Work experience/ volunteering opportunities(Health/Medical/ Social Care Professions)

If you want a career in health or social care then volunteering or work experience will normally be required. It is also very important if you want to apply to a particular medical/health or care degree.

You can find general Information on

You can also search for a wide range of voluntary positions on the volunteering database

If you have an interest in a particular profession (e.g. consultant/midwife/nurse/physiotherapist etc) then try and shadow a professional in the role. Try and use any contacts you have through family members or friends.

Try and also gain some general care experience/voluntary worke.g. elderly care, working with children, people with disabilities, volunteering in your local hospital.Volunteering will also demonstrate commitment to care/medical professions.

The following are some ideas that may help. However do your own research and approach places yourself. Please remember it can take a while to arrange work experience and volunteering,and DBS checks (previously called CRB) may need to be carried out so please allow time for it.

Hospitals

As well as the hospitals below you could also contact your local hospital e.g. Wareham, Wimborne, Alderney, Salisbury etc. Or if you have family/friends who are medical professionals it is worth asking if you can shadow them.

Poole Hospital(shadowing, work experience and volunteeringavailable) – see separate sheet for more information.

The following opportunities are for young people aged 16+ at Poole Hospital:

  • Shadowing- there are opportunities to shadow a consultant for a day.
  • Work Experience - Gain 1 week work experience on a ward. Also possible opportunities to shadow in Pharmacy, Radiography, Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy departments.
  • Volunteering- opportunities to volunteer on the wards; however it can take up to 3 months to get the DBS check through.

To apply call Joy Janati 01202 448610. Or email

Bournemouth Hospital

Voluntary Work- Aged 17+ - volunteers required to collect patient engagement feedback. Further opportunities available for 18+. Call 01202 704161 or email

Dorchester Hospital – Volunteering or Work Experience

  • Wide range of work experience placements offered for over 16s- normally 2 days.
  • ‘Meet the Midwives Day’- a day designed for people considering midwifery as a career

The cost of the day is £50 and includes lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance.

  • ‘Introduction to Medicine’ – 2 day course. (£90) Places are limited to 20 so book early

Experience with Children

Ideas: Schools, holiday clubs, youth clubs, nurseries, babysitting, children’s centres, special needs schools, children therapy centres such as

Coping with Chaos/Diverse Abilities

A charity that supports families caring for a child/children or young person with a disability or special educational need. Volunteers (age 14+) often needed to work with the children on holiday clubs. More information on or

Over The Wall – Activity Camps for children with serious illness. Camp based at Bryanston School in Blandford. Volunteers need to be over 18.

Special Needs Schools – e.g. Victoria School, Montecute, Langside, Winchelsea

Nursery Schools, play schools, holiday clubs and children centres – contact directly or search here:

Poole area

Bournemouth area

Children Centres

You can find them on council websites (see links above). Sometimes health professionals e.g. health visitors and midwives hold support groups at the centres.

Midwifery Experience

Contact the hospitals (see above), gain experience with adults and mothers in health care setting. Try the local children’s centres and see if you can attend an ante-natal group, breastfeeding support group or similar. Contact the local NCT groups. Also look on more information.

Adults/Elderly–

Ideas includeday centres, residential homes, support groups, dementia care, and adults with learning disabilities.

Day Centres(e.g. elderly or adults with learning difficulties). You can find information about these on council websites e.g.

e.g. Poole Day Centre (Service for older people)

Tel: 01202 721722 or email us at: or write to The Manager at Poole Day Centre, 12A Commercial Road, Poole, Dorset BH14 0JW.

Sea ViewDay Centre in Parkstone is a busy centre providing leisure and learning opportunities for adults with learning disabilities.

Sea View Centre, Croft Road, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH12 3LD

01202 721590 or email at:

Day Centres in Bournemouth

Residential Homes

Approach them directly- You can also search for these on

Charities/Support Groups - e.g. Alzheimer’s Society (run a Memory Café Support Group), Diverse Abilities,Leonard Cheshire, MIND

Other Ideas:

Speech and Language Therapy as a Career Talk

Each year there is a ‘Speech and Language Therapy as a Career’ talk, normally around October. This is run at the Children’s Centre in Dorchester (on the site of Dorset County Hospital). For more info call or call 01305 255165

St John’s Ambulance – contact 08700 10 49 50 for your local branch. Cadet units available for young people.

OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD

Gap Medics

Medical work experience and hospital volunteer placements for 16-25 year olds abroad.

Medicine, Dental, Midwifery and Nursing placements

Projects Abroad

Two week volunteering opportunities for 16-19 year olds e.g. medical, care, physiotherapy

©Produced by Ansbury

April 2016