We work together to support local people
Volunteer Centre Dorset works with volunteers, partners, and local organisations to help people overcome challenges, maintain their independence, and stay connected to their communities.
Hospital Discharge Support
We work directly alongside other health professionals to support people while in hospital, helping them make plans for returning home safely and confidently. Working closely with teams at Dorset County Hospital and other partners, we provide practical, person-centred support that helps remove barriers to people going home, helping people settle back into their own home and community.
What support may be available?
- Meeting patients and carers before discharge
- Working with hospital teams to resolve barriers to discharge
- Coordinating practical support through Volunteer Centre Dorset services
- Signposting to local voluntary and community organisations
- Arranging One-off Support Grants where appropriate
- Supporting unpaid carers during the discharge process
- Liaising with community health and primary care services
Providing follow-up support to help prevent avoidable readmissions
Hospital Inpatient & Unpaid Carer Support
Our Community Health & Wellbeing Co-ordinator, Janet Tolley, is based within the Discharge Lounge at Dorset County Hospital. She works directly with patients, unpaid carers, hospital staff, and community services to identify the support people need during their stay, and back in the community before they leave hospital. By coordinating practical help, making referrals, and connecting people with local services, we help ensure individuals have the right support in place to recover safely and maintain their independence.
Contact Janet Tolley directly on 07741 780200 or contact our office on 01305 269214.
Support in the Community
We also continue to provide support once someone has returned home, working alongside health, social care, and community partners to address any ongoing needs and give people the confidence to remain independent.
We can also coordinate additional community support where needed, ensuring people have the right help in place to regain their independence and reduce the risk of readmission.
What support may be available?
Depending on the person’s circumstances and assessed needs, small items will be selected if they will eliminate a barrier to somoene going home, such as:
- access to other local services
- support from Community Response Volunteers
- Connecting with other free or paid services
- Connection with GP surgery to ensure they are aware of the recent hospital stay
Hospital Discharge Support Grants
Hospital Discharge Support Grants help remove practical barriers that may prevent someone from returning home safely from a stay in hospital. Working closely with healthcare professionals, we provide one-off funding for essential goods and services that support timely hospital discharge, helping people recover in the comfort of their own home. Support is tailored to each individual’s circumstances and may include practical services, household essentials, or repairs that enable a safe and timely return home.
- Deep cleaning, decluttering, packing, or moving services
- Essential plumbing, electrical, locksmith, or repairs
- Household appliances such as washing machines or microwaves
- Essential goods or services that enable care packages to begin
- Coordinating community support to help people return home safely
- Practical assistance that helps prevent avoidable hospital admissions
Small Discharge Items
We keep a range of small, practical items in the Discharge Lounge that can be provided to patients when they will help someone return home safely and comfortably. Having these essentials readily available means we can respond quickly to an immediate need and help remove some of the smaller barriers that might otherwise delay a person’s discharge.
Sometimes it’s the small things that can make getting home from hospital a little easier. In the Discharge Lounge at Dorset County Hospital,
We keep a range of useful everyday items in the Discharge Lounge, so we can quickly provide practical help when someone needs it to return home safely and comfortably.
What support may be available?
Depending on the person’s circumstances and assessed needs, small items will be selected if they will eliminate a barrier to somoene going home, such as:
- non-perishable food items
- lockable medicine box
- portable key safe
- basic linen
Community Green Team
Sometimes a person is ready to leave hospital, but a practical issue at home means it isn’t yet safe or suitable for them to return. Our Community Green Team can provide hands-on help with small jobs in and around the home, removing practical barriers and helping people regain their independence.
The team can work alongside hospital and community professionals to respond to individual needs, with support tailored to the person’s circumstances.
What support may be available?
- Moving furniture to make a home safer or create space for care equipment
- Installing key safes
- Helping with the delivery or positioning of essential household items
- Small household jobs and minor practical tasks
- Clearing or tidying outdoor areas where access is an issue
- Other practical support that can help someone return home safely
Making a referral
I you want to make a referral for someone to receive in-patient support, or help when back at home, please …
If you are a professional working in hospital, and a patient could benefit from a Hospital Discharge Support Grant, please make a referral using the link below.
If you’re a friend or family member of someone who may benefit from some help, please contact us.
You don’t need to be certain that this is the right service before contacting us. If you’d prefer to talk through the person’s circumstances and the support they may need, we’re happy to have an informal conversation first.