Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund: national evaluation Jane South Professor of Healthy Communities

Acknowledgements The HSCVF evaluation was commissioned by ECORYS (fund managers on behalf of DH) and HSCVF partners- Attend, CSV and Primetimers. Evaluation was carried out by a team from Centre for Health Promotion Research, Leeds Metropolitan University: – Jane South [PI], Ruth Cross, Karina Kinsella, Louise Warwick-Booth, James Woodall, Judy White.

Presentation outline Presentation will include: – Background – Evaluation aim and approach – Overview of evaluation methods – Findings – projects; volunteers; communities – Future challenges

Number of health and social care employees, volunteers and carers in England Source: The King’s Fund (2013) Volunteering in health a care. Securing a sustainable future.

Department of Health’s Health and Social Care Volunteering Fund Capacity building programme – funds and support package 2010 & 2011 rounds, 94 local and 13 national projects based in VCSE organisations For further details of projects see:

Desk-based Review Workshops (3) Case Studies – 2 national 6 local Volunteer Survey (623 volunteers) National Interviews (9) FINAL REPORT HSCVF Fund Capacity Building Volunteer Engagement Learning Organisational Impact Making a Difference Evaluation design & methods Synthesis of results leedsmet.ac.uk/vfp/

Local projects by funding theme Themes% 2010 projects (n=43) Addressing Social Care priorities16 Health inequalities21 Both themes projects (n=51) Patient-led NHS14 Delivering better health outcomes12 Improving public health26 Improving health and social care49 Source: HSCVF project monitoring forms

Strengthening volunteering 2010 local projects recruited a total of 517 new volunteers who carried out a total of 11,856 extra volunteering hours local projects recruited 687 new volunteers and created 20,335 extra volunteering hours. Volunteer coordinator = key role.

Volunteer roles Most common volunteering activities were (n= 623): befriending (45%) giving advice, information, counselling (38%) practical help (33%) visiting people (32%) organising or helping run events (25%).

Making a difference for volunteers Personal benefits of volunteering: – increased confidence – having a sense of purpose – feeling listened to – awareness of health and social care issues. Volunteer pathways – personal development – education and skills – volunteer and paid roles Stronger ties – new contacts ‘It’s that warm feeling inside of thinking I’m doing something decent here…and there is an enormous amount of feel good factor for somebody like me…on a personal level it leaves something with me, on a professional level I’m learning to do what I want to do.’ [Place2Be] ‘It’s that warm feeling inside of thinking I’m doing something decent here…and there is an enormous amount of feel good factor for somebody like me…on a personal level it leaves something with me, on a professional level I’m learning to do what I want to do.’ [Place2Be] ‘If I wasn’t a volunteer I would be stuck in a day centre, just looking at four walls basically. Whereas I can get out and meet people and it gives me a better social life.’ [My Care, My Choice] ‘If I wasn’t a volunteer I would be stuck in a day centre, just looking at four walls basically. Whereas I can get out and meet people and it gives me a better social life.’ [My Care, My Choice]

Which groups do volunteers work with? Source: Volunteers’ Views Survey (n=544)

Views about impact of projects in the community Source: Volunteers’ Views Survey

Making a difference for communities ‘These volunteers are the first step of knowledge about the whole thing. Midwives, Doctors, GP surgeries don’t reach to that point. These volunteers are reaching right out into the community, and even their families it’s wonderful.’ [Maternity Outreach] ‘These volunteers are the first step of knowledge about the whole thing. Midwives, Doctors, GP surgeries don’t reach to that point. These volunteers are reaching right out into the community, and even their families it’s wonderful.’ [Maternity Outreach] ‘I’ve befriended lots of parents unofficially because you can’t stop it once you start doing it. You can’t see somebody trapped if you can just chat to them, even if it’s just let’s go down to Sainsbury’s and have a quick cup of coffee and a laugh.’ [Calderdale Parent and Carers] ‘I’ve befriended lots of parents unofficially because you can’t stop it once you start doing it. You can’t see somebody trapped if you can just chat to them, even if it’s just let’s go down to Sainsbury’s and have a quick cup of coffee and a laugh.’ [Calderdale Parent and Carers] ‘I think when you are saying you are a carer yourself, then you just want to help other carers, that barrier goes down.’ [Older People’s Budgets] ‘I think when you are saying you are a carer yourself, then you just want to help other carers, that barrier goes down.’ [Older People’s Budgets]

Future challenges Changes in health and social care impacting on voluntary and community sector, volunteers and communities they serve. Navigating local commissioning to secure future funding Connecting up to health and social care services so volunteering adds value to statutory provision Small peer support projects have place in health and social care system but how to support?

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