NHS Volunteers

[Sir Lancelot]

It's great news. But I wish the NHS would actually work out what they are going to do with people, and how they are going to deploy them before they put out appeals. All of these applications will now sit in someone's inbox for a few days, maybe a few weeks.

If you follow the volunteer link it tells you exactly what the volunteers will be doing.

I work in Recruitment for an NHS Trust but I don't see how they are going to get these volunteers through the standard pre employment checks that volunteers usually go through without getting shot of some serious amounts of red tape.


Shame most people sat on their hands for the past 30 odd years whilst successive Governments have dismantled the service. Better late than never I guess.

No one is as slow at recruiting as an NHS trust. A three month lead in from the advert to starting work, full medical histories and life stories, descriptions of underwear worn when you were three etc. And that’s not counting the endless meetings to get permission to recruit in the first place.

Most companies are far more efficient at recruiting. Fortunately in this case it looks as though the nhs trusts will just be given details of the volunteers allocated to them and what they should be doing.

 

[tysonstorm]

If you follow the volunteer link it tells you exactly what the volunteers will be doing.


No one is as slow at recruiting as an NHS trust. A three month lead in from the advert to starting work, full medical histories and life stories, descriptions of underwear worn when you were three etc. And that’s not counting the endless meetings to get permission to recruit in the first place.

Most companies are far more efficient at recruiting. Fortunately in this case it looks as though the nhs trusts will just be given details of the volunteers allocated to them and what they should be doing.

True that mind. I never been involved in any recruitment as slow as this. Perhaps there's good reason for it, legally I mean to ensure compliance but still some of the fat could be trimmed off. The biggie at the minute is getting the newly qualified staff nurses in asap.

 

[Sir Lancelot]

True that mind. I never been involved in any recruitment as slow as this. Perhaps there's good reason for it, legally I mean to ensure compliance but still some of the fat could be trimmed off. The biggie at the minute is getting the newly qualified staff nurses in asap.

So far as the newly qualified staff are concerned they are made to jump through hoops they already jumped through to start their training. All of them would have been checked out by Occ Health and their vaccinations etc would have been recorded. They already have DBS in order to trainand their examination certificates would have been checked by their university before they started.

They need a reference from their university which could include a mini questionnaire about their health and dbs status and the job would be done. My daughter was offered a job in March and didn’t start work until September by the time all the checks were done.

 

[Lankester Merrin]

If you follow the volunteer link it tells you exactly what the volunteers will be doing.

At the risk of stating the absolutely bleedin' obvious

A general statement about what roles that people will be doing isn't the same as a system to match individuals to roles, or a system to deploy those individuals to local areas to actually do some work.

 

[pavarotti1980]

If you follow the volunteer link it tells you exactly what the volunteers will be doing.


No one is as slow at recruiting as an NHS trust. A three month lead in from the advert to starting work, full medical histories and life stories, descriptions of underwear worn when you were three etc. And that’s not counting the endless meetings to get permission to recruit in the first place.

Most companies are far more efficient at recruiting. Fortunately in this case it looks as though the nhs trusts will just be given details of the volunteers allocated to them and what they should be doing.

6-8 weeks. Depends if its actually an organised trust i guess

So far as the newly qualified staff are concerned they are made to jump through hoops they already jumped through to start their training. All of them would have been checked out by Occ Health and their vaccinations etc would have been recorded. They already have DBS in order to trainand their examination certificates would have been checked by their university before they started.

They need a reference from their university which could include a mini questionnaire about their health and dbs status and the job would be done. My daughter was offered a job in March and didn’t start work until September by the time all the checks were done.

Guessing that was from a Student to Technician? Cant recruit into a substantive technician post until the student contract has concluded. Trusts recruit in advance of them completing their course and getting qualifications/registering

 

[OohBaldyBally]

That’s a lot of DBS checks to clear

 

[robcal]

Unsure why the DBS needs to be within 12 months. Mine began in November 2018 and as I'm still employed at the same place is fully valid (I think).

 

[ExiledonFront Street]

Unsure why the DBS needs to be within 12 months. Mine began in November 2018 and as I'm still employed at the same place is fully valid (I think).

I can't say too much for reasons to do with confidentiality but it would be really helpful for everyone here to keep on sharing their experiences of DBS checks. I am working on the COVID response and it's extremely useful to hear the experiences of people who are volunteering. The response has been brilliant but let's just say that the people who came up with it didn't exactly appreciate the need to sort the obvious risks. Your posts on here are very, very insightful so thanks

 

[S.S.R..]

Got an email to download an app. This will presumably be how they'll alert me to any jobs.

Anyone else got theirs yet?

 

[Barboza dh9]

Got an email to download an app. This will presumably be how they'll alert me to any jobs.

Anyone else got theirs yet?

Never heard nowt ,did say it could take 72 hours ,I'm ready and waiting

 

[ShieldsBlackCat2015]

Can anyone volunteer?

 

[sketchy]

Never heard nowt ,did say it could take 72 hours ,I'm ready and waiting

I got an email next day saying thanks and it will take 2-7 days to check id but not planning any volunteering to start until after 31st.

 

[OohBaldyBally]

Can anyone volunteer?

Anyone over 18 I think (and in good health).
There are DBS checks to filter out some wrang’uns.

 

[ShieldsBlackCat2015]

Anyone over 18 I think (and in good health).
There are DBS checks to filter out some wrang’uns.

I have a DBS certifiate.

What are they volunteering in? If I cannot get a job as a shelf stacker in a supermarket which is very likely as the world would have to be coming to and end for someone to be willing to employ me I only have right now the NHS as neebody else is taking anyone on as they are all closed. That is what I hate about the COVID-19 virus if you are unemployed. You still have to job hunt but it has severely restricted the number of places one can realistically apply to. The only sectors open is the NHS and retail. But I have no experience of the NHS and slightly more experience of retail.

 

[MackemLass]

I got an email next day saying thanks and it will take 2-7 days to check id but not planning any volunteering to start until after 31st.

This is what I got.

Did you have a valid DBS? I didnt as mine expired last week. I think it's those checks that will take longer.

Reckon if you have a valid DBS you will have access to the app sooner rather than later

 

[sketchy]

This is what I got.

Did you have a valid DBS? I didnt as mine expired last week. I think it's those checks that will take longer.

Reckon if you have a valid DBS you will have access to the app sooner rather than later

Yeah mines in date. Someone in my family doesn't have a dbs and they have had an email asking about ppe so don't know why hers has gone through quicker.

 

[Charlestonian]

I have a DBS certifiate.

What are they volunteering in? If I cannot get a job as a shelf stacker in a supermarket which is very likely as the world would have to be coming to and end for someone to be willing to employ me I only have right now the NHS as neebody else is taking anyone on as they are all closed. That is what I hate about the COVID-19 virus if you are unemployed. You still have to job hunt but it has severely restricted the number of places one can realistically apply to. The only sectors open is the NHS and retail. But I have no experience of the NHS and slightly more experience of retail.

I could be wrong but the major supermarkets wanted folk to go in for immediate starts, temporary but immediate.

 

[MackemLass]

Yeah mines in date. Someone in my family doesn't have a dbs and they have had an email asking about ppe so don't know why hers has gone through quicker.

Ah well that rules that thought out then.
Hopefully it wont taken too long.

Great thing we have all signed up forn

 

[ivanthereasonable]

I have a DBS certifiate.

What are they volunteering in? If I cannot get a job as a shelf stacker in a supermarket which is very likely as the world would have to be coming to and end for someone to be willing to employ me I only have right now the NHS as neebody else is taking anyone on as they are all closed. That is what I hate about the COVID-19 virus if you are unemployed. You still have to job hunt but it has severely restricted the number of places one can realistically apply to. The only sectors open is the NHS and retail. But I have no experience of the NHS and slightly more experience of retail.

I'd have thought there'd be places looking for delivery drivers. Mrs R was ordering wine from Majestic wines, and bloke says they are putting an extra van on to cope with orders. Similar companies may be doing the same nearer you. Fruit and veg shop in Pelaw going full belt with deliveries, so drivers seem to be needed.

 

[ShieldsBlackCat2015]

I could be wrong but the major supermarkets wanted folk to go in for immediate starts, temporary but immediate.

I'd be willing to work tonight if need be. I really want to start earning again.

I'd have thought there'd be places looking for delivery drivers. Mrs R was ordering wine from Majestic wines, and bloke says they are putting an extra van on to cope with orders. Similar companies may be doing the same nearer you. Fruit and veg shop in Pelaw going full belt with deliveries, so drivers seem to be needed.

I applied for a job as a delivery driver for Well Pharmacy delivering prescriptions. So I am using what I love the most to help the NHS which would be a dream come true. I could become a hero too.

I see. Seems like there is loads of places that need drivers. Not just NHS and supermarkets. I just need to think outside the box. Wines is a good example. People will be turning to wine. Not because they are winos but because they need to get away from the Coronavirus. They want to forget about it.