The Oxford Health Volunteer programme sits in the Charity and Involvement Team within Corporate Affairs. Becky and Juliet together promote, develop, recruit and manage Volunteers in an ever-evolving variety of roles across the organisation. Volunteering within the NHS takes many different forms however the role of a Volunteer is to support and enhance services for patients, staff, carers and families and these amazing individuals give their time to do just that. 

“A Volunteers contribution makes a difference to us all”

This past three years we have had the opportunity to grow the Volunteer Programme as a dedicated team, developing new and innovative roles, celebrating our Volunteers and sharing stories of who they are and what they do every day. We are supporting Volunteers on their journey whatever their motivation is for Volunteering.

 

We have been able to focus on Volunteer to Career as both a pilot programme and to support all Volunteers on a career journey. 

 

Launch our first research Volunteer role which is currently underway. We will be sharing an update this week. Watch this space.

 

We are supporting more and more Volunteers with lived experience to Volunteer to support their recovery journey and many of our Volunteers with lived experience are looking to step in to roles within the trust such as the dedicated Peer Support Worker programme. 

 

Alongside this our traditional Volunteering roles have been growing across the trust and the difference they make every day demonstrates the value of Volunteering for the services they support and also for the Volunteer themselves. 

 

We aim to showcase this week what a variety of roles there are across Oxford Health. Today its who we are and what we do.

Meet Becky Deane, Interim Volunteer Programme Lead and Juliet LeMasurier, Volunteer Programme Administrator

About Becky:

I joined Oxford Health in 2008 as part of the opening of Cotswold House, Specialist Eating Disorder Unit in Marlborough. My role as a support worker progressed into Occupational Therapy Technical Instructor and I remained in this role until February 2022. I was then fortunate to be given the opportunity for a 6 month secondment in the Charity and Involvement team as a Volunteer Programme Project Support Coordinator. 

 

This was a new role in the team to develop Volunteering and leaning on 13+ years experience in a ward and community based role, I was able to bring this knowledge and understanding of specialised Mental Health services, as I developed in a very different role.

The role was made substantive based on the success of the project and as Volunteer Programme Coordinator I have been involved in developing many new roles across Oxford Health since. I very much enjoy supporting our wonderful Volunteers join the organisation and seeing people grow in confidence on their journey is incredibly rewarding. There is definitely a similarity in the support I am able to give people in this role that I enjoyed in a clinical environment. 

 

From the initial conversations with services to ongoing management of Volunteers my role has always been varied and fulfilling and in November 2024 I took on the role of Interim Volunteer Programme Lead. This has given me the opportunity to progress in the team and continue to drive the Volunteer Programme.

 

I have had the opportunity to grow in this role and within this team, personally and professionally, and I look forward to where we are able to take Volunteering in Oxford Health and I am passionate about promoting Volunteers and everything they do. 

 

About Juliet:

My journey began in a volunteer role, giving me firsthand insight into the volunteer experience before transitioning into my current position as the Volunteer Programme Administrator at the Trust in July 2022. My own journey allows me to deeply understand the challenges and rewards of volunteering, ensuring I can provide informed guidance and support to those looking to make a difference.

 

I have a passion for charity and fundraising—I have twice completed the London Marathon and the Oxford Half Marathon to raise funds and awareness for Oxford Health Charity, with a particular focus on Lucy’s Room

 

In my current role, I specialise in volunteer recruitment and onboarding, carefully shaping role profiles in collaboration with different services to guarantee volunteers enhance, rather than overlap with, professional roles. I manage all aspects of the application process, from initial discussions to Occupational Health and DBS checks, ensuring every volunteer is well-prepared for their role. Additionally, I work closely with the careers team, attending events and exploring new avenues to expand our volunteer programme, which continues to grow in interest and engagement.

 

Seeing the increasing enthusiasm for volunteering excites me. I am eager to continue developing innovative strategies that encourage participation and enhance patient experiences.

Alongside the development, recruitment and onboarding, we are passionate about raising awareness of our Volunteer programme by sharing stories, joining team meetings and away days to explore how Volunteers could support services and further shaping how Volunteering can look for Oxford Health.

 

We are year round networking with Volunteer services nationally, through NHS England, Helpforce, NAVSM (National Association of Volunteer Service Managers), Mental Health NHS Volunteer Service Manager Networks and BOB ICB VSM Networks. This supports our Volunteer programme development inline with national policies and strategy and allows us to share best practice for everything Volunteering.

 

We recruit all year round into new and existing roles and we have our own dedicated Volunteer Portal where our roles can be viewed and applied for - Volunteering Opportunities | Oxford Health Volunteering