A day in the life of a voluntary services manager

06:45

I leave home, eager to try and beat some of the Oxford traffic on my commute into work.

07:20

Success! A good commute is always a positive start to the day. It is Wednesday, and I am covering for one of our Transport Coordinators this morning, but I first head to my office to check if I’ve received any urgent emails.

07:40

I divert my landline to my mobile phone and then make my way to the transport office. Our transport service is fully funded by donations to the charity and plays a vital role in providing the best possible care and support to local people living with incurable illness.

One of our drivers arrives and we discuss that a lorry has broken down nearby, acknowledging that this could impact our journeys this morning. On arrival at the office, I check the answerphone and inbox for messages, but – good news – there are no cancellations for today’s Living Well session.

I start actioning referrals and equipment delivery slips that have arrived at the office – one of the key responsibilities of our transport team is to deliver specialist equipment to patients at home.

08:00

My first volunteer clocks into their shift – they are picking up two patients today so they can attend their Living Well session. These sessions are hugely helpful for patients but also provide family members and carers with some additional support and respite.

09:24

My second volunteer has clocked in and is picking up one patient today.

09:26

I receive a phone call from a patient who is waiting for transport to arrive. I reassure them that our driver is on his way, and while checking on our system to locate the vehicle, I see that the driver has just pulled up outside the patients’ house. I confirm with the patient that transport has arrived, and they are very thankful.

09:45

I meet a new volunteer at reception who has come in today to complete their first shadow shift. Our volunteers complete a shadow shift as part of their training, which helps them to become familiar and confident in their environment and knowledge of the role.

I show the volunteer down to the ward so they can meet the team. Our ward volunteers carry out jobs such as taking our famous drinks trolley around the Hospice, assisting with taking out the meals, which are all cooked freshly onsite, supporting visitors and families, and spending some one-to-one time with patients if they’d like a chat.

10:00

The Volunteer Coordinator arrives at the same time as our drivers, who accompany patients into the Living Well day room. We check in with the drivers and then have our handover.

10:45

I head back to my office and immediately have a planning meeting on Teams with a colleague to discuss the progress of updating our safe operating procedures and risk assessments.

11:30

I have a meeting with Beth, the charity’s Director of Fundraising, about advertising our current volunteer roles and targeted advertising for new volunteer gardeners to help maintain our beautiful hospice gardens. I then check in with the volunteer on the ward, who is settling well into their new role.

12:00

I continue with general tasks, updating recruitment documents and managing the current recruitment drive of bereavement volunteers. Many people don’t realise that our bereavement service heavily relies on specially trained bereavement care volunteers, who donate their time to support people all across the county.

13:00

Time to grab some lunch.

13:20

I have a patient companion assessment call. Within my role, I manage a group of volunteer companions who support patients in the community. We receive referrals from various departments within the hospice and I complete the assessment calls. In this instance, the patient has deteriorated, and his wife tells me that they are well supported by their family, who all live very closeby. Therefore, they don’t feel that they require the support of a companion, but are grateful for the offer of support.

14:00

I have a meeting with my colleague Mark, where we work together to update the volunteer board and our database, looking at where we currently have vacancies for volunteer recruitment and clarifying any amendments which we need to make to the database. We plan the volunteer training day and confirm our status regarding the recruitment of bereavement volunteers.

16:00

I take a call from a prospective volunteer, who has expressed an interest in becoming a volunteer companion. They explain that hospice care is particularly important to them as they have experienced the support from a hospice in another county for a family member four years ago, and they are now looking at giving back. Although they didn’t have access to a companion at the time, on reflection they feel it would have been helpful to have some respite knowing that their loved one was being cared for.

17:30

I have another call with a prospective volunteer. They are not sure which role they are interested in, so we discuss a few options and I send out an application form and role descriptions for them to consider.

18:05

Time to wash my coffee mug and think about my journey home. I am hopeful that my day will end as positively as it started with a steady commute and Sarah Cox on the radio!

I have worked at Sobell House for nine years now, and no two days are ever the same at the Hospice. I enjoy the variety within my role, especially recruiting new volunteers, offering support, and talking to the patients; it is such a privilege to be able to listen to their life stories and just be present.