Would you like to join Phyllis Tuckwell's team of volunteer Pastoral Care Companions?
Phyllis Tuckwell’s volunteer Pastoral Care Companions provide comfort and support to patients and their families.
Phyllis Tuckwell supports patients who are living with an advanced or terminal illness, and cares for them through to their death, whether they choose to die on the charity’s In-Patient Unit (IPU), or in their own home or care home. Its Pastoral Care Companions are volunteers who sit with patients who are being cared for on the IPU, providing comfort and support to them and their families, and helping to make their death gentle and dignified.
Patients may be anxious or distressed, bored and agitated, or in need of someone to listen. Some may be at the very end of their life, and both they and their family may need support at what can be a difficult time. Pastoral Care Companions can help by listening to patients, and being a reassuring presence at a patient’s bedside. Their presence can give family members a break, and they can build up a rapport with the patient and their family, and role model end of life vigilling.
“Our Pastoral Care Companions offer a unique and really important service to patients who are in their last hours of life,” said Jill Thornton, from Phyllis Tuckwell’s Pastoral Care team. “Being by someone’s side when they are dying, and helping to make sure their last moments are peaceful and that they feel reassured and comforted, is a very special thing to do.”
Phyllis Tuckwell is looking for volunteers to join its team of Pastoral Care Companions and will be holding a recruitment workshop on Thursday 20th June, from 9.30am to 1.30pm, at its offices in Farnham. This opportunity is open to anyone who has trained as a Soul Midwife, EOL Doula or has worked as a Healthcare professional in an end of life / palliative care setting.
Following this workshop, the successful candidates will be offered a fixed term placement for 12 months. They will be required to attend training on Wednesday 3rd, Thursday 4th and Saturday 6th July, as well as additional IT and Safeguarding training at a later date, and regular supervision sessions. The Pastoral Care Companion role is a voluntary one, comprising a minimum of one shift of 5pm to 8pm per month on a mutually agreed date. It is based at Phyllis Tuckwell’s 10-bed In-Patient Unit, which is currently located at Kings Lodge care home in Camberley, until Phyllis Tuckwell’s new Hospice building in Farnham opens in 2026.
If you would like to attend the event, please contact Phyllis Tuckwell’s Voluntary Services team on 01252 729400 or email voluntary.services@pth.org to request an application form. The closing date for applications to attend the event is Friday 7th June.
If you would like to find out more about the care that Phyllis Tuckwell provides, please visit www.pth.org.uk
All our services are free, but this is only possible due to the generosity of our amazing community. The Government/NHS only provide 25% of our costs, so we need to raise over £25,000 every day to provide our vital services.
Please donate what you can to help keep hospice care available to all those in our community who need us.
