Health and social care diploma student talks about her volunteering experience

Elena is one of our volunteers who is also studying for her Health and Social Care diploma. She tells us about her volunteering experience:

“The first time I heard about Healthwatch was when my university gave us information about companies where we can look for placement. I chose Healthwatch because it was local and easy for me to reach. I received an email from the volunteer coordinator who planned our interview online to talk about my goals for the experience and the opportunities that suited me. As a volunteer student, I was looking for a place where I could develop my learning and get experience in Health and social care. My experience volunteering has been quite varied, allowing me to participate in a wide range of activities.  I’ve mostly been interviewing people about their encounters with social and health care, to get information about how services could potentially be improved. One of the most interesting experiences was when an intelligent officer and I visited a Springfield Manor Nursing Home to investigate the self-founders of residence. We did not have many residents to talk with, but we met a lovely lady who told us how happy she was to be there. I believe that volunteering is an extremely beneficial and fruitful thing for students to do. I will suggest Healthwatch to anyone who wants to obtain experience for their future professional endeavours.”