volunteering in Northern Ireland working to promote, enhance and support volunteering. Volunteer Now is about connecting with individuals and organisations to build healthy communities and create positive change. Volunteer Now enhances recognition for the contribution volunteers make, provides access to opportunities and encourages people to volunteer. We provide training, information, guidance and support to volunteer-involving organisations on issues of good practice and policy regarding volunteering, volunteer management, child protection, safeguarding vulnerable adults and governance. To find a volunteering opportunity in your local community go to www.volunteernow.co.uk

5. The European Union‟s INTERREG IVA programme is designed to support cross border co-operation, social cohesion and economic development between regions of the EU. It aims to address the economic and social disadvantage that can result from the existence of a border.

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.cawt.com/

http://www.volunteernow.co.uk/

Documents

Seminar report Draft 18/07/12 - Volunteer No Report hungry for... · Seminar report – Draft 18/07/12 1.0 Seminar Aims The seminar was brought together by a steering group comprising