Volunteers

Wherever we live, be it in the city, suburbs, rural or isolated country areas, there will probably be someone we know who is seriously ill, dying or grieving for someone who has died. Palliative care can make a major difference to the quality of their life.

Volunteers in palliative care are an important and valued part of the team. They offer friendship and practical help which enables adults and children living with a terminal illness to remain independent for longer than otherwise possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

2010 Survey of Palliative Care Volunteers in Victoria

In November 2010, at PCV’s request, a small working group from the Victorian Managers of Volunteers Network undertook a snapshot telephone survey of all Victorian Managers/Coordinators of Volunteers to determine the number of palliative care volunteers in Victoria. Thanks to this work PCV now has an up to date listing of all palliative care volunteer services in Victoria and some guiding statistics to support future monitoring of service growth.

This snap shot demonstrated that Victoria has 54 services with 1730 registered palliative care volunteers. 1329 of this number were directly supporting clients.

2010 Victorian Palliative Care Volunteer Survey Report

Volunteer Standards

The state and national volunteer standards relating to palliative care volunteers are outlined.

Palliative Care Volunteer Strategy Workshop

Help us to build the future of  volunteering in palliative care in Victoria.

The workshop will inform the development of a three year Palliative Care Volunteer Strategy for Victoria that will guide, foster and promote good practice and sustainability in palliative care volunteerism.

Successful palliative care volunteer programs abroad have highlighted that senior level  commitment to, and championing of, palliative care volunteers is a critical success factor. We therefore invite CEO’s and other senior managers with responsibility for palliative care volunteer services, Consortium Managers,  Managers and Coordinators of Volunteers, volunteers  and representatives from the Department of Health to participate in this forum.

Date           Wednesday, 29th February 2012

Time         9.30 am to 4.00 pm. Refreshments including lunch will be provided.

Venue       Room 104 (Ground Floor), La Trobe University, 215 Franklin St, Melbourne

Parking     Available at Victoria Market; Train – closest exit is  Flagstaff Station.

Register     Please register online at: http://vol-strategy-workshop.eventbrite.com.au?ref=elink

More Info  Download the  consultation paper and agenda for the workshop here.

Training Resources

Palliative care is a speciality area and volunteers working in palliative care require initial education and ongoing training.