Here you can find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our Volunteer Visitor Network.
Please select a question from below to view the answer or scroll down to read the whole FAQ sheet.
Q. How many Volunteers does the LA currently have?
Q. Does this number ever vary?
Q. Where are LA Volunteers based?
Q. How many requests for a Volunteer does the LA receive?
Q. Is every request dealt with?
Q. How many visits does each Volunteer perform?
Q. I have been a Volunteer for a long time and have never received a request.
Q. Why don't you have fewer Volunteers so each one could perform more visits?
Q. Do you have to be a LA member to request / receive a visit?
Q. Is there a charge for Volunteer Visits?
Q. How do I request a visit?
Q. Is there any follow-up after a visit?
Q. Will a Volunteer stay in contact with the person they visit?
Q. Are visits always face-to-face?
Q. Are your Volunteers professionally trained counsellors?
Q. How do I become a Volunteer?
Q. Will I receive any training or information to help me as a Volunteer?
Q. What is the future plan for the Volunteer Network?
Q. How many Volunteers does the LA currently have?
A. Approximately 100.
Q. Does this number ever vary?
A. There are slight fluctuations over time, but we try to keep the total number of available volunteers fairly constant. Occasionally volunteers may "retire" due to their own health or personal reasons, or sometimes move abroad, but we assess the situation regularly and recruit in shortfall areas.
Q. Where are LA Volunteers based?
A. We have volunteers throughout the UK.
Q. How many requests for a Volunteer does the LA receive?
A. We receive roughly 130 requests per year, or an average of 2.5 every week.
Q. Is every request dealt with?
A. Yes. However, if we can't answer your query directly we will signpost you to a professional who will be able to help (e.g. legal or medical advice) rather than an LA volunteer. If a child needs visiting, then organisations such as REACH and STEPS should be able to help.
Q. How many visits does each Volunteer perform?
A. There is no specific number of visits, although the average is roughly one visit every two years. This varies greatly from one volunteer to another, for a number of reasons, and many volunteers will be asked to perform 3 or 4 visits a year, whilst some may not be required to perform any. The main reason for this is that each request is matched as closely as possible to the most appropriate volunteer (according to age, gender, level of limb-loss, reason for limb-loss, age when limb-loss occurred, additional hobbies or areas of interest to be discussed, such as sport etc) and the geographical area where the visit will take place. We may not get any requests from a certain area or profile type for some time, so volunteers from that area will not be called upon. Also, some volunteers may have a profile type that results in fewer requests.
Q. I have been a Volunteer for a long time and have never received a request.
A. Although this may regrettably be the case for some volunteers, it is still a great comfort and support to know that these volunteers are available if and when such a request is made. The most likely reason is that we simply haven't received any requests for that geographical area or profile type, but we still appreciate and rely upon your involvement and support for the future. Another possibility is that we don't have full or correct contact details for you. If you have not heard from us for some time, please contact the VV Supervisor on 01277 725 186 to ensure that we have your full, current and correct contact details.
Q. Why don't you have fewer Volunteers so each one could perform more visits?
A. All the feedback we receive from people who have been visited suggests that the most important aspect of a successful and useful visit is the similarity and relevance of the volunteer's own experiences with that of the person being visited. Also, many of the Visitors themselves prefer to assist people who closely match their own profile type. Finally, because many of our volunteers lead active and busy lives they are not always available for visits, so it is better for us to have more volunteers to ensure availability and a diverse cross-section of people to cover the needs of all the various enquiries we receive.
Q. Do you have to be a LA member to request / receive a visit?
A. No, anyone can request a visit, either prior to having an amputation or at any stage afterwards.
Q. Is there a charge for Volunteer Visits?
A. No, visits are completely free-of-charge and all of our volunteers generously give their time for free.
Q. How do I request a visit?
A. Click here to complete the online VV Request Form. You can also contact our Information Bureau to arrange a visit. This should ideally be done by the person wishing to be visited. Although we can, and do, take requests from carers, healthcare professionals and relatives, although prior consent must be given from the person wishing to be visited stating that they are happy for us to contact them directly. The VV Supervisor will then receive your form and search for the most suitable volunteer. We will contact the VV, ascertain whether they are available and pass on the full details of the request to them, asking them to call at the agreed time. We will normally then contact the person wishing to be visited again to notify them that we have located a suitable volunteer, passing on the details of who will be contacting them and when.
Q. Is there any follow-up after a visit?
A. Yes, the VV Supervisor will always contact the person who was visited to receive feedback, ensure they were satisfied with the visit and ascertain whether there is any need for further action by the LA. Often we will also contact the volunteer to get their view and feedback on how the visit went and whether the person needs any additional information, or if there were any questions the volunteer was unable to answer.
Q. Will a Volunteer stay in contact with the person they visit?
A. This is completely at the discretion of the individual volunteer and the visited person. As we like to monitor the success and activity of the network we prefer and recommend that any requests are made through the LA office, or at least reported back to us.
Q. Are visits always face-to-face?
A. Whenever possible...yes. However, there are some cases when a "visit" will be carried out over the telephone (due to geographical location for example).
Q. Are your Volunteers professionally trained counsellors?
A. No, they are all amputees with knowledge and experience of the day-to-day issues people face after amputation, but they do not have formal or professional training. For this reason volunteers are not allowed to provide advice on specific medical or legal issues, although they may be able to point you in the right direction, and they will not deal with requests from people who need professional medical, counselling or legal advice. These requests will be dealt with at the LA office and passed onto a relevant healthcare or legal professional.
Q. How do I become a Volunteer?
A. To be a volunteer you must first be a full member of the Limbless Association with a minimum of three years experience as an amputee. This is because visiting can be demanding physically and emotionally; visits can involve detailed discussions about your own experiences. So, it is recommended that volunteers have at least 3 years experience, as this additional knowledge and long-term experience will be a benefit to the people you visit. Once we have received and processed your LA membership you can apply to be a Volunteer Visitor by completing the Become a Volunteer Application Form here. You will be asked to provide two references, one of whom should be a healthcare professional at your limb centre, such as your Prosthetist or Consultant and the other of whom should be known to you professionally, such as an employer, GP or a member of your Rehab team. To protect visited people we also require you to undergo a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check. Once we have received 2 satisfactory references and CRB clearance we will be in touch with you to notify you of your appointment as a volunteer and provide you with full details of the service and a Volunteer Visitors Welcome Pack.
Q. Will I receive any training or information to help me as a Volunteer?
A. As our Volunteer Service is a 'peer-to-peer' scheme you do not need any formal training, but you will be sent a welcome pack, which includes all of the details you need to carry out Volunteer Visits. This includes useful tips and advice, a list of regulations and the Code of Conduct and Ethics, a "Guidelines for Volunteer Visitors" and some LA promotional materials that you may distribute on your visits (if appropriate).
Q. What is the future plan for the Volunteer Network?
A. The Network is already working very well, but we are constantly looking to improve it. We are always interested in suitable volunteers to increase our coverage, both geographically and across the different profile types, so we regularly analyse the network to see what's available and what we need to improve response times and effectiveness. We will continue to recruit, and therefore no single volunteer will be required to perform too many visits (in fact many may wish to do more) but we are always happy to hear from members who would like to become volunteers.
We also hope to extend our reach to other healthcare organisations, charities, hospitals and relevant locations where our services may be needed, so we can increase awareness and therefore demand for this service.
Further plans are in place to introduce a Senior VV Network, or a senior-tier to the existing network. This would involve appointing one volunteer at each Limb-Fitting Centre to work more closely with the LA and the centre staff, providing a more proactive, rapid, regular and rounded response to the centres' needs. This may involve regular ward visits to see people who would like our help (prior to having requested it), attending emergency appointments where a patient at a limb centre or local hospital needs immediate support, and also acting as a representative for the LA to promote the charity and ensure all promotional materials are available and on-display at each centre.
For further details on this, or any other aspects of our Volunteer Visitor Network please call 01277 725 186 or 01277 725184 or email davewhite.limblessassociation@yahoo.co.uk