Volunteering at Yorkshire Ambulance Service

In the last year (2023-24) around 1,000 YAS volunteers have given over a quarter of a million hours of their time to help others and make a vital difference to our service.  
 
YAS Charity, supported by NHS Charities Together (NHSCT), has funded a new role at Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to further develop and build on our volunteering opportunities.
 
The role of a Volunteer Development Manager (VDM) was introduced at YAS in April 2022 on a two-year basis and has since been extended to November 2025.
The purpose of the post is to provide a dedicated resource to support the Trust’s ambition to increase the role volunteers play in supporting our services to the benefit of the communities we serve. 
YAS has substantive volunteers in a variety of roles, from Community First Responders, who attend specific emergencies in their local communities, to our Critical Friends Network who draw on their personal experiences to influence service developments and improvements. Volunteers are also crucial to our Patient Transport Service and use their own vehicle to transport patients to their healthcare appointments.
 
The funding has enabled the first YAS Volunteer Development Framework (VDF), launched in 2023, which outlines the Trust’s commitment to supporting and enhancing volunteering in recognition of the significant benefits volunteering brings to our patients, staff, communities and to volunteers themselves. The Framework sets out four ambitions for volunteering for 2023 to 2026, which concentrate on the volunteering infrastructure, culture, diversity, and partnerships.
 
In recent months, the VDMs role has focused on the Investing in Volunteers reaccreditation. Investing in Volunteers is the nationally recognised quality standard for volunteer management. The reaccreditation process is used to assess the quality of volunteer management and involvement and reviews the effectiveness of the organisation’s work with volunteers. In October 2024, YAS were awarded with reaccreditation status along with a report detailing findings and recommendations.  The findings were positive and the Trust has been assessed as meeting all 29 volunteering practices, with areas of good practice and feedback highlighted, along with areas for development and improvement.
 

 
Volunteer Development Manager, Amy Ingham, said:

“The role is varied and dynamic where no two days are the same. Activities are focused on driving forward the progress of the framework and development areas identified during the Investing in Volunteers process; working closely with the various volunteering teams and other internal teams at YAS. I also work closely with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Integrated Care Boards and other volunteering networks to share learning, challenges, opportunities, and best practice.”
 
Volunteer Development Manager, Amy Ingham, said:

“The role is varied and dynamic where no two days are the same. Activities are focused on driving forward the progress of the framework and development areas identified during the Investing in Volunteers process; working closely with the various volunteering teams and other internal teams at YAS. I also work closely with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, Integrated Care Boards and other volunteering networks to share learning, challenges, opportunities, and best practice.”