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Published: 16 February 2023

Join our Expert Patients Programme as a volunteer facilitator

The Expert Patients Programme is a free six-week course for individuals who live with one or more long-term health conditions.

The course is delivered by trained chronic disease self-management programme (CDSMP) facilitators, whose role is to promote and deliver the course to participants.

The course empowers individuals to take control of their lives, feel better about themselves and work in partnership with their healthcare team.

The next training for new volunteer facilitators will begin in September and will run virtually for seven weeks with two sessions delivered each week.

The volunteer facilitators are vital to the success of the Expert Patients Programme (EPP) and make a difference to people living with one or more long-term health conditions.

If you would like to be a facilitator, you need to:

  1. Be living with a long-term health condition or to have close personal experience of someone who lives with a long-term health condition.
  2. Have the time available to attend the training (two 2-hour, 30-minute sessions a week, for seven weeks).
  3. Have good listening skills.
  4. Be able to commit to delivering at least one course a year.
  5. Be able to work with a small group of people and build a rapport with them.
  6. Be ready to learn new ways of approaching long-term health conditions.
  7. Be an effective communicator.

If you think you have what it takes to be a volunteer facilitator, please complete an application form, including two references, and email it to jane.reynolds3@nhs.net.

Applications will close on Sunday, 1 September 2024.

We will contact you for an informal discussion, once we have received your application form.

For more information, please email Jane Reynolds, Expert Patients Programme Coordinator, at jane.reynolds3@nhs.net, or phone 03000 013 2045 and choose option 3.

To find out more about volunteering opportunities email kentchft.engagement@nhs.net