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Volunteers are essential to Sands’ vision: to save babies’ lives and ensure that when a baby does die, anyone affected receives the compassion, care, and support they need.

Hospital Liaison Volunteers (HLVs) form a vital connection between hospitals, local Sands groups, and Sands staff. Our goal is for every hospital in the UK to have access to an HLV who can signpost Sands’ support services, training, resources, and bereavement care guidance. This helps healthcare professionals provide excellent, sensitive bereavement care.

HLVs are a vital link between hospitals, Sands groups and Sands staff. Our aim is to ensure that every hospital in the UK has access to a HLV to signpost and promote Sands support services, training, resources, and bereavement care guidance (where applicable) enabling healthcare professionals to provide excellent bereavement care.  We currently have 121 HLVs across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and we're actively looking for people to join us as a HLV.

If you’re passionate about helping hospitals deliver excellent bereavement care and can build strong, supportive relationships with healthcare staff, we’d love to hear from you.

To get started, please read this page in full and complete the application form where you’ll be asked to demonstrate your suitability for the role. Apply now

What is a HLV?

HLVs advocate for both parents and hospital staff by sharing essential feedback from their local hospitals and communities. This insight helps Sands improve support for professionals and bereaved families and informs our work with hospital Trusts and Boards. 

A HLV is:

  • A representative of Sands, committed to Sands' vison and aims, and knowledgeable of Sands' services
  • Someone who shares information, tools and resources
  • Someone who develops knowledge of local services and has an awareness of what Sands offers on a national level, to enable Sands to support the bereavement care in hospitals for parents and families
  • Someone who provides feedback to Sands and health professionals to enable Sands to support parents better
  • An advocate who provides the parent or family voice when sharing feedback to Sands and the hospital

They also play an important role in the development of the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP), led by Sands. The NBCP aims to improve the quality and consistency of bereavement care following pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. 

  • In England all Trusts are signed up to the pathway with the Stillbirth and Neonatal pathways being mandated.
  • In Scotland, the NBCP is mandated, with all Health Boards registered.
  • In Northern Ireland and Wales, the NBCP is now in place.

This nationwide commitment shows how hospitals are working towards better care, and expanding our HLV programme will help us to go even further.

Sands is deeply grateful to the volunteers who work closely with hospitals to ensure bereaved parents and families receive care tailored to their individual needs.

What is the role of a HLV?

You will:

  • ​Build and maintain relationships with hospital bereavement staff​

  • Raise awareness of Sands resources, support services, training and bereavement care guidance​

  • Support improvements in bereavement care and practice​

  • Collaborate on events, for example Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW)​

  • Represent Sands at hospital meetings, study days etc

The role includes:

  • Bi-monthly visits to the hospital to raise awareness of and signpost to Sands resources, support services training and bereavement guidance​

  • Reporting back key insights to Sands' HLV Coordinator following a visit or communication with the hospital​

  • Keeping in regular contact with the hospital via email to maintain ongoing check-ins ​​

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Why is the role important?

The role:

  • Provides hospitals access to a Sands' representative connecting them to Sands support services,resources, training and bereavement care guidance ​

  • Encourages high levels of bereavement care in hospitals 

  • Gives Sands up to date information on bereavement services at hospitals​

  • Provides an opportunity to advocate on behalf of Sands and parents/families​​

  • Bridges gap between standards and practice​

  • Strengthens partnership working​

  • Supports staff confidence ​

  • Improves continuity of support​

HLV Laura shares more about the role

“I’m the Hospital Liaison Volunteer for Hereford County Hospital. I was actively involved with establishing the new bereavement suite which opened in summer 2019.

"Through a working group we’ve brought in lanyards and a buzzer system to help those returning to the hospital, anxious about appointments. We’ve improved the resources within the county basing it on bereaved parents’ experiences. As Hereford Sands we support both the midwives and the bereaved families in the community.

"During Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) we walk from the hospital to the cathedral for the Wave of Light event and we see more buildings are lighting up in pink and blue each year. We feedback experiences and ensure the hospital is stocked with memory boxes and literature. We still have lots of ideas and with a new bereavement midwife starting soon we hope these will grow to fruition.”

Laura-HLV

Essential criteria

Before you apply, please ensure the following: 

  • You must be over 18 
  • If you are bereaved, at least 12 months must have passed since your loss 
  • You should have an understanding and awareness of pregnancy loss and baby death

Training

All HLVs are asked to attend an online training session. 

Upcoming training dates include:

  • Monday 8 June – 9:30am to 2pm 
  • Wednesday 9 September – 9:30am to 2pm 
  • Wednesday 2 December – 9:30am to 2pm 

Once training is completed and references approved, we’ll notify the relevant people that you are ready to begin your volunteering. 

Training can sometimes raise questions about readiness. If needed, we may arrange a follow‑up call with you. This is not a setback - it’s about ensuring emotional readiness so you can support hospital staff and families effectively. If now isn’t the right time, we can suggest other ways to get involved.

Support for you as a HLV

  • Online group catch-up every eight weeks
  • 1:1 support
  • Opportunities to speak to other HLVs through the HLV Facebook group
  • Regular updates from Sands
  • Support from wider Sands staff including training and resources
  • Direct contact to and from the HLV Coordinator

References

Your application will require two references from people who have known you for at least two years in a personal or professional capacity (not family members or close friends). We’ll ask them to comment on your suitability for the HLV role. 

Once we receive your form, we will review it, contact your references, and then arrange an interview. 

Apply nowFor more information about the role, application process, or to find out which hospitals currently need HLVs, please contact: 

📧 volunteering@sands.org.uk 

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