Become a Volunteer Health Connect Coach
Your story can inspire someone else’s journey.
Join us as a Volunteer Health Connect Coach today
About the role
A Volunteer Health Connect Coach is someone who has lived with a long-term health condition and feels ready to use their experience to support others.
You don’t need to be a healthcare professional. What matters most is that you understand what it’s like to live with a long-term physical health condition and are motivated to help someone else feel more confident and in control of their health and wellbeing.
As a Volunteer Coach, you’ll be fully trained, supported and supervised. You’ll use simple health coaching skills to have regular, supportive conversations with a peer — someone living with a similar health condition or symptoms to you.
Through these conversations, you’ll help your peer:
- build confidence and motivation
- develop skills to manage their health and wellbeing
- set goals that matter to them, at their own pace
Coaching usually lasts around six months, with up to 14 sessions, starting more regularly and gradually spacing out over time. This helps build trust and supports lasting, positive change.
The role is mostly online, so you can take part from home. In some cases, you may choose to meet your peer face to face in a community setting, if this feels right for both of you.
This volunteer role may be right for you if you:
- Live well with a long-term physical health condition
- Are a good listener and communicator
- Can use a device with a camera (such as a laptop, computer or tablet) for training and online sessions
- Have basic IT skills, including using NHS email, Word documents and keeping simple coaching notes
- Can stay focused during coaching sessions and follow up with your peer
- Can commit to supporting your matched peer throughout the programme
You can watch a short video to hear more about the Volunteer Health Connect Coach role.
Hear it first hand from some of our volunteer coaches themselves.
If you have any volunteer recruitment or onboarding questions please contact the Volunteer team.
Training and support
After completing the mandatory topics required to become a volunteer, you’ll receive specialised training in health and wellbeing coaching skills.
This blended training combines online learning activities with live video group sessions, helping you to build both knowledge and practical coaching skills.
The course is equivalent to two full training days, delivered over eight weeks, and has been co-designed with people living with long-term health conditions to ensure it’s relevant and supportive.
Training is currently delivered online via Microsoft Teams. You’ll also receive a Coach Handbook and Resource Pack to guide you in your role, along with regular 1:1 and group supervision for ongoing learning and support.