Covid-19 is affecting us all but Prospect Hospice remains operational in order to support the increasing number of our community needing end of life support. Here you'll find lots of information about the virus and information and advice that we think will help you at this time.
Prospect Hospice has been providing end of life care to the people of Swindon and north east Wiltshire for over 40 years. Find out more about where we've come from and who we are here.
Find out about the range of end-of-life care services that we offer to patients and their families. These are designed to provide compassionate, personalised support during every stage of a life-limiting illness in every kind of care setting, to anyone who needs it, free of charge.
We couldn’t do what we do without considerable support from our local community. Find out all the different ways in which you can support Prospect Hospice, including fundraising, volunteering and purchasing from our shops. All contributions are greatly appreciated.
For 40 years, Prospect Hospice has provided end-of-life care to people who have a life-limiting or terminal illness in Swindon and north east Wiltshire. We help people cope with everything that this would affect including their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs. We pride ourselves on the clinical services that do this, but also the non-clinical services including reaching out to families and carers.
We are currently undergoing a time of positive change and we’re recruiting a chair of our trustee board and two further members of the board to help shape our future. The board of trustees is responsible for the management and administration of the charity and hold a vital role in steering the work of the hospice in a positive direction.
“Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They help to make the UK the sixth-most giving country in the world. They play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the charity’s work.” (Trustee Week 2018)
“The board is legally accountable for the activities of the hospice. The role of the board has five main parts:
1. To lead the hospice, establish its mission, vision and values and ensure it has a clear purpose and an overall framework of policies and standards.
2. To develop overall strategies to achieve the hospice’s aims and ensure there is a clear system to delegate implementation of the strategies to the chief executive and the staff team.
3. To monitor the performance of the hospice against standards and ensure that it provides the highest quality of care, balanced with the effective, efficient and economic use of the hospice’s resources and assets.
4.To ensure compliance with the law and accountability to the hospice’s stakeholders.
5. To ensure that the board itself performs effectively and contains people with the skills and experience it needs and makes plans to ensure the recruitment, induction and development of new trustees.”
www.hospiceuk.org
Who are we looking for in a chair?
This roles is perfect for someone who has proven leadership skills to help guide Prospect Hospice and our board to achieve our strategic aims and priorities. Someone with experience of chairing meetings and managing a board or similar group, would be ideal. Your confidence will enable you to support and constructively challenge the chief executive, whilst ensuring the board works in partnership with executive staff.
Our hospice and the majority of our care is in Swindon, which is only an hour train travel from London Paddington. Swindon is very accessible from the M4, making this role suitable for people travelling from Bristol or Bath too, taking 20 minutes or less by train.
With a board meeting held every quarter at the hospice, we’re looking for local applicants as well as further afield.
If you’re interested in helping a leading local charity and community hospice care for people at the end of their life, please get in touch.
Who are we looking for in a trustee?
As a trustee, you’ll be an integral part of the team leading the organisation. As we learn from the way we were able to adapt during the pandemic, we’re looking for those with expertise in the medical, nursing and governance areas to help shape the future of our care over the coming years, helping to deliver the best service possible to our patients and their families.
You’ll also need to be able to commit to attend a number of board meetings and committee meetings a year to contribute your thoughts and expertise. These will take place at our hospice in Wroughton which is easily accessible from the M4 and we’d welcome applicates from the local area as well as further afield.
Location
The majority of the work will take place at the Prospect Hospice, Wroughton, but representation and ambassadorial activity could take place anywhere within the charity’s catchment area. The current pandemic has created a need for most contact to be remote/virtual and it is anticipated that future requirements may involve a combination of virtual and on site contact.
Equality and diversity
Prospect Hospice values the diversity of its community and aims to have a workforce, board and volunteer group that reflects this. We therefore encourage applications from all sections of the community.
We are committed to ensuring that all employees and job applicants are provided with equality of opportunity in employment and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, offending background, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
Safeguarding
Prospect Hospice is committed to promoting the wellbeing of all adults and children who use our services, ensuring that they live a life that is free from harm, abuse and neglect. We work in an open and transparent way and encourage staff, volunteers, patients and families to raise any safeguarding concerns.
Want to know more?
Below you’ll find a range of information that will help you learn more about Prospect Hospice and what’s involved in being a trustee with the charity including:
"Trustees are the people in charge of a charity. They help to make the UK the sixth-most giving country in the world. They play a vital role, volunteering their time and working together to make important decisions about the charity’s work".
Our diverse and highly skilled board of trustees who come from the local community, bringing a wealth of experience and networks. You can join them where you will broaden your leadership skills, and raise your own profile.
Trustee since 2011 David is chair of the board of trustees. He moved to Swindon in 1983 to work for Intel. His various jobs with the semiconductor have given him a wealth of business experiences, as well as the chance to run large international projects. A number of David’s close relatives have benefited from the care offered by the hospice movement and, since becoming a trustee, he has been very impressed by the professional yet caring environment that Prospect Hospice provides. David lives in Swindon’s Old Town with his wife and three daughters.
Close
Trustee since 2018 Sheila is the chief finance officer of Leading Resolutions, an independent IT consultancy providing professional services to FTSE 250 organisations and major charities. Sheila is the chair of our finance and income generation committee and also sits on our patient services committee. She is a chartered management accountant with over 25 years’ experience gained across a variety of organisations, in both executive and non-executive posts. Having started, built and run her own businesses several times over the past two decades, Sheila has a solid understanding of all elements of success and puts people firmly at the heart of every decision. Outside of work, Sheila lives with her husband and has their two adult sons, a horse, a Shetland pony and an adored Westie dog to keep her occupied.
Trustee since 2018 John chairs our nominations committee and sits on our people and resources committee. He was, until he retired in June 2018, the chief executive of Swindon Borough Council, having enjoyed a professional career of nearly 40 years in local government service. In his role as chief executive, John oversaw the council’s entire service delivery and led a workforce of 3,000 people. John developed a reputation in children’s and adult services, latterly becoming the chief executive and pioneering the development to make Swindon one of the most economically efficient boroughs in the country.
Trustee since 2018 Pradeep sits on our patient services and people and resources committees. Pradeep is senior strategy director and head of industry standards at Syniverse (a Carlyle Group company), providing strategic oversight on the adoption of leading-edge technologies. He is a recognised industry expert with 27 years’ experience in the mobile/telecoms industry. He is actively involved within the local community and has a passion for community service. He is also a keen table tennis division-1 player and county umpire. He shares the same vision as Prospect Hospice of putting people first and intends to help Prospect Hospice with its outreach, volunteering and fundraising activities. Pradeep’s commitment to the local community saw him achieve a Pride of Swindon award in 2018.
Trustee since 2015 Eleanor is an account director at local public relations consultancy, Vox, where she represents and advises businesses of all sizes and industries, with a specialism in healthcare, education and the public sector. She sits on our patient services committee, our people and resources committee and our nominations committee. In her spare time enjoys running, spending time with her family and good food.
Trustee since 2013 Caroline has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years with an extensive background in business conduct and risk management. She chairs our audit and risk committee. She has been passionate about volunteering throughout her career and has volunteered for a number of charities over the last 30 years. Caroline has lived in or around Swindon all of her life and currently lives in Old Town with her husband and two young daughters. She loves gardening, cooking and entertaining friends.
Trustee since 2018 Sarah has an extensive background as an HR professional and, with over 22 years’ experience, she has worked in a number of senior leadership roles, predominantly within the retail and energy sectors. Sarah chairs our people and resources committee sits on our nominations committee. The work of Prospect Hospice was well known to Sarah through friends and colleagues who have experienced the care and support when their loved ones required it. She has also previously taken part in some of our fundraising events. Sarah says that she was keen to get involved in becoming a trustee of Prospect Hospice as it’s a local charity providing such excellent and critical support to the community. She wanted to give her time and experience in continuing its excellent work by being involved at the core. Sarah lives locally and has two young children who are very active with their various out of school activities and keep her very busy.
Trustee since 2019 Joe joined as a trustee in 2019 and sits on the finance and income generation and audit and risk committees. He has spent the last 20 years advising businesses and business owners on set-up, fundraising, mergers and acquisitions and stock market listings, as well as corporate governance and general advice. He is a partner at Clark Holt Commercial Solicitors in Swindon’s Old Town, having come to work in Swindon after many years in London. He brings 20 years’ experience of offering pragmatic and commercial advice to his clients to his work at Prospect Hospice. Joe lives near Cirencester, where he spends as much time as he can in his garden.
Trustee since 2013 Douglas sits on our finance and income generation committee. He lives in Tetbury and works in Bristol as head of corporate affairs for the Military Aviation Authority, with a background in project and programme management, and risk management, with qualifications in HR, training and development. He first encountered the work of a hospice when his wife was cared for at home in the last few weeks of her life. Douglas’ pub quiz team is a prolific fundraiser for Prospect Hospice. Outside of work, he has two adult sons and, when not in his garden, Douglas can be found on his bike or learning to play the piano.
Trustee since 2019 Jennifer joined the board of trustees in summer 2019 and sits on our finance and income generation committee and our people and resources committee. She is a senior associate solicitor at Royds Withy King, specialising in civil litigation. Jennifer represents people who have developed mesothelioma, an incurable cancer usually caused by exposure to asbestos and other asbestos related diseases such as lung cancer, asbestosis and pleural thickening. She also represents the families of people who have lost loved ones to the these illnesses. Jennifer set up and runs the Swindon and Wiltshire Asbestos Support Group and hosts an annual memorial day each July in Queens Park to mark national Action Mesothelioma Day, which is also aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of exposure to asbestos. Jennifer feels passionate about the importance of good palliative care and many of her clients have benefited from support provided by Prospect Hospice. Originally from Cumbria, Jennifer moved to Swindon from Reading in 2017 and lives in Old Town with her partner and Westie dog called Florence.
Trustee since 2012 Penny chairs sits on our patient services committee and sits on our nominations committee. She has had a long-standing interest in palliative care following working at the Royal Marsden Hospital after qualifying as a junior doctor in the 1980s. Penny has worked for the NHS for 35 years, and she gained management experience as lead clinician in the pathology service at Great Western Hospital. Penny is currently consultant cellular pathologist at North Bristol NHS Trust. She is a member of the South West Regional Quality Assurance Team, visiting laboratories throughout the south west.
Trustee since 2013 Lindsay has been qualified as a doctor since 1990 and has been a consultant in Swindon since 2000. More recently, since 2010, Lindsay has been trust lead cancer clinician at the Great Western Hospital. Lindsay chairs our patient services committee and sits on our Audit and Risk Committee. Her interests outside of work include the theatre, cinema and pilates.
In 2020 we cared for and supported 2,555 patients.
We provide care at the hospice in Wroughton, in patients’ homes and care homes and at our Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough
At all levels of the organisation we recruit staff with relevant experience, appropriate skills and our values of compassion, respect, honesty and inclusiveness
Volunteers support our staff in all areas of Prospect Hospice’s work and we offer a wide range of volunteering opportunities
We serve a diverse community across both urban and rural neighbourhoods in Swindon, Marlborough and north-east Wiltshire
Our care is always free of charge and in 2018 - 19 we raised £3.2 million through our fundraising activities, £760,000 new profit from our shops and we recruited 281 volunteers.
For an informal discussion with a current trustee and more information about these roles, please contact Siobhain Acott, on 01793 816119 or siobhainacott@prospect-hospice.net
Closing date: Friday 26 March 2021
January 2021
December 2020
Are hospices gloomy places?
People’s expectations are often different to the reality they find when they come through our doors. We’re keen to encourage visitors, whether they be future patients or families and friends. We work hard to ensure that the hospice is far from gloomy. Our visitors often tell us that, contrary to their expectations, Prospect Hospice doesn’t feel like a gloomy place at all.
Are hospices places people go to die?
Yes, but this isn’t the whole truth. The people we care for are typically in the last year of their life. People who are admitted to our inpatient unit are often very unwell, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are going to die at this time - more than half return home. Sometimes patients will come for a period of respite care or to help them to manage their symptoms.
Aren’t hospices for people with cancer?
For some people, the word ‘hospice’ is synonymous with cancer. While it is true that many of the patients we meet are living with a form of cancer, these are not the only people we care for. Our services are for people with any life-limiting illness, including conditions such as Motor Neurone Disease, heart and other organ failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, amongst others. In the recent past, around 70% of the patients had cancer, and the remaining 30% had other conditions. Prospect Hospice is here for people with end-of-life care needs, whatever their diagnosis.
Are your medical staff fully trained?
All our doctors and nurses are fully qualified and in most cases have additional palliative care qualifications. If our doctors don’t yet have specialist palliative care qualifications, they will be studying towards them.
Are you still the Prospect Foundation?
We are Prospect Hospice. We used to be Prospect Foundation, but the name changed many years ago and is still often used affectionately by many people across our community who remember the work we did historically under that name. Similarly, we are not The Prospect, Prospect House or even The Prospect Hospice, all names that are used affectionately by people locally for who we are – Prospect Hospice.
Can anyone come and see what you do?
Yes, we are very happy to show visitors around our facilities, though please understand that you will only be able to access the patient rooms if one is unoccupied at the time of your visit. Please call us on 01793 813355 or email info@prospect-hospice.net to arrange a visit. To view the interior of the hospice, visit our Virtual Tour in the 'Your Prospect' section of the website.
Do patients have to come to you or do you come to them?
Both. There are up to 16 beds in our inpatient unit at the hospice in Wroughton, and we offer services for outpatients, carers and families at our day therapy unit at the hospice in Wroughton and at our Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough. Our Prospect@Home service provides care throughout the local community, and we also work with care homes and at Great Western Hospital.
Do the patients have to pay for their care?
Our services are free of charge for people from across the community, based on their need. Other factors, such as wealth, faith, gender and sexual orientation, are never a consideration. Currently, it costs more than £7.8 million each year to run our hospice. We receive 28.5% of this funding from the NHS and other statutory organisations and the remaining funds come from our generous supporters. We are always happy to accept donations towards our care if people feel they want to make them.
Does most of the work you do happen at the hospice?
Most of the work we do doesn’t take place at the hospice building in Wroughton. Our Prospect@Home service provides care to patients in their own home, supporting people at the end of their lives in the place they choose to be. Our Prospect Community Nurse Specialists care for patients in the community from the very start of their journey, helping patients to live as independently as they can as they adapt to life after the diagnosis of a life-limiting condition. Our therapy, medical and family support teams also visit patients in their own homes. We also provide care and support for patients and their loved ones at our Wellbeing Centre at Savernake Hospital in Marlborough. In fact, most of the patients we meet will never actually enter the hospice, but be supported at home or by our team at the Great Western Hospital.
Doesn’t the NHS offer the same care?
No, the specialist care we offer is tailored to meet the individual needs of palliative patients.
Is Prospect Hospice part of the NHS?
We are an independent local charity, not part of the NHS. Last year, however, we received 28.5% of our funding from the NHS and other statutory organisations. We believe the funding we receive is well-earned and represents excellent value to taxpayers. It makes an enormous difference to the care we offer patients and their families. We provide a professional service that is vital to the maintenance of high standards of end-of-life care for our community, and which the community voluntarily supports through fundraising. We believe that through working in partnership with the NHS, we help to ease the strain placed on it by an increasing, ageing population.
Is the hospice just for people in Swindon?
This was true in our early days, but hasn’t been the case for many years. We support anyone with a life-limiting condition whose GP is based in Swindon, north-east Wiltshire and the villages of Lechlade and Fairford in Gloucestershire. Our referrals team will be able to discuss individual cases – please call us on 01793 813355.