PETS AS THERAPY VOLUNTEER

Job summary

Therapy Dogs needed

At Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust we are blessed with a team of dedicated volunteers and their registered therapy dogs providing emotional support for our patients and staff and always welcome additional volunteers and registered therapy dogs.

If you own a registered Therapy dog with either Pets as Therapy or Canine Concern we would love you to consider joining our team of volunteers. Pet owners will need to become MTW volunteers with all the associated pre-volunteering checks including an enhanced DBS check.

Main duties of the job

Please read below how therapy dogs can impact our patient within the Stroke unit.

After a stroke, patients are at their most vulnerable, can become isolated in the hospital environment and are missing their "normality". PAT dogs are a way to re-connect to the outside world, providing some familiarity, routine, and some warm welcomed distractions. These PAT dog interactions are so important for stimulation, providing comfort, company, and for enhancing mental health & wellbeing, not just for the patients but for staff also.

PAT dogs:

• Gentle and calm demeanour
• Loves to be in the company of others

The impact for patients on stroke:

• At a time patients are most vulnerable
• Comfort
• Morale
• Calming
• Happiness
• Stimulation
• Familiarity
• Distraction from hospital isolation
• Connection
• Interaction
• Routine
• Enhances overall wellbeing
• Sense of purpose
• Natural mood booster

For staff:

• Natural mood booster.

For dogs and owners Volunteers:

• Enrichment from meeting new people.
• Sense of purpose, giving back.

About us

Working for your organisation

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust ranks among the top 10 NHS Trusts nationwide and was named the second-best Trust to work for in the South East in the 2023 NHS Staff Survey.

We are a large acute hospital trust in south-east England, providing general hospital services and specialist care to around 600,000 residents in West Kent and East Sussex. With a dedicated and diverse team of over 8,000 staff we are proud to offer specialised cancer services to over two million people through the Kent Oncology Centre.

Fordcombe Hospital, near Tunbridge Wells, became part of the Trust in October 2024. Specialising in planned care, it offers two operating theatres, 28 inpatient and day-care beds, diagnostic services (X-ray, MRI, CT, and endoscopy), and consultation/treatment rooms.

Looking for flexible working?We are a flexible working-friendly organisation. Whether it's adjusting your hours or exploring other flexible arrangements, we want to work with you to find the best solution for you, our patients, and the Trust. Talk to us about how we can accommodate your working needs.

Joining us includes a comprehensive benefits package:

• At least 27 days of annual leave plus public/bank holidays (pro-rata for part-time staff).
• Membership in the NHS Pension Scheme, with a 20.6% employer contribution and life assurance benefits
• Blue Light card eligibility
• And more, additional benefits can be found in the benefits documents below