CABINET OFFICE News
Release (CAB/026/08) issued by The Government News Network on 10
March 2008
Baroness Julia
Neuberger, the Government's independent volunteering
champion, today published her report, Volunteering in the Public
Services: Health and Social Care. The report is the first in a
series examining the role of volunteers and volunteering in public
services. Through consultation with over 1000 volunteers and
organisations it found much potential to expand volunteering in
health and social care to build more people centred services.
The report identifies a largely untapped source of volunteers in
service-users. It argues that they could make an enormous
contribution as volunteers in health and social care because no
one understands what it is like to have a condition like a person
who has it themselves.
Baroness Julia Neuberger, the Government's independent
volunteering champion, said:
'Volunteering can create a virtuous circle, improving levels
of well being for volunteers, professional colleagues and most
importantly the people that use the services. In health and social
care I found some excellent examples of volunteers being involved
in services as well as significant potential to increase levels of
volunteering in the sector.'
Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson said:
'We welcome the publication of Baroness Neuberger's
report. It is a powerful insight to volunteering in health and
social care, provides a welcome boost to the profile of
volunteering and represents a significant contribution to the
strategic reform agenda.
'We will consider the recommendations in the report to
inform the Department of Health's Volunteering Strategy for
Health and Social Care which will drive forward and promote new
and existing volunteering initiatives across the NHS, social care
and in the third sector.'
The review's main recommendations are:
1) In-house
'volunteering hubs' should be established within
government agencies to help mainstream volunteering in health and
social care services.
2) When commissioning services, Government agencies should
consider the social benefits and true costs of volunteering.
3) Employee volunteering schemes should become commonplace
throughout health and social care services.
4) A programme board should be set up, with a remit to increase
volunteering in health and social care and ensure that volunteers
are properly managed.
5) Both the Government and charities need to make more of the
huge, largely untapped, resource of service-users as volunteers.
6) NHS websites should signpost their users to peer group support
websites, and to more general volunteering opportunities.
These findings will feed into a final report on volunteering in
public services to be submitted to the Prime Minister towards the
end of 2008 after which the Government will respond.
Notes to Editors
1. The Prime Minister appointed Baroness
Neuberger to be the Government's independent volunteering
champion in June 2007. Her report on volunteering in health and
social care is available at: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/upload/assets/www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/neuberger.pdf
2. Baroness Julia Neuberger: Born 27 February 1950, was educated
at South Hampstead High School for Girls, Newnham College
Cambridge and Leo Baeck College London. She is former Chief
Executive of the Kings Fund - an independent charitable foundation
aiming to improve health, especially in London. Baroness Julia
Neuberger has previously been Chair of Camden and Islington CHS
NHS Trust ('93-'97), Visiting Fellow Harkness Fellowship
Harvard Medical School ('91-'92), Visiting Fellow Kings
Fund Institute ('89-'91) and Rabbi, South London Liberal
Synagogue ('77-'89). She has been a Civil Service
Commissioner, Member of the Committee on Standards in Public Life,
Chair of the Patients' Association, and holds Trusteeships of
the British Council, Imperial War Museum and formerly Runnymede
Trust amongst others. She is also a Vice President of the United
Nations Association, has a number of honorary doctorates and is
Patron of the North London Hospice, Patron of the Prisoners of
Conscience Appeal Fund and Patron of the Memorial Arts Charity.
Baroness Julia Neuberger chairs the independent Commission on the
future of Volunteering. She is married with two children and lives
in London.
3. The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) was established in May
2006 to drive forward the Government's role in supporting a
thriving third sector, and join up sector related work across government.
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