Volunteer and work experience

Our Volunteer Service recruits, trains and provides ongoing support to volunteers in a wide range of projects across the Trust. We welcome volunteers from all areas of our diverse community, who feel they have something to offer to help us enhance the service we provide to our patients.

Who can volunteer?

Are you 18 years old or over? (there is no upper age limit)
Do you enjoy helping others?
Would you be willing to volunteer on a regular basis (minimum of once a week for 6 months)?
Do you have the right to work in the UK?

If your response is ‘Yes’ to all of these questions, you might be the individual we are searching for to join our team of volunteers.

What do volunteers do?

Volunteers participate in a wide range of non-clinical activities across the Trust, complementing the work of healthcare professionals to enhance the experience of our service users.

Volunteer activities aim to:

Offer social and therapeutic support to service users on a ward or department, such as listening and chatting to service users, participating in board games, quizzes, crosswords, gardening, arts or musical activities.
Promote service user involvement.

Volunteering is beneficial to our service users, to the volunteer and to us as an organisation.

Contact us

If you need any assistance, please call Natalie Poland, Voluntary Service Lead on 07810 656746 or email volunteering@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk.

Work experience

Work experience opportunities

To find a work experience opportunity with a service in your local area, please contact the service directly. You can find your local services by visiting our find a service webpage.

On demand virtual work experience opportunities for Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)

Springpod is pleased to offer a virtual work experience programme which is free and offers 10 hours of virtual experience to anyone interested in learning more about a career within our 14 AHP professions.

The Allied Health Professions (AHPs) are the third largest workforce in the NHS. In the main they are degree level professions, and are professionally autonomous practitioners. 13 of the 14 AHPs are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) with Osteopaths regulated by the General Osteopathic Council (GOC).

AHPs provide system-wide care to assess, treat, diagnose and discharge patients across social care, housing, education, and independent and voluntary sectors. Through adopting an holistic approach to healthcare, AHPs are able to help manage patients’ care throughout the life course from birth to palliative care. Their focus is on prevention and improvement of health and wellbeing to maximise the potential for individuals to live full and active lives within their family circles, social networks, education/training and the workplace.

Entry criteria

Open to students that are area between 14 – 25 years old
Further information and how to apply can be accessed as follows:
For a student that is at school or college: https://www.springpod.co.uk/experience/allied-health-professional-on-demand
For a college lever/ Adult: https://join.springpod.co.uk/ahp-on-demand-adult-learning-course/

If you have any questions or want further information, please contact Springpod to discuss further.

Psychology graduate internships

If you are looking for information on psychology graduate internships and undergraduate placement years see our internship page or contact internships@sussexpartnership.nhs.uk

Apprenticeships

To search and apply for an apprenticeship, please see our apprenticeship page.

An Introduction to volunteering at Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

Find your volunteering opportunity