An NCVO programme to encourage volunteering in care homes has launched this month and will see people recruited from local volunteer centres to support older people in both residential and nursing care homes.

The scheme is being run by NCVO and will operate in five clinical commissioning group areas across England. It has received £540,000 in funding from the Department of Health’s innovation programme. It will last until March 2016 and around 400 residents are expected to benefit initially.

The project will match care homes across five clinical commissioning groups areas with their local volunteer centre. The volunteer centres will recruit volunteers to carry out personalised activities including befriending, IT skills, music and games. Tasks may also include taking residents to churches or cinemas, or helping them write letters.

Skills for Care, an employer-led workforce development body for adult social care in England, will be working with the project to develop the required training programmes to support volunteers and staff while NCVO’s Institute for Volunteering Research will develop and conduct an evaluation of the scheme.

Justin Davis Smith (pictured), executive director of volunteering and development, NCVO, said that the White Paper on care and support, which came out last year, had recognised that care home residents are happier when they are more closely connected with their local communities.

“Volunteers can complement the work of paid staff and bring a richness and diversity of experience that can greatly enhance residents’ lives," said Davis Smith. 

“Expert volunteer centres will be sharing their experience in order to establish good practice in the involvement of volunteers and give care homes the skills they need to recruit and support volunteers effectively themselves.”