Volunteers

Our volunteers are a valued part of our team and assist in a wide variety of tasks and roles throughout the hospital.

St John of God Berwick Hospital has an extremely supportive community and our volunteers hold an important role within that community.

We have over 90 volunteers who support our three hospitals located in south east Melbourne, with many generously supporting our caregivers and visitors for several years.

Volunteers may choose from a variety of roles including:

Meet and greet.
Ward based and patient-facing duties in departments throughout the hospital.
Administration support and more.

To support them in their duties, volunteers will:

Receive a position description to ensure clear guidance and support.
Participate in a thorough training and orientation program.
Be invited to annual social events where they can network with hospital caregivers and other volunteers.
Be led by our dedicated Volunteer Coordinator who will provide support, communication and guidance.
Be able to choose from a variety of shifts which suit their lifestyle.

Volunteering can provide individuals with a sense of belonging and achievement, as many people find helping others and assisting people with their queries rewarding.

Benefits of volunteering:

Gives you a sense of achievement and purpose.
Helps you feel part of a community.
Helps you feel better about yourself by improving your self-esteem and confidence.
Helps you share your talents, learn new skills and create a better work-life balance.
Helps counteract the effects of stress, anger, and anxiety.

Please read the FAQs below and if you would like to register your interest or learn more, email [email protected].

Volunteer recruitment FAQs

To be a volunteer at St John of God Berwick Hospital means that you will freely perform tasks and duties, which you will not receive payment for.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and have a diverse range of skills and personal attributes. We do not require a specific set of qualifications or skills.

The minimum age for volunteers at St John of God Berwick Hospital is 18 years of age.

We ask that you:

Support St John of God Health Care’s culture, Mission and Values.
Participate in all relevant induction and ongoing training programs.
Only undertake duties you are authorised to perform and operate.
Understand and comply with the organisation’s policies and procedures including, equal opportunity, health and safety, privacy and confidentiality policies.
Notify your volunteer coordinator or another member of staff of any health and safety issues or potentially hazardous situations that may pose a risk to you or others and report any accidents or incidents relating to staff, volunteers, or the workplace.
Behave appropriately and courteously to all staff, clients and the public in the course of your role.
Use any property or equipment given to you in your role safely and only for purpose of the role and return it to the organisation when you finish your volunteer role.
Let us know if you wish to change the nature of your voluntary contribution (eg. volunteer hours or volunteer role) at any time.
Comply with the law at all times.
Be open and honest in your dealings with us and let us know if we can improve our volunteer program and the support that you receive.

Volunteering Australia’s National Standards require organisations to apply screening processes when recruiting volunteers to help maintain the safety and security of service users, employees, volunteers and the organisation.

To become a volunteer at St John of God Berwick Hospital, you will need to provide a working with children’s check and a police check. Please check with the Australia Taxation Office (ATO) if you can claim your check and screening expenses at the end of the financial year.

To be able to work as a volunteer at St John of God Berwick Hospital, you must have had at least three COVID-19 vaccinations and be up to date with your annual flu vaccinations. Please be prepared to provide your vaccination history if requested.

Mandatory N95 masks must be worn in public areas in the hospital to minimise the spread of illness.

Each volunteer role is different so commitment of hours will vary accordingly. Typically, hours will be between two to four hours per week or fortnight.

We cannot guarantee volunteers the minimum number of hours to qualify for Centrelink’s program. Therefore, we do not participate in Work for the Dole.

There will be an interview, which will explain in more detail the volunteer program, types of roles and current vacancies. It enables us to discuss with the candidate their application and explore further their skills, interests and suitability for the program. Reference checks are undertaken prior to inviting candidates onto the volunteer program.

All volunteers must complete mandatory training including: orientation, OH&S, fire and emergency training, hand hygiene. Some volunteer roles will require additional mandatory training provided by the hospital or an outsourced training provider. All volunteers are supplied with a position description for their role.

The hospital has a dedicated volunteer coordinator who manages the volunteer program and the network of volunteers. Either a ‘buddy’ or the unit manager also supports volunteers at departmental level.

Yes, all volunteers are covered by the hospital’s insurance when undertaking approved volunteer duties.

Volunteers do not receive payment. We reimburse out-of-pocket expenses such as car parking. However, we do not cover fuel costs of travel to and from the hospital.

We expect volunteers to have other personal commitments. Our program is flexible enough to accommodate changes in availability, but we do ask that we are notified as soon as possible of absences to assist in planning. This absence will not be paid leave.