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Become a helpline volunteer

Are you a qualified or trainee solicitor, barrister, or healthcare professional? Join over 100 volunteers with legal or medical backgrounds as an Avma helpline volunteer.

Provide a lifeline when it matters most

Our specialist helpline connects people in their most vulnerable moments with qualified professionals who truly understand their situation. As a helpline volunteer, you will offer informed, compassionate guidance. You’re often the first real point of help someone receives after suffering avoidable harm in healthcare.

We currently have over 100 regular volunteers with legal or medical backgrounds, many of whom have continued to volunteer far longer than they originally expected.

Read the full role description

Volunteering with Avma is a chance to give back and put my skills to good use. The commitment is very flexible as you can staff the helpline from anywhere. It’s so rewarding when a caller is pleased with advice you’ve given them and feels more informed and empowered.

Emily, helpline volunteer

Benefits for our helpline volunteers

  • A clearer understanding of clinical negligence clients’ perspective
  • Valuable contextual understanding to help when speaking to clients as part of your work
  • An enjoyable and worthwhile experience, allowing you to give something back
  • Opportunities to build meaningful connections, share experiences, and learn alongside likeminded volunteers
  • The chance to get to know the Avma team and better understand our work
  • Greater awareness of the complaints system

Eligibility requirements

Our helpline volunteers are all legal or medical professionals. It’s this expertise which makes our helpline so unique and so invaluable to our service users.

Our helpline volunteering path is open to qualified and trainee solicitors, legal executives, barristers, and experienced healthcare professionals. Please note that we are unfortunately unable to take on students or graduates due to capacity and training limitations.

How does it work?

Helpline sessions are staffed remotely from the volunteer’s home or office using a virtual call centre. Sessions are on a rota system with a 1½ or 2-hour session either weekly, fortnightly, or every four weeks.

All volunteers will receive comprehensive in-house training, plus ongoing support and supervision, to ensure they feel confident and well-equipped to provide a consistently high quality, safe, effective service to our callers.

Read the full role descriptionApply to become a helpline volunteer