Volunteering Development Officer

Job summary

This role will join the primary care workforce team and will lead and support the development of volunteer practice across the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System (ICS). This role will focus on supporting the development of volunteering infrastructure in primary and social care as part of our Volunteering for Health programme. This work aligns and adds to the Norfolk Vision for Volunteering.

The role will work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders across health and social care to promote a culture of valuing and empowering volunteers, and to ensure that volunteering is aligned with the strategic priorities and values of the system. The role will take learning from organisations that are working well in this area and develop and share this where volunteering is currently underdeveloped.

The Volunteering Development Officer will need to be confident to lead on building relationships with key stakeholders, presentations and able to analyse information to create precise and high-quality reports for organisations both internal and external to Norfolk & Waveney.

The role will require an ability to work independently and deliver the project plan flexibility across organisations in the system.

"This role is being offered as a 23-month secondment only from April 2025. Secondments from the VCSE sector are available"

Main duties of the job

Support the delivery of the Volunteering for Health programme.

• Build productive relationships with strategic partners to encourage system working.
• Pull together good practice from health and care partners to develop and promote a shared volunteer practice framework that sets out the standards, principles and processes for effective volunteer management and engagement.
• Provide advice, guidance and training to staff and managers on best practice in volunteer recruitment, induction, supervision and retention.
• Establish effective communication and feedback mechanisms with volunteer coordinators, and ensure their views and experiences inform development of the Academy.
• Develop volunteering in areas in the ICS where this is currently underdeveloped, in particular in primary and social care.
• Work with stakeholders to develop and promote use of the Academy and Neighbourhood Innovation Fund.
• Develop tools resources and training for the Academy.
• Work with partners to trial innovative approaches and new ways of working / volunteering and then share successes .
• In partnership with the Institute of Volunteering Research, monitor and evaluate the impact and outcomes of both individual pilots and the project overall.
• Identify barriers to partnership working, report these to the steering group with any suggestions.
• Establishing and co-ordinating stakeholder groups.
• Management of the reporting timetable, collating and analysing information and producing reports as required.

About us

NHS Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) plans and buys healthcare services for our local population. We are accountable for the performance and finances of the NHS across Norfolk and Waveney - a total budget of £2 billion a year. Known as NHS Norfolk and Waveney, the organisation works with local people, health and care professionals, and partner organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of our population.

Volunteering for Health is a national programme which will speed up change by helping to break down barriers to volunteering, test new volunteering infrastructure models, and develop guidance and best practice for all systems.

It aims to influence the policy environment and increase our understanding of the impact of volunteers and volunteering across the NHS, alongside the potential role of NHS charities in helping the NHS to deliver the best care.

Our focus areas include:

o Drive culture change in our system and make the case for investment in volunteering.

o Create a learning collaborative, where learning, lived experience and innovation in volunteering practice are recognised and supported.

o Work in partnership across our system to ensure that volunteers have the best experience of volunteering and drive a step change in the recruitment and retention of a more resilient and diverse volunteering workforce.

o Provide access for health and care partners to volunteer management training, support and peer support networks.