Volunteering Opportunity: Art therapy volunteer with Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care

This is a unique opportunity for a newly qualified art therapist, or someone who wants to refresh their skills, to use your qualifications to gain valuable experience in a real-world environment. We will provide supervision, and you will be involved in both 1:1 and group work.

Opportunity Type: Long-term Commitment

District: Watford

Start Date: 29/01/2025
End Date: 30/04/2025

Location: From your office

Time of day: Weekday Mornings, Weekday Afternoons

Practical Considerations: The Peace Hospice is a wheelchair friendly building. We will talk to you about any particular adjustments that you may need.

Requirements: Relevant qualification or training, Will require a criminal record check (DBS)

Requirements (additional): We will take up a professional reference

Suitable for: 18 – 25 year olds, Aged 26 and over, Older People, People with restricted mobility

Suitable for volunteers interested in: Arts & Crafts, Children, Families & Family Support, End of Life, Bereavement & Hospices

Does this opportunity provide wheelchair access?: Yes

Download Full Role Description

Full Description:
Purpose of this role

Our Creative Therapies team work with patients and family members to offer the opportunity to explore and express complex thoughts and emotions around the experience of dealing with life-limiting illness and loss.

Main tasks

• provide individual and group work art therapy support to clients, patients, children and families affected by life-limiting illness and/or bereavement
• attend and contribute to MDT (multi-disciplinary team) meetings to discuss individual cases and needs
• maintain current and accurate records on our clinical database, ensuring information is updated in a timely manner
• attend mandatory supervision provided by us
• Maintain accurate patient/client records and provide verbal or written feedback as required

What are we looking for?

• a qualified art therapist
• someone who will relish the opportunity to develop their skills in this interesting and challenging environment
• a team player
• the ability to be empathetic and patient, allowing participants to find their own way of interacting with the materials on offer
• someone who will understand and follow all relevant RGP policies
• an understanding of safeguarding
• someone who understands that confidentiality is paramount

Training and support

• there will be a named line manager who will provide ongoing support
• there will be some mandatory training that you will need to complete at the start of your volunteering with us and then periodically afterwards as refresher training which will include data security and confidentiality
• your line manager will organise training specific to your role
• we will set up a Rennie Grove Peace email account. This will be used for all communication about clients to ensure that confidentiality is maintained at all times
• we will ask you to complete an online data security training module to help with your understanding of data protection and confidentiality

What you need to know

• you will complete a volunteer application form, and we will ask for one reference from someone who knows you well in a professional context
• you will need to complete an Enhanced Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) check for the adult and child workforce for this role.
• patient facing volunteers will have access to supervision support from line managers
• client support and your own supervision may be given virtually. You will be expected to follow our Virtual Visit and Virtual Groups policy, and your line manager will go through this with you
• we welcome everyone and will make reasonable adjustments should they be needed
• we will pay reasonable expenses incurred, should you wish to claim them
• we rely on the commitment of our volunteers to support our services; however, we understand that you may need to take a break from your volunteering. When you are ready to return, your line manager will meet with you to talk about the role and make sure it is still right for you and may ask you to complete some refresher training.

To protect both patients and volunteers, you MUST NOT:
• give clinical advice or medication
• counsel clients
• give out personal contact details
• witness any legal documentation for the patient or their carer