Have your say on volunteering in health and social care

The Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency are encouraging everyone with an interest in volunteering in health and social care to make sure they respond with their views.

Volunteering has always played a significant role in the delivery of health and social care in Northern Ireland. Volunteers add value to the work of paid staff by providing befriending, meeting and greeting, transport, chaplaincy, meal time support, breastfeeding support and many other roles.

The Health and Social Care Board commissioned Volunteer Now to support the development of a three-year regional plan for volunteering in partnership with the Public Health Agency and Health and Social Care Trusts across Northern Ireland.

This plan sets out a series of proposals to:

Promote and support the role of volunteers within health and social care

Ensure that the commissioning of services from organisations using volunteers is informed by good practice guidelines and standards

Encourage health and social care organisations to enable employees to contribute to employer supported volunteering.

The consultation documentation, as well as details of how to respond, are available online at www.hscboard.hscni.net/consult or www.publichealth.hscni.net/consultations

For printed copies of the consultation documentation or alternative formats please telephone 028 9031 1611 extension 425 or email [email protected]