Volunteers with lived experience of mental health are supporting mental health services at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board.
A one year pilot project is now underway at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board (UHB), with grant support from our Helpforce Cymru project and expert help with project design and impact evaluation from Helpforce in the UK.
BUILDING ON PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENTS
The project aims to recruit and integrate more volunteers in mental health settings and more volunteers with lived experience of mental health.
Helpforce supported previous work that established a volunteer to career pathway as part of the generic volunteer offer. It was anticipated that this could be linked with mental health volunteering, enabling volunteers to explore and pursue a range of career options, should they wish.
Project Manager, Kathryn Thomas said:
‘This is a welcome opportunity for us to build on what we have done already – to further widen the diversity of our volunteers, to introduce volunteers into new clinical areas and to extend our volunteer to career pathway.’
CREATING APPROPRIATE ROLES
Conversations with colleagues in adult mental health and learning disabilities services identified some risks and challenges, such as ‘triggers’ for volunteers with a mental health history and the degree of support that would be needed.
It was agreed, however, that appropriate measures could be put in place, such as co-delivery of activities with a staff member, or enabling volunteers to debrief, by phone, with a member of the volunteering team. This means that none of the concerns raised proved to be barriers to involving volunteers in mental health clinical settings.
The first, and easiest volunteer role to put in place was on older adult mental health wards, where volunteers are engaging patients in meaningful activity.
EXPERTS BY EXPERIENCE
Meanwhile, a new volunteer role has been approved, ‘Expert by Experience Mental Health Volunteer’. This is suitable for individuals who graduate from DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) and other behavioural programmes and who wish to use their experience to help others.
Volunteer Experts by Experience will attend behavioural therapy group sessions over a period of six weeks or more, supporting the Psychologist facilitator by contributing to discussions from the perspective of their own experience.
Other volunteer roles are being explored.
BUILDING LINKS AND PATHWAYS
The project aims to build up sustainable referral pathways, targeting those who have most to gain from volunteering.
Links have been fostered with external partners to promote the benefits of volunteering for confidence building and for progression towards employment or further education.
Ebbw Vale job centre, for example, offered to put on a bespoke session, targeting those with mental health issues. Project staff were able to talk about volunteering, answering questions and giving reassurance about what is involved.
OTHER ACTIVE PARTNERS
Platfform works with people experiencing mental health challenges including anxiety and learning disabilities. It has become an active partner, not only referring individuals but maintaining ongoing contact with them for additional support.
Local County Voluntary Councils – Gwent Association of Voluntary Organisations (GAVO) and Torfaen Voluntary Alliance (TVA) – have welcomed the opportunity to refer individuals, knowing that they will be well supported and have opportunities for personal development and progression.
A paid ‘peer mentor’ role has recently been introduced by the Health Board and volunteers are encouraged and supported to apply, when appropriate. Other entry level paid roles are currently being considered.
MEASURING THE DIFFERENCE
A project evaluation framework is in place which includes feedback surveys from patients, volunteers and staff. A poster has been designed, including a QR code to access the surveys and feedback is captured on a continual basis.
Survey questions reflect the expected difference that the project will make. For example, do volunteers gain skills and confidence? Do they develop an interest in a career in health and social care or take steps toward furthering this through training or employment? Do patients experience improved emotional wellbeing and are they satisfied with volunteers’ involvement? Do members of staff change their perception of volunteers and do volunteers impact on staff workload?
Other outcomes to be considered include improvements made to services, the particular value of the lived experience that volunteers can bring and the number of volunteers who progress into further training or employment.
A POSITIVE START
The project aims to recruit at least 15 volunteers, for meaningful evaluation. After the first six months, six volunteers were active, which is a positive start. All have direct or indirect (through partners or family members) experience of mental health.
The links forged with community organisations will enable a second cohort to be recruited.
Volunteers’ feedback to date is encouraging. One volunteer said:
‘I picked up a book Memories of Ebbw Vale, to look at with “J”. The patient loved it and read out the captions beneath the photographs. A very enjoyable visit.’
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Helpforce insight and impact service provides end-to-end process for evaluating volunteering, helping you to gather the evidence needed to show that your volunteers are making a difference in health and care.
Helpforce Cymru is working with Third Sector Support Wales, Welsh Government and others to develop the potential of volunteering in health and social care.