Volunteering at Sydney Local Health District – Palliative Care (RPA Campus)

At Sydney Local Health District (SLHD), our vision is excellence in health and healthcare for all. With about 13,000 staff, our District is responsible for the health and wellbeing of more than 740,000 people living within our boundaries, as well as many more from rural and remote parts of NSW and Australia.

SLHD Specialist Palliative Care (SPC) Volunteers, provide support to an individual who has a life threatening or terminal condition. The volunteers are carefully selected and trained, and their work complements and enhances the care being provided by the SLHD Community Heath Palliative Care staff, with the aim to provide optimum quality of life to the individual and their family/carer.

Volunteers are skilled listeners, who are practical, reliable, and caring. The role involves visiting clients in their homes to provide social support, assisting with special approved tasks or respite for their carer. SLHD SPC Volunteers not only enhance and support an individual’s quality of life; they provide compassionate practical and emotional support for the individual and their families/carers.

SLHD Specialist Palliative Care Volunteering Roles

Community and Hospital based volunteers

Companionship and/or respite are the perfect opportunity for Volunteers to engage with our patients, their families or carers. Having conversations, completing an art or craft activity, listening to music, completing a puzzle, playing a boardgame, watching a movie or simply having a cuppa together can help bring warmth, comfort into their space. This role is based on referral from the Palliative Care Medical and Allied Health Teams. Volunteers are selected and matched with patients and their families or carer in the community that would benefit from respite and/or companionship. Volunteers visit patient, their family or carer once a week to provide either respite for the carer or companionship for the patient.
If the Respite and Companionship Volunteer role sounds like the perfect volunteering opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you

Biography volunteers

providing the opportunity to those facing a life-limiting illness, a chance to tell their story. Volunteers invites the patients to reflect on their life, find meaning, and leave messages for loved ones in a written, narrative document.

If the Biography Program sounds like the perfect volunteering opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you

Virtual Volunteers (Project administrative tasks)

Graphic Design, and Data Entry for Biography and Fundraising Projects.

If Virtual Volunteers (Project administration tasks) sounds like the perfect volunteering opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.

Fundraising Volunteers

To help raise funds for SLHD Palliative Care Services (RPA Campus) to meet the needs of its beneficiaries. Volunteers work with the Fundraising Committee and assist with tasks such as:
- Developing local/community fundraising and awareness events.
- Manning a stall at an event.
- Putting up posters or handing out flyers
- Attending fundraising events
- Partnering with organisations for sponsorship and donations

If Fundraising sounds like the perfect volunteering opportunity for you, we would love to hear from you.

The SLHD SPC Palliative Care Volunteer Program recruitment drives are conducted annually and/or when volunteer roles become available. If you would like to register your interest, you can complete an Expression of Interest here

Recruitment

Recruitment Process

Selection and Interview
• Recruitment Drives – Run once a year and/or when volunteer roles become available
• Registered candidates are notified of the recruitment drive and/or of the volunteer role vacancy
• Candidates interested in applying are invited for an informal Interview

Successful Interview Candidates will progress to the next stage of the recruitment process.
• National Police Clearance (NPC) - Completed by RPA Recruitment Department
• Vaccination Assessment
• Working With Children Check - Is a free service when applying as a Volunteer
• Reference Checks
• Driver Licence, Car Registration, and Comprehensive Insurance clearances

Successful Candidates will progress to the Training Process:
• Mandatory Training Modules (Palliare Handbook & the Hospital-Based Mandatory Training Modules)

Meeting the above requirements may not guarantee placement as a volunteer. Assignments of Volunteer Roles are based on the results of an interview, reference check, clearance check, occupational assessment screening and vaccination assessments and the volunteer’s availability.

Recruitment Eligibility

Our volunteering opportunities aims to assist hospital staff in enhancing the services offered to our patients and their families during their stay at the Hospital and in the Community.

To be eligible to volunteer for SLHD SPC Volunteer Program we are looking for people who are:
- Over 18 years of age
- Willing to abide by NSW Health Code of Conduct and current policies and procedures
- Willing to undertake National Police Checks & Working with Children Check
- Willing to meet immunisation requirements
- Kind, caring, willing, enthusiastic, friendly, and keen to make a difference
- Fit and able to carry out volunteering duties as required by the role
- Able to understand principles of infection control, privacy, confidentiality and workplace health and safety.

If you would like to find out more, please contact the SLHD Specialist Palliative Care Volunteer.

SLHD Specialist Palliative Care Volunteer Program (RPA Campus)
Phone: 02 9515 8955
Email: SLHD-PCVolunteers@health.nsw.gov.au