A new survey aims to define the contribution of volunteers in mental health services to help inform workforce planning.
HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
Health Education Improvement Wales (HEIW) and Social Care Wales are developing a Strategic Mental Health Workforce Plan for health and social care. It aims to develop skills and capacity across health and social care to increase support for those in need. In order to better inform workforce planning, the survey aims to explain the role that volunteers play in mental health care.
THE ROLE OF VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers play an important part across the continuum of mental health services, but it can be difficult to quantify their impact. The information gathered by this survey will enable better understanding of the contribution of volunteers and build on other workstreams that are being progressed as part of the workforce strategy.
Skills for Health have been commissioned by HEIW to explore and gather insight of the role of volunteers within the sector and help address gaps to inform how resources established through the Workforce Plan are made available to the voluntary sector to volunteers themselves.
HEIW and Skills for Health will:
- Raise the profile of voluntary sector organisations working in a mental health setting.
- Recognise and celebrate those who have made an enormous impact by volunteering and delivering voluntary services alongside the mental health workforce.
- Encourage closer partnership working between the voluntary and public sectors.
- Understand current and future skills and knowledge gaps, to help shape roles, careers and training pathways to meet those needs.
Skills for Health hope for the survey to reach a wide range of organisations and individuals working in voluntary sector mental health services.
CLOSING DATE
The survey will close on Friday 1 March 2024.