Would you like to make a difference to our future healthcare professionals?
We are currently looking to increase our number of Volunteer Active Self Managers. The aim of the Active Self Manager Programme is to improve health and social care outcomes for people living with long-term conditions by providing university students in healthcare education an opportunity to gain greater insight into what it means to live with a long-term condition.
We need active self-managers who are willing to share their experience at selected Universities across the country. To provide healthcare students with an active understanding of how self-management skills can support people with long-term conditions, and to have greater understanding of these skills to support them in which ever healthcare field they choose to support including their local communities.
The commitment is:
After successful completion of your 3 days training, you will be asked to support between 4-6 one off sessions annually, presenting as part of a team your self-management story to students and answering their questions.
This post will appeal to:
- Volunteers who still want to be part of Self-management UK but through ill health or other commitments cannot commit to the six weekly sessions
- Volunteer Tutors who are in areas where there are limited opportunities to deliver courses and this programme is running
- Volunteers that currently deliver and want to learn new skills
- Bank tutors who want to volunteer and learn new skills.
If you are interested in applying please contact Rachel Hatcher or Linda Cairns
Rachel Hatcher
T: 03333 445 840
M: 07595 020 932
Linda Cairns
T: 03333 445 840
M: 07500 104 610
Or alternatively you can telephone one of our Admin team on: 03333 445 840
Talking to the next generation of healthcare professionals about issues as important as self-management is a real privilege. As a volunteer I am very well supported by Rachel and the other volunteers - each session we deliver is a team effort! It is comforting to know that my experiences can be of value to others, and the students are always very receptive to our talks.
The highlight for me has been bumping into one of the students from a session a few months later on a ferry (quite randomly!) and not only her remembering me, but her telling me that she had changed the way she approached a particular patient after our talk! A wonderful moment!
Anya De Iongh
Active Self Manager Volunteer
The Programme has evolved from us being Service User Mentors in 2008 on a one to one basis for Foundation Degree Students at two Universities; to facilitating group sessions for Healthcare Students and Trainees at ten universities & hospitals in the south central area, informing them about self- management and how they can support patients/service users to self- manage their health conditions
In the group sessions at least two of us, and often up to four, deliver and give personal examples of being an Active Self Manger. It is a team effort bringing together our different experiences.
There are also other opportunities for us. In April I did a role play of a service user going into a Pharmacy to seek advice from a Pharmacist…twenty two times during the same day as part of the pre-registration examination of a group of Pharmacists. A few months later I attended the Course Review with their educators/trainers and as a result we will be undertaking more sessions and more roles for their group of Pharmacist trainees next year.
There are a growing number of different opportunities for Active Self Managers with more Healthcare Students as more Universities & Hospitals come on board. We tend to volunteer for around 5 half days/days a year, but you can do more than this. An initial training programme is provided and there are two Review and Reflection days a year with fellow volunteers.
Peter Johnson
Active Self Manager Volunteer
