For NHS Trusts

Bring The Human Part
to your wards

We run a fully managed companion volunteer programme for NHS trusts. Recruitment, DBS, training, and scheduling, all handled by us.

What we provide

A complete programme, off your plate

You focus on clinical care. We handle the rest.

Recruitment and vetting
We recruit, screen, and run enhanced DBS checks on all volunteers before they step onto a ward. You never have to manage that process.
Training and induction
Every volunteer completes a structured induction covering safeguarding, professional boundaries, confidentiality, and ward conduct before their first visit.
Scheduling and coordination
We coordinate session bookings and ensure wards have consistent, reliable volunteer cover. Your nursing team doesn't need to manage any of this.
Safeguarding oversight
We maintain a clear escalation pathway for any safeguarding concern. Volunteers know exactly who to contact and what to do. Nothing gets lost.
Session logging and reporting
Every visit is logged. We can provide regular reports on volunteer hours, ward coverage, and patient reach to support your internal reporting needs.
Ongoing volunteer support
Every volunteer has a named supervisor who is contactable before and after each session. We handle the pastoral side so ward staff don't have to.

How it works

Getting started is straightforward

We work with you to set up the programme from scratch.

1
Initial conversation
We discuss your trust's needs, the wards involved, and what a programme would look like in practice.
2
Programme design
We agree the scope, frequency, and safeguarding arrangements, tailored to your site.
3
Volunteer placement
We recruit, train, and DBS-check a cohort of volunteers matched to your wards and schedule.
4
Ongoing delivery
We run the programme and provide regular updates. Your team focuses on patient care.

"I hadn't spoken to anyone for three days. She just sat with me."

Patient, NHS Ward

The evidence

Why patient isolation matters

Loneliness during a hospital stay isn't a soft concern. Research consistently links patient isolation to slower recovery, higher rates of readmission, and worse mental health outcomes on discharge. Patients who feel unsupported during admission are more likely to disengage from treatment and less likely to adhere to post-discharge care.

The NHS is aware of this. Social prescribing and long-term condition management strategies increasingly acknowledge the role of human connection in health outcomes. What many trusts lack is the operational capacity to act on it. That's the gap we fill.

A trained companion volunteer, visiting for 30 to 60 minutes per session, provides something a busy ward simply cannot: time. Undivided, unhurried, genuinely present time. For the patient on the other side of the curtain, it can change the whole character of a hospital stay.

Get in touch

Ready to bring this to your trust?

We're happy to talk through what a partnership could look like, with no obligation. Email us and we'll arrange a conversation.

Email us

eshan.sheikh@thehumanpart.org.uk