Management Toolkit - VODG

Creating volunteer rolesR EQU E ST FOR A V OL U NT E E RS ervice userMy goal(s)The sort of person I wouldlike as my volunteerWhat I would like avolunteer to doSkil ls I would likethe volunteer to haveHow often I wouldlike a volunteerThis is me – things I’d like avolunteer to know about who I amSigned:(S ervice user)Date:Signed:(Staff member)Date:1:1 SupportNext stepsVolunteers are often recruited toprovide additional 1:1 supportfor people using services, forinstance as a befriender to supportsomeone with a hobby or interest,or to attend their place of worship.Planning this type of volunteeringbegins with the person requiringsupport. What do they want toachieve? What sort of supportwould they like? How might theyfeel about being supported bya volunteer?Once you have written the roledescriptions, it is worth asking staffand current volunteers to reviewthem and and provide feedback.This will help to ensure that theroles are both clear and realistic. Itis also a good idea to review rolesat least once a year, or before younext take on new volunteers forthe role.The example ‘Request for avolunteer form’ above provides aformat for discussing volunteersupport as part of the personcentred planning process. Theinformation from this form can beincorporated into a volunteerrole description.10

Sourcing volunteersRecruitment is the processof finding people who areinterested in volunteering andshowing them how they couldadd value in your organisation.and time commitment.Not enough volunteers, orvolunteers without the rightskills and values, areequally undesirable.One of the first decisionsto make is where to targetrecruitment efforts. It isimportant to be as resourceefficient as possible, bothin terms of your time andrecruitment cost, and toattract just enough volunteerswith the right skills, valuesIn practice, most servicesuse a blend of recruitmentmethods. Are your currentmethods of volunteerrecruitment getting you theresults you want? If not, youmay find it helpful to considersome of the following ideas.11

Sourcing volunteersWord of mouthWord of mouth is a commonway in which people find outabout volunteering opportunities.Research suggests that twothirds of volunteers find out aboutvolunteering in this way. Thismeans it is the method that is mostlikely to give you a positive result,and it’s free because it is basedon goodwill.To approach word of mouthrecruitment in a methodical wayrequires the help of people who arealready connected to your serviceand have a positive experience ofit. People who can help spread theword about volunteeringopportunities include:Explain to the people in your targetgroup that this is not just a casualenquiry; their help is essential toyour recruitment campaign. Thendescribe the volunteer roles youare looking to fill and how theycan help in finding and recruitingsuitable volunteers; by talking tofamily, friends and acquaintancesand asking them, in turn, to talk tothe people they know. Social mediasites such as Twitter, Facebook andLinkedIn can also help to get theword out.Current volunteersPeople who use the serviceFriends and relatives of peoplewho the servicePeople who have previouslyused the serviceStaffKey stakeholders in thelocal community12

Sourcing volunteersCommunity groupsTimebanksRecruiting volunteers who arealready connected to each othercapitalises on the strengths ofexisting relationships. This typeof recruitment involves building aconnection between the communitygroup and your service. You couldinitiate this by offering to do apresentation or, if appropriate,inviting members of the group toan event. To make this type ofrecruitment work:Timebanking is a means ofexchange which enables people toshare their skills and experience.Everyone’s skill is valued equally;one hour’s work is worth one timecredit. Everybody in the timebankagrees to both give and receivehelp, thereby earning and spendingtime credits.1.Secure the support of leaders inthe community organisation.2.Agree with leaders how you aregoing to engage with their widermembership.3.At an early stage, discuss thevalues that underpin your serviceand those in the community groupto ensure they match.4.Ensure that interestedindividuals are promptly invited tointerview and that new volunteersare assigned suitable roles.5.Determine how you are goingto maintain your relationship withthe community group; this couldbe by attending their events,contributing to a newsletter orsending an annual letter of thanks.People supported by your servicemay join a local timebank asindividuals, earning and spendingtime credits as they choose. Thisgives them equal status with othertimebank members and recognitionof their skills.Strictly speaking timebanking isnot volunteering as it is based onreciprocity; everybody gives timeand everybody gets somethingback. However, some timebankswill also accept organisationsas members; the organisationmay earn credits by contributingresources such as meeting space,photocopying or loaning equipmentand spend credits by askingtimebank members to use theirskills in the service.To find your nearest timebank, Spice also develops time creditprojects in England and Wales.Visit http://www.justaddspice.org/13

Sourcing volunteersStudentsWhen looking to recruit students asvolunteers it is worth rememberingthat you are competing with paidwork. Therefore you need toconvince them that you are offeringvaluable experience. In practice,recruiting student volunteersenables you to try people who maybe interested in a paid role whenone arises; it could be that yourbest and most reliable studentvolunteers become yourbank workers.As many students are aroundduring term-time, it is worthfactoring this into the design ofsome of your volunteer roles.Equally, however, students willreturn home and may be ableto volunteer during universitybreaks. Suitable roles could includeinvolvement in short-term projects,teaching someone a skill or helpingorganise an event. You may drawstudents in by offering to developroles around their academicinterests; this could enable youto benefit from a whole range ofknowledge and skills from nutritionand sport to art and photography.Freshers’ fairs and StudentVolunteering Week (aroundFebruary and March) areopportunities to raise awarenessof volunteering opportunities atuniversities and colleges.Some University Student Unions runvolunteer centres. For example see:www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/volunteering/14

Sourcing volunteersEmployer supportedvolunteeringEmployer supported volunteeringenables people to volunteer withsupport from their employer. Thismay be in the form of time off forindividual volunteering, a teamchallenge or through a relationshipwith a community partner. This canwork just as effectively based on alocal arrangement as partnershipsdeveloped at a corporate level.A successful employer supportedprogramme is beneficial to thesocial care provider organisation,the employer and its employees.The provider benefits from asource of skilled and enthusiasticvolunteers while the employergains an opportunity for buildingteams and developing futureleaders. Meanwhile employees cantry new activities, develop theirmanagement skills and improvetheir employability, as threequarters of employers prefer torecruit people with volunteering ontheir CV.A potential pitfall of employersupported volunteering is that theexpectations of the employer andprovider organisation may be mismatched. For instance, the providermay be looking for volunteers towork on a one-to-one basis withpeople using the service whilethe employer may be looking todevelop the strategic marketingskills of the team. It is importantto be very clear about needs andexpectations from the outsetand to identify mutuallybeneficial activities.Business in the communitycan broker relationships betweennot-for-profit organisations andcompanies interested in supportingvolunteering. This service isalso provided by VolunteeringMatters. Alternatively you couldapproach local companies directlyor spread the word that yourservice is interested in being linkedwith a local employer.Business in the community:www.bitc.org.ukVolunteering unteering/15

Sourcing volunteersPro bonolegal advicePro bono solicitors andbarristers offer free legal advice,representation and mediation topeople who have no way of payingfor it.LawWorks supports solicitors,mediators and law students tovolunteer their professional skills toassist individuals and communitygroups who cannot afford to payfor legal help and are unable toaccess legal aid or other forms offinancial assistance. LawWorks asksparticipating lawyers to sign theirpro bono protocol which confirmsthat pro bono assistance will bedelivered to the same standard asfee-paid work.The Bar Pro Bono Unitmatches barristers prepared toundertake pro bono work withthose who cannot afford to payfor it. It has a pre-volunteeredpanel of around 2,400 barristers, ofwhich 364 are Queen’s Counsel.The Bar Pro Bono uk16

Sourcing volunteersPetsPets as Therapy links volunteersand their pets with care homes.Pets are all vaccinated, wormed,protected against fleas and‘temperament tested’. There arecurrently around 4,500 dogs, 108cats and their owners involved inthis scheme.Pets as Therapywww.petsastherapy.orgThe Cinnamon Trust linksvolunteers with pet-owners whohave difficulty looking after theirpets due to age or ill-health.Volunteers provide practical helpsuch as dog-walking, pet fosteringand long-term pet care if an ownerdies or goes into residential care.The Cinnamon Trustwww.cinnamon.org.uk17

Sourcing volunteersBrokered volunteer recruitmentAn important means of boostingvolunteer recruitment is viaorganisations set up to matchvolunteers to roles of interestto them. The advantage of thisapproach is that it can reducethe initial effort involved. Themain disadvantage is that you arecompeting with many differentorganisations, all lookingfor volunteers.Possible sources ofvolunteers include:Your local volunteer centre;you can find your nearestcentre at centre.Programmes in colleges thatlink students with volunteeropportunities.Web sites.www.do-it.orgwww.reachskills.org.ukGeneral volunteeropportunitiesMatch the skills ofexperienced people withthe needs of ring for under 25sVolunteering in London18

Sourcing volunteersVolunteering MattersVolunteering Matters runs awide range of volunteering andsocial action programmes aroundEngland, Scotland and Wales,including full-time volunteering foryoung people within health andsocial care settings. Placementsmay involve working withindividuals living with their families,disabled students, professionalservice providers and educationalestablishments. Young people, aged18 and over, are matched to socialaction projects for 6-12 months andvolunteer for up to 35 hoursper week.Volunteering Matters also workswith organisations and communitiesto establish volunteeringprogrammes such as:Retired and SeniorVolunteering Programmewhich responds to localcommunity needs by managingand delivering new servicesidentified and led by oldercommunity volunteers.Supported volunteering,providing communitymentors for volunteerswith learning disabilities.Parent mentoring, supportingfamilies with children on the atrisk register.Volunteering Matterswww.volunteeringmatters.org.uk19

Top tips for recruiting volunteers1Make sure your volunteeringroles are interestingWould you do them? Remember that for many peoplevolunteering is an alternative to leisure, so mix upuninteresting tasks with others that make roles enjoyable.2Give greatcustomer servicePeople expect a responsive service as the norm, so make sure youget back to potential volunteers quickly. You are more likely to attractvolunteers by providing an efficient, friendly service.3Be open to offers4Be flexible5Provide a wide range ofways to volunteerVolunteers may bring talents that you had not considered but could addvalue to your service. Be prepared to adapt or create a role around specificskills and make sure volunteers know you are open to offers.Some people like to suggest what they could do while others like to seeclearly what is on offer, in terms of the tasks, skills required and timecommitment up front.This can increase your chances of attracting a greater number ofvolunteers. Are there roles that volunteers can fulfil online? Or onthe telephone? At events? You may attract people who are willingto be involved in a series of “one-off” events, but who don’t wantto make a regular commitment.20

Top tips for recruiting volunteers6Can you accommodate teamsor group opportunities?If you have tasks that are suitable for a team, make sure you promote theseas they can be difficult to find. Offering the opportunity to volunteer as afamily, a couple or a group of friends can also attract people and this type ofvolunteering can be a great way of preventing loneliness and isolation.7Highlight the differencevolunteers makePeople are more likely to be motivated if they see the difference they could makethrough volunteering. Be clear on what impact volunteering will have to people livesand the local community.8Promote the positive impactvolunteering can have on volunteersPromote the benefits of volunteering, such as making friends, learning new skillsand gaining experience. What can volunteers expect from you? If you offer trainingor other opportunities, make sure you promote these too.910Allow volunteers to try before they commitOffer taster sessions to appeal to people who maybe unsure about what’s involved.Engage volunteers in recruitmentA lead member of paid staff will help to ensure that someone in your service ischampioning volunteer recruitment. In addition you might ask volunteers tohelp by writing recruitment messages and promoting volunteering atrecruitment presentations.21

A question of insuranceIt is part of an organisation’s duty of care to ensurethat it has adequate risk management and insurance inplace. This includes managing the risks and ensuringinsurance cover for volunteer involvement.Risk management measures include:Being clear about thevolunteer roleEnsuring the volunteer has thenecessary skills and support tofulfil the roleSourcing referencesUndertaking a DBS check foreligible rolesProviding a volunteer inductionDelivering training on equalityissues and relevant aspects ofhealth and safetyProviding further trainingappropriate to the roleEnsuring volunteers understandhow to implement any riskassessments relevant totheir roleOrganisations owe common lawand statutory duties to protect thehealth and safety of volunteers.Therefore Volunteering Englandrecommends that organisationsinclude volunteers in their healthand safety policy as a matter ofgood practice.Employers will also be potentiallyliable for any harassment of theiremployees by volunteers under theEquality Act 2010. Consequentlyit is wise to provide training onequality issues to all volunteers.Volunteers risk personal injury, lossor damage to their own propertyand liability arising from thecourse of their volunteering, so itis essential and in everyone’s bestinterest to ensure that adequateinsurance cover is provided.Add a pic?22

A question of insuranceWhat insurance coverdo providers needfor volunteers?Things to rememberwhen obtaininginsuranceEmployer’s liability insuranceusually covers the cost ofdefending your organisation againstallegations of illness or injury.Claims of this nature can costthousands, and without appropriateinsurance cover, represent a seriousfinancial risk.It is important to remember thatvolunteers are in a unique positionwithin your organisation. Theyare not employees and may notautomatically be considered as‘Third Party’ under your PublicLiability Insurance. Volunteers needto be specifically referred to in yourpolicy. Insurance policies shouldcover all actions volunteers maycarry out as well as the venues theywill be operating in. If volunteerstake part in strenuous or dangerousactivities, such as sports coaching,or use specialised equipment, thenthese will need to be covered inyour policy.Public liability insurance offersprotection against any action takenby a ‘Third Party’ (i.e. someoneoutside the organisation). Yourorganisation will need to considerwhat will happen if a volunteercauses damage to third partyproperty or injury to an individual,including a person using the serviceor another volunteer.Any large one-off events such asfundraising events will need specificinsurance policies which shouldinclude both employers and publicArranging volunteerliability insurance.insuranceThe Charity Commission statesthat charities must take outEmployer’s Liability insurance onlyfrom a company working under theFinancial Services and MarketsAct 2000.You can find out more aboutarranging volunteer insurance fromVODG partner, Capita CARE.www.capitacare.co.uk23

Supporting peopleto support othersMany adults who use careservices, or have experienceof living in vulnerablecircumstances, are uniquelyplaced to undertake certainvolunteer roles due to theirexperience of disability,disadvantage and/or usingservices. They bring a levelof insight which can onlybe gained throughlived experience.However, they can be sociallyexcluded and seen as the‘recipients’ of help rather thancitizens who make positivecontributions. By openingvolunteer opportunities up tomarginalized groups, you tap intotheir experience to the benefit ofyour organisation and the peopleit supports; you turn volunteeringin your service into a force forinclusion. Volunteering offerspeople a valued role and can leadto them developing friendships,skills, enjoyment and confidence.24

Supporting peopleto support othersNeeds and expectationsCare service providers usuallyembark on a volunteeringprogramme in order to increasetheir capacity and/or add value totheir se

What to include in a role description Role title: This should be appealing and relevant to the role. Role purpose: What are you looking for the person to contribute or achieve? Main tasks: Use this section to give more detail on what you are looking for a volunteer to do. Skills and qualities: Outline what is needed to do this role well. DBS check: