PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all Send Help volunteers understand their responsibilities when helping Send Help clients whether it be as a duty officer, providing transport, shopping, collecting prescriptions or any other request.
OUTCOME
This policy will be shared with all existing and new volunteers to ensure that they are familiar with their role and responsibilities.
PROCESS
All prospective volunteers should be referred to the Volunteer Co Ordinator who will arrange a home visit to explain how the scheme works, discuss how the volunteer can help and answer any questions.
They will be asked to obtain two references, a passport photograph for an identity badge and sign a form agreeing to confidentiality regarding client information.
In line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) guidelines, personal information will be stored on the computer, password protected and not passed onto a third party.
Volunteers time commitment is individual and much appreciated. On average volunteers may give 2-4 hours a month but can always say “no” if not convenient.
The clients will only be given the volunteers first name and no contact number, all arrangements will be passed on via the duty officer.
Any questions should be raised with the Send Help chairman or committee member if the chairman is unavailable.
The volunteer should always display their identity badge when undertaking jobs for Send Help.
Duty Officers
Volunteers offering to become a Duty Officer will be trained by an existing duty officer and given written guidelines.
Training is undertaken by sitting with a duty officer for at least two duty sessions and being shown how to input the information on the computer. They will then have a duty officer available for their first two shifts to refer to as needed.
Duty Officers are asked to be available one day between 10am and 12 noon Monday to Friday once or twice a month to answer their telephone which will have been redirected to their landline or mobile number. The duty officer will record details of job requests, find a volunteer to undertake each job and then inform the client who will undertake the job.
The Send Help chairman will ensure the duty officers are updated and given training as required.
Drivers
Before becoming a volunteer driver the volunteer will be asked to have a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check and show their driving licence and insurance certificate to the Volunteer Co Ordinator. Send Help does have public liability and personal accident insurance however car accidents are covered by the volunteer’s own insurance. The volunteer will need to check with their insurance company that they are covered for volunteer driving.
The volunteer driver should ensure their vehicle is road worthy and properly maintained with up-to-date MOT and tax.
The volunteer driver is responsible for providing the safe transportation of a client to and from their home and any assistance given is as a helpful adult not a carer or someone who has had training in lifting and handling.
The client will have already been assessed as someone who can walk to the car from their home unassisted using mobility aids as appropriate. Send Help will not transport clients who need a wheelchair.
They should be able to get in and out of the car without major physical assistance, sit upright in the car and wear a seatbelt correctly.
The client may need to be accompanied if they have communication difficulties or suffer from degenerative disease or mental illness that may cause them to act irrationally in the car.
When transporting client drivers should:
- Carry their mobile phone with them on each job.
- Ensure the client wears a seat belt, which should be of an approved design and fitted correctly.
- If the volunteer gets no response from the client when picking them up from their house, they should continue to try to gain attention for 15 minutes and telephone the client. If there is still no response the volunteer should contact the duty officer or committee member. The next of kin should be contacted if there is any concern about the safety of the client. The last resort is to dial 999 for assistance.
- Refuse to take clients if they turn up for a job and find the client is under the influence of alcohol, drugs, fever or other debilitating condition. The volunteer should then advise the duty officer and complete an incident report which will be reviewed by the Send Help Chairman or Vice Chairman.
- If a client is taken seriously ill during a journey the driver should call the emergency services immediately and notify the Duty Officer who will call the clients next of kin.
- Advise the Duty Officer if they find there is any change to the information given them by the duty officer about the client’s mobility or health and arrangements made for the client to be reassessed.
- Review their voluntary service if a change in their own health impacts on their ability to drive safely. Send Help has no upper age limit and believes that personal health should be a concern for all drivers regardless of age.
Send Help asks for donations to cover the cost of the journeys undertaken based on the mileage. The client will be advised of the donation when requesting a job and asked to deposit the money in the envelope provided by the volunteer. These donations are voluntary, and clients are free to give as they wish.
Send Help does not transport children or minors who, by law have to use child safety seats.
Shopping
Send Help drivers can take clients shopping or alternatively do shopping for clients.
Volunteers doing shopping for clients should give the receipt to the client for what has been bought and the client pays the volunteer direct by cash or cheque. No bank cards should be taken by the volunteer. The client should still be asked for a donation towards the cost of the mileage.
Collecting prescriptions.
Volunteers collecting client prescriptions need to have the clients name, address and postcode to give to the pharmacist and wear their identity badge. They will need to sign for the prescription.
The volunteer should ensure the medication is handed directly to the client and not left unattended.
Expenses
Volunteers can claim expenses from Send Help by submitting the client donation envelopes to the treasurer with the details of the job number and mileage undertaken. Any other expenses should be claimed with an invoice and receipt. The treasurer will reimburse the volunteer
Leaving Send Help
If a volunteers circumstances change for any reason and they would like to resign from Send Help at any time please ring the Chair or Duty Officer, we quite understand and are grateful for the time they have given.
We ask that volunteers return their ID, parking ticket, high vis jacket and car cane if they have one. Delete any client information from their computer and shred any notes.
In turn Send Help will delete the volunteer’s information from the computer and any hand held notes.
Date of policy 7th March 2022
To be revised as necessary if any changes required.