Volunteering FAQs

Volunteering is an activity that you choose to take part in that makes a difference to others. Volunteering does not involve shadowing nurses or doctors. We ask our volunteers to commit to around three hours each week for a minimum of 12 weeks.

Yes, all volunteers at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust wear a uniform and if you are in a clinical area then you must be bare below the elbows. The uniform consists of a polo shirt, which we provide, dark trousers or skirt and dark shoes. In line with the UHL uniform policy you would not be able to wear denim, anything with logos on, trainers or open toed sandals. You will also need to remove jewellery worn below the elbow with the exception of a Kara and plain wedding band and would not be able to wear nail polish or false nails. If your hair is longer than chin length it will need to be tied back in clinical areas.

You will also be required to wear PPE appropriate to your role and the requirements of the area you are volunteering in at any given time

The time that the application process takes varies and will depend on how quickly you are able to complete your training, the responses of your referees and the time your DBS check takes before your certificate is issued.

Yes. We will complete an online Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for you and will require you to bring in some ID documents in order for us to do this. We strongly advise that you visit the DBS website and check all of the guidance available to prepare for your check. Although there are other forms of documents that are acceptable, a passport, driving licence and paper bank statement (less than three months old) are favourable. If you receive your statements online it is advisable to request that a written statement is posted out to you for this purpose.

We are also required to verify ID documents to satisfy the requirements of NHS ID checks.

We can only accept an existing DBS certificate if it is enhanced level, adult and child workforce, and registered with the DBS update service. If the certificate is registered with the DBS update service, we can perform an online update check.

You will need to provide contact details of two referees and we will send them a form to complete and will ask them to return it to us. Neither should be a member of your family or a partner. Both referees must be 18 years old or above.

During the application and interview process you will have the opportunity to ask any questions specific to your own health or support needs that might impact on your volunteering. We will make every effort to enable you to volunteer with us.

All volunteers have to complete the mandatory training required within our Trust. It is preferable that this is completed online but alternative methods are available. Additional training relating to the role you have chosen will be provided. Regular training updates are also required in line with Trust policy.

You will be offered the opportunity to attend additional non-mandatory training sessions if you wish.

All of our roles are patient facing roles and we have a responsibility to always treat our patients with dignity and respect. It would not be appropriate for us to arrange visits into wards and departments for all of our potential volunteers. We will provide you with as much information as we can about different roles, give you the opportunity to talk to existing volunteers and help you to choose where you would like to be placed. Before you start volunteering we will arrange a review date with you so that we can discuss whether you are enjoying your voluntary role. At this point some volunteers decide to increase their hours or look at additional roles.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any further questions before you submit your registration of interest. There will also be plenty of opportunity to speak to a member of the volunteer services team during the application process.