The 2024 NSW Palliative Care Volunteer Managers Conference took place at the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse in Camperdown last week from September 19 to 20. Eighteen delegates travelled from all over NSW to be there including four from regional areas who received sponsorship from Palliative Care NSW.
The first day started with a peer-led networking and a solution-oriented workshop, which provided a platform for discussing the current issues most relevant to volunteer management and ideas for improvement. Participants engaged in lively discussions, exchanging insights and solutions.
Next Holly Smith from the Healthy End of Life Project introduced the Help App, showcasing how it can enhance communication by coordinating the practical and emotional support that a family needs as they come to terms with a loved one reaching palliative care or end-of-life.
Following that, Sharon Walsh led a session on Reinventing Recruitment and Reputation, offering innovative strategies to attract and retain volunteers. She emphasised the importance of community and organisational knowledge in overcoming obstacles and encouraged collaboration and relationship-building. Sharon leads Volunteer Services for Bendigo Health and is the Founder/Chair of the Leaders of Health Volunteer Engagement (LOHVE) Network. Sharon is also currently the Project Lead for the Loddon Mallee Health Network (LMHN) Volunteer Strategy.
Sharon motivated all in the room, referring to the Volunteer Managers as very skilled and smart leaders, suggesting that everyone has untapped skills and potential within their networks which can be leveraged for success. Post-COVID, there’s a need to rebuild reputation and connections, especially in professional environments where interactions have changed. She also advocated for creativity in problem-solving leaving insights to foster ongoing engagement and growth.
After lunch, was the Therapy session: creative arts facilitated by Adrina Saroglu. Adrina is the Palliative Care Lead at Sydney North Health Network, where she collaborates with multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders to develop and implement innovative palliative care programs. In addition to her leadership role, Adrina is a dedicated Creative Arts Therapist (AThR) with a Masters in Creative Arts Therapy.
The session started with a relaxation and movement activity, in which delegates had the opportunity to engage in a variety of expressive movements that allowed them to connect with their bodies. As they flowed through different exercises, they heightened sense of body awareness and mindfulness, which helped to relax. The creative exploration fostered a safe space for participants to communicate non-verbally, enhancing their ability to express feelings. By the end of the session, many felt a boost in energy and mood, highlighting the benefits of combining physical activity with emotional expression and connection.
Participants were then asked to articulate a word that encapsulated their feelings. With this word in mind, they transitioned into a canvas painting session, where they expressed themselves through colour and creativity. This creative process allowed them to reflect on their emotions, culminating the day with a deeper understanding of their experiences.
On day 2, delegates had the opportunity to do a tour of the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse. This wonderful facility is a not-for-profit, comprehensive cancer hospital in Camperdown, Sydney. They offer cancer screening, diagnosis, treatment and wellness, treating all types of cancer and specialising in the complex and rare. They offer patients every service and therapy that they need including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, complementary therapies and supportive services. PCNSW is very grateful for the opportunity given to hold the conference in this fantastic venue.
Evaluating your service was then presented by Fiona Sivyer. Fiona works for the Southern NSW Palliative Care Program. She has been instrumental in setting up four palliative care volunteer services across the district and has now moved into a new role as Project Manager for their Palliative Care Volunteer Life Story Biography Project.
Fiona emphasised that evaluating the impact of a volunteer service is important to ensure they are having a positive effect on the quality of life of their client’s and for the ongoing improvement of service delivery.
“Improving or maintaining quality of life is the essential concept and goal of all palliative care. Assessing how palliative care volunteer programs affect quality of life is accepted as a key outcome indicator, which monitors the quality of care that we deliver,” said Fiona.
Ultimately, demonstrating effectiveness in improving quality of life can secure funding and support for palliative care volunteer services.
At the end of the day, after a delicious afternoon tea, delegates participated in the final session of the day: Fostering Connections through the arts, facilitated by Adrina Saroglu.
Adrina showed volunteer managers the effects of creative art therapy in palliative care, through different videos, images and case studies. At the end of the session, everyone had the opportunity to experience the benefits of expressing their thoughts and feeling on paper without the use of words, and the impact that the activity had on their emotional well-being.
Have a look at the following video that contains a summary of the day!
