Background Volunteers contribute to patient care directly and indirectly, including the needs of carers, families and friends. There was a need to transform volunteering to make sure volunteering is safe, sustainable and transformational whilst supporting palliative care at the hospice. A new structure was developed to enable:

• Improved communication to and for volunteers

• A direct contact person for volunteers to go to with any concerns

• New processes and procedures to be put into place

• Promote volunteering opportunities for all departments

• Volunteers from all areas to be trained and supported

• Enhance diversity within LOROS

• Increase the knowledge of and respect for the charity within the community

• Creation of ‘Volunteer Voice’: a support group that has membership from the senior management team and volunteers.

Volunteering was categorised into different areas/services e.g. clinical, snack bar, fundraising, shops. Role descriptions for each area were created. This enabled:

• Clear expectations for each role

• Identification of training requirements

• Additional support and clinical training for those directly supporting patients on the ward and within home visiting.

• Looking at other specialist roles for volunteer.

Data Management ensured correct volunteer details, benefits included:

• GDPR compliance

• Progression of training

• Improve communication

• Better reporting mechanisms to Management

• Efficient rota

• Effective governance.

Volunteering within LOROS sits within the strategic aims of the organisation in order to support its service offer and financial sustainability. Whilst maintaining a positive reputation with an associated high public profile, volunteering continues to grow: we now have 1481 volunteers (increased by over 300 in one year). Volunteering is also working on a number of initiatives transforming palliative care into the community:

• Telephone be–friending service

• LOROS Local, a mobile resources in the community [See abstract #164]

• Supporting LOROS @ home service.

With all of the above now in place we have a sustainable volunteering model for the hospice.