Volunteer Handbook - Children in Hospital Ireland

Hello to all our volunteers,

We are pleased that you have chosen to volunteer with Children in Hospital Ireland (CIH) and we look forward to having you on our team of over 500 volunteers who are making a big difference in 14 hospital locations nationwide. Each day all our volunteers are having a positive impact on the lives of children and their families at a very challenging time in their lives.

This site has been specially developed to support you in your role as a volunteer with CIH. It provides an introduction to CIH and its work and provides resources especially developed for those working with children in a hospital setting. In addition, the site provides all the processes and procedures required to do your role effectively.

At CIH our volunteers are at the heart of our organisation and we are always open to feedback as to how we can support you and improve our services.

Thank-you for choosing to volunteer with CIH and we look forward to a long and rewarding relationship.

Elizabeth Morrin

Volunteer Manager, Children in Hospital Ireland

Letter from the CEO

Dear all our Volunteers,

Welcome to the Children in Hospital Ireland (CIH) team. Thank you for choosing to volunteer with us and to make the experience of children in hospital and their families, a little easier.

Volunteers are the core of CIH’s work and we see first-hand, the difference our service makes to children and parents during what can be an incredibly stressful time. As a volunteer you will have the opportunity to work with a team of volunteers in your chosen hospital to support the medical and play staff and bring your skills and experience into each interaction with children and their families.

This volunteer manual presents all the key information that you will need during your time volunteering with CIH. We are proud to say we have been awarded the Investing in Volunteers, quality standards award for our processes and practices in supporting volunteers but if you have any further questions or comments, please feel free to contact our Volunteer Manager, Elizabeth Morrin or Volunteer Co-ordinator, Emma Barrett and they will be happy to respond.

I look forward to meeting you at one of our volunteer events or in the hospital that you are placed in and I hope you enjoy your time with us in CIH.