We exist to help people reach their potential and live well in their communities. We do this through our mental health, community, learning disability and wellbeing services across Barnsley, Calderdale, Kirklees and Wakefield. We also provide specialist secure mental health (forensic) services for the whole of Yorkshire and Humber.

We have over 160 volunteers in a variety of roles across the Trust.

We are seeking volunteers for a number of roles based within our services and the community.

Do you have a dog that is very friendly, has a reliable temperament, loves being around people and is comfortable in different environments?  Would you like to work in partnership with your dog to support people who are experiencing mental health issues? Then we would love to hear from you!

About the Programme:

The Canine Befrienders Programme was set up in January 2020 to provide inpatients and staff with the opportunity to experience the many benefits of spending time with a therapy animal on a regular basis.

There is a wealth of evidence to show that spending time with animals can reduce stress, provide comfort and distraction from upsetting experiences and symptoms, promote social interaction and reduce loneliness. Close contact with a therapy animal can often be a deeply spiritual experience as it enables people to get in touch with often hidden and neglected parts of themselves, therefore, allowing feelings and emotions to emerge which can be deeply therapeutic and healing.

Location: The Priestley Unit, Dewsbury and District Hospital, Halifax Road, Dewsbury, WF13 4HS

What does the role involve:

The dogs visit the mental health inpatient wards with their owners, who give their time voluntarily, on a weekly/fortnightly basis and provide support to several inpatients.

The dogs work either with individual patients or with groups of patients from different inpatient settings. They engage with patients in different ways, as some individuals enjoy just ‘being with’ the dogs and stroking and petting them, some enjoy getting involved in activities such as throwing a ball for the dogs or walking them on the lead, and one of the dogs attends a social group within the hospital.

As part of this role, you will:

• Visit inpatient wards
• Spend time with people on an individual basis such as accompanying people on a short walk around the hospital grounds
• Visit staff teams
• Attend trust events

About the dogs:

The wellbeing of the dogs is always of paramount importance. The dogs are very carefully selected, they must be very friendly and love being around people, they must have a reliable temperament and enjoy being petted and stroked and must be comfortable and confident in new and unusual environments. They must also undergo a formal assessment by an approved dog behaviourist.

About the volunteers:

The owners/ volunteers are also assessed by the dog behaviourist and have to meet all the standards required by the NHS volunteer recruitment procedure as well as attend a training programme to prepare them for their role.

• Application form required
• References required
• DBS (criminal record check that the organisation will organise)

• 18+