ICUsteps is looking to recruit volunteers and trustees to help with us to continue to grow the charity and further expand our work as the UK's leading intensive care patient support organisation. You can find out more about ICUsteps on our 'about us' page, where you can also meet our current trustees.
Although our primary areas of work are support groups, information and research, our work can cover anything that affects patient and their relatives along the journey of critical illness. The scope of our work is only limited by the number of people we have to help us. Can you help us further improve the patient and family experience of critical illness?
What we do
You can find out all about our work right here by looking at our information, support and research pages.
Our latest Annual Report gives a more detailed summary of our more recent work.
Our Support
Providing peer support groups was where ICUsteps began back in 2005, but remains a cornerstone of our work. Meeting, talking and being understood by others who've been through similar experiences, sharing coping mechanisms and stories, and being able to see people further down the recovery journey can be a great help to people recovering from a critical illness. Support groups help to lift the sense of isolation that ICU survivors can feel after they leave critical care, often having to face the physical, psychological and cognitive issues that often result from critical illness without anyone who truly understands what they've been through.
In addition to encouraging new groups to establish, a key aim for the current year is improving the support group network to build a stronger bond and communication channel between supports groups, as well as with ICUsteps centrally, to share best practice, practical support and ideas and establish a closer, more supportive community between the groups.
Our Information
Since first publication in 2008 of our information booklet 'Intensive Care: a guide for patients and relatives', our information resources have continued to grow. The guide itself has been translated into 18 languages, adapted for use in a dozen countries around the world, and become regarded as the gold standard for intensive care patient information. We've added to this with our 'Visiting the Intensive Care Unit' children's activity book, and a host of supplementary information sheets on a host of topics, from tips to help with eating problems, to delirium and end of life in intensive care.
Our information sheets are available as PDF downloadsbut we have plans to make them available in hard copy for hospitals to order through our website, and of course we're looking for additional topics to cover needed by patients and relatives looking for patient-centred, authoritative information in plain language to add to our catalogue.
Our Research
Though we don't do research ourselves, we're often contacted by ICU researchers looking for patient support with participation in their studies, patient involvement with study set-up or steering committees. We can help ensure that research on issues that matter most to patients and relatives have the benefit of patient insight and representation to give them the best chances of success that we can.
Our values
Though we are a small charity, our unique perspective has meant we've worked with leading healthcare organisations from across the UK, Europe and North America. We've been able to do this because of the reputation we've been able to build from the quality of our work and doing things the right way. Whether it's patient information, representation, or charity governance. Our brand guidelines ensure that our products have a consistent feel and quality to them, but they also capture our values.
"ICUsteps was founded in 2005 as the UK’s only intensive care patient support charity. Though other critical care organisations existed, ICUsteps was unique in being founded on collaboration between patients, relatives and healthcare professionals and being patient led.
Our goal is to represent the interests of critical care patients and their relatives and to support healthcare professionals provide better care and support. Unlike organisations with a purely clinical background, it is this partnership that sets ICUsteps aside."
We are friendly, professional and caring. Inclusive, supportive, down-to-earth, warm, and show empathy.
Equality, diversity and inclusion matter to us because, they too, are part of doing things the right way.
We need your help
ICUsteps is seeking dedicated individuals who share our passion to improve the patient and relative experience of critical illness and recovery to join us.
Whether you can spare a few hours or are willing to take on a more substantial commitment, we have two distinct roles that can accommodate your level of involvement and formality.
Volunteers play a crucial role in supporting our initiatives, contributing their time and skills to specific projects and events. On the other hand, Trustees hold a more formal position, actively participating in the decision-making process and guiding the overall direction of our organisation.
Whatever role feels like the better fit for you, your invaluable contribution will help us create meaningful change.
Open positions
Find out more and apply for any of our open positions.