Background The Counselling Team have continued to meet the needs of clients/patients due to the invaluable support of volunteer counsellors – both qualified and students. The team are fortunate that they retain volunteers through the established culture in the team; several students choose to continue volunteering post qualification and as a clinical team we are keen to foster this commitment in other services.

Aims We wanted to do this by gaining perspectives from volunteers and students about their experiences within the counselling team and identify themes which may explain their motivation to stay, as well as recognising the value they bring from the perspective of the whole team.

Methods Discussions were completed with current and past students, a qualified volunteer and the team lead exploring: Experiences within the Counselling Team; Attraction of remaining within Team; The value to the Service.

Results Both students and volunteers felt that other team members were accommodating and supportive, feeling valued due to a strong ethos of team support and respect. Students were reassured by being mentored both formally and informally which provided opportunities to discuss client work and to ‘just talk’. All experienced a sense of belonging with reference to the building; where they could develop their counselling skills amongst other counsellors. Students expressed feeling reassured that their clients were matched to their skill set through our assessment processes which instilled confidence. Team members acknowledge the positive impact volunteers have within the team and the wealth of learning opportunities; enthusiasm and thirst for knowledge ignite conversations about theory, stimulating interest in topics which may have been forgotten.

Conclusion When volunteers feel respected, reassured, and supported, they recognise their own value within teams and are more likely to provide commitment to the organisation and enhance services.