Volunteer Management

Best PracticeGuide

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We support charities, community groups andvolunteers in Milton Keynes. For details of thewide range of free services we offer, includingsupport with skills development, discoveringneeds, planning projects, finding funding and

demonstrating impact, please call us on 01908661623, visit www.CommunityActionMK.org or

email Info@CommunityActionMK.org

1. Get it right from the start 4

2. Creating volunteer roles 5

3. Recruitment 6

4. Induction, training and support 8

5. Retaining volunteers 9

6. Dealing with problems 10

7. Legal issues 11

8. Screening and DBS 13

9. Community Action: MK 14

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Contents:

The reality of volunteer management is that if we get it right from thestart it becomes a lot easier. It's a good idea to have a volunteerpolicy. This need not be complicated but it will embed in yourorganisation what it is that volunteers do, where they fit, whomanages them and how.

Having a volunteer policy helps you show:

● Commitment – it demonstrates your commitment, care and thought to yourvolunteer programme and to your individual volunteers.

● Consistency – volunteers are a diverse range of people. Being able to refer to awritten policy ensures that decisions are consistent and not made on an ad hocbasis, and that all volunteers are treated equally.

● Clarity – a policy enables volunteers to know where they stand, it offers securityfor both you and them and it gives you both some structure as to what happens ifanything goes wrong.

● Unity – a policy helps ensure that staff, management and trustees fullyunderstand why and how volunteers are being involved.

What needs to be in a volunteering policy?

An overview of the organisation, notes on recruitment, a volunteer agreement,expenses, induction, support, feedback, insurance, health and safety, equalopportunities, confidentiality and problem solving.

As all organisations are different, all policies will be different too, you need to makethis document work for you.

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A policy should be a workingdocument, it should bereviewed every year and allstaff, trustees and volunteersshould be aware of it. It meansnothing if it lives in thecupboard and it will make yourlife easier.

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1. Get it Right From the Start

Once you have your policy in place you can begin to think how and why you needhelp from volunteers.

● What are the tasks you need a volunteer to do?● How much time will these tasks take?● Are these tasks ‘one offs’ or on-going?● Will these tasks need more than one person?● Are they daytime, evening or weekend?● Where will the volunteering happen, on site, off site, e-

volunteering?● Will the role need specific experience, skills or qualifications?● What will the supervision, management and training requirements

be?● Are there implications for the organisation’s insurance?● Is the role ‘safe’, has it been risk assessed?

When you have answered these questions it will be important that you put as muchdetail into the role description as you can, this way everyone has a clear idea ofwhat is happening and what can be expected.

When writing a volunteer role description you need to really 'sell' the role.Remember that volunteers could spend their time doing all sorts of other thingsand that you’re competing with:

● Other organisations● Work● Leisure● Family

Think about what the volunteer can gain from this role, are you providing training,support, expenses, work experience? What makes your role stand out from all theothers?

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It is good practice to not referto volunteering roles as ‘jobs’.This helps clear any confusionwith staff and employmentlaw. The terms ‘role’ and ‘task’are more appropriate forvolunteers.

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2. Creating Volunteer Roles

There are many ways to recruit volunteers. At Community Action:MK, we have plenty of experience in helping all kinds oforganisations in recruiting, managing and retaining volunteers.

We can also register it on the national volunteering database,www.do-it.org.uk, and promote it to volunteers during our one to oneand drop-in sessions.

This is only one way that you can recruit volunteers, you can also use:

● The local and national press● Talks and presentations● Posters in community centres, GP Surgeries, shops or churches● The annual Volunteers Fair● Jobcentre Plus● Local networks

You will have to give some consideration to the recruitment process.

● Are you going to have an application form?● Will you take up references or run a DBS check? ● How will you select?● Have you thought about equal opportunities?

When a potential volunteer enquires about your role it is good practice tocommunicate with them as soon as possible and we need you to do this within 14days. The quicker you communicate with them the better chance you have ofrecruiting them.

It is good practice to contact Community Action: MK to let us know how theprocess is going. We particularly need to know when a volunteer is placed.

Sometimes waiting for application forms, references and DBS checks can takelonger than you’d like. It’s important during this time that the volunteer is assuredthat things are progressing and that they’ve not been forgotten. It may even bepossible to get them in to do some induction or well supervised volunteering whilethe paperwork is being processed (obviously this depends on the nature of therole).

Remember that this is a two way process so you can find out about the potentialvolunteer and that they can find out about you. Try to make the volunteer feel asrelaxed as possible, refer to this as a ‘meeting’ rather than an ‘interview’ and makesure that you have set enough time aside for it without interruptions. At the meetingyou can:

● Provide the volunteer with more information● Assess the volunteer’s suitability for the role● Discuss the practical details ● Establish a time frame for what happens next

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Usually the bestadvertisement for you as avolunteer involvingorganisation is your currentteam of volunteers. Get themto spread the word, they knowexactly what’s required andwhat volunteering with youcan do for them.

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3. Recruitment

Most organisations will take up references to establish the suitability of thepotential volunteer, we recommend asking for two referees. Your organisation mayalso ask for DBS checks, and we highly recommend this if the volunteer will beworking with children or vulnerable adults. When you risk assess the role you willbe able to gauge the potential for hazards, this includes access to data, money andfinancial details and working with vulnerable individuals, staff or volunteers.

Sometimes you may have to reject a volunteer. This may be quite difficult so it's agood idea to be tactful and phrase your rejection so as not to damage their selfesteem or dignity.

Above all please be honest as to why you feel you cannot involve them. This is whyhaving a good role description and meeting checklist can be very helpful. You canalso refer them to Community Action: MK as we have a huge range of othervolunteering opportunities which may be more appropriate.

At this stage it may also be worth considering what kind of people becomevolunteers and why? The simple answer is every kind of person volunteers for allsorts of reasons. In the UK on average 48% of the population volunteers for at leastan hour once a week.

In broad terms our research shows that the volunteers of Milton Keynes reflect thepopulation in terms of age, ethnicity and educational achievement. There areslightly more female than male volunteers and because of the way we work we seea larger percentage of non-employed people. We do also see people who may havelanguage, learning and basic skills needs, those recovering from ill health and ex-offenders.

People volunteer for different reasons too. Our client group includes:

● parents returning to work● unemployed people wanting to learn new skills● the recently redundant wanting to keep their CV up to date● stroke or heart illness patients rehabilitating● the retired looking to share their experience and fill their time● people wanting to improve their language skills ● those on benefits looking to contribute to their communities● people with disabilities looking for independence● people looking to build confidence and self esteem

All volunteers are human beings and deserve to be respected as such, we take ourresponsibility to equality and human rights extremely seriously and need ourmembers to do the same. Being open and accessible to all sections of ourcommunity and having a diverse set of volunteers will only strengthen yourorganisation.

It’s also important to remember that people’s lives and priorities change so to keepyour volunteers you must be flexible and grow with them.

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Why not use a meetingchecklist so that you cover allthe details you need to?

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Just as you would conduct an induction process for new staff it isimportant to do something similar for volunteers. This should bemore than just reading policies and meeting staff and volunteers. Bygetting the induction right you will give the volunteer a clear idea ofhow your organisation works, where they fit in and make them feelwelcome and valued.

You may wish to include some of the following:

● Their role and that of any other volunteers● Support, supervision and grievance procedures● Aims, policies and procedures● The role of any paid staff● Opportunities for training● Confidentiality● Health and safety, first aid and fire procedures● Location and use of equipment● Appropriate use of IT and phones● Dealing with difficult situations● The building, toilets and refreshments● Introductions to staff and volunteers● Emergency numbers

You can also issue a Volunteer Information Pack, which may contain:● A history of the organisation● Mission Statement● Role Description● Statement of Service● Induction Paper● Volunteer Agreement● Expenses Form● Policies – Volunteer Policy

– Equal Opportunities Statement– Confidentiality Statement– Comments / Complaints Form

It may be useful to develop your own Volunteer Handbook containing thisinformation and ask them to sign an agreement showing that they have been madeaware of your policies.

Training is an important element to ensure everyone benefits from the experience.This may need to start before they take up the role and continue as they progress.This will enable them to develop their skills, become more effective in their role andgain a sense of real satisfaction from the things they achieve.

Once your volunteer is up and running it is important not to take them for granted,just as paid staff need supervision, support and thanks, so do volunteers. Thevolunteer will develop if they feel happy in their role and supported in the tasks thatthey are undertaking. It may be useful to make a record of a volunteer’s progressover time, any training that they receive and any other issues that may arise. This isalso useful if the volunteer goes into paid work for providing references.

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Training and induction can bemade more fun if it’s done ingroups rather than one to one.Be clear about what trainingthey must attend and thatwhich is optional.

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4. Induction, Training and Support

We have listed a number of key ways in which organisations canensure a greater retention of volunteers.

Grow with them. Change is inevitable, circumstances, life, work and familycommitments all change, so it’s important to be able to be flexible and move withyour volunteers, allowing them to develop and keeping hold of their experience anddedication.

Thank them. It seems obvious but volunteers really appreciate your thanks.Thanking them after every session says that you are acknowledging the differencethat they are making, it’s easy and costs nothing. If you have the chance why notorganise an event to thank all of your volunteers, perhaps use National VolunteersWeek (1st week of June each year) or International Volunteers Day (every 5thDecember).

Keep their role interesting. Volunteering is a two way relationship, byunderstanding what motivates a volunteer you will be able to keep them satisfied intheir role. So get the role to work for both of you. Consider what they are lookingfor, is it:● To learn new skills● To share old skills● To address a community issue● Have fun● Gain work experience● Feel useful● Make friends

Create a secure environment. Having a safe place to come and volunteer is veryimportant, even if the volunteering takes place in a stressful environment thereshould be a clear way of identifying any potential hazards and coping or avoidingthem. It is also absolutely vital that all of your volunteers are covered by yourinsurance.

Communicate and work through problems openly. Occasionally problemsarise for volunteers and voluntary organisations, it’s important to be as open,honest and tactful about these as possible. Ensuring good communications at alltimes between staff and volunteers will help prevent and resolve issues as theyarise.

Manage expectations. By being clear with all your staff and volunteers aboutwhat is expected of them and what they can expect from you, you will help preventany confusion. It always helps to know exactly where you stand and exactly what isexpected.

Pay out of pocket expenses. (See also ‘Legal Issues’) Volunteering should notsimply be the privilege of those who can afford to do it. In all your budgeting andfundraising planning you should include a small provision to pay for any out ofpocket expenses such as transport, parking costs and refreshments, and this mayalso mean refunding costs of telephone calls and stationery if the volunteer iscarrying out the role at home.

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It is good practice to payONLY out of pocket expensesrather than a flat fee each timethey volunteer. Paying a flatfee may have an impact onboth benefits and tax. It alsoestablishes a contract ofemployment between youwhich can have complicatedconsequences.

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5. Retaining Volunteers

Volunteering is usually an extremely positive experience. From timeto time problems may arise, however, they can usually be minimisedby dealing with issues in a swift, thorough and fair manner. Theseproblems may include:

● Poor timekeeping or absence● Taking on tasks outside the agreed remit● Failure to respect confidentiality, dignity, independence or individuality● Breach of health and safety regulations● Misuse of facilities or equipment● Theft● Discrimination● Abusive language or behaviour● Arriving under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Also remember that complaints can be made by the volunteer as well as about thevolunteer so it is important to have a consistent approach to grievance anddiscipline. In broad terms a complaint should be dealt with in three stages:● Discussion ● Complaint or warning in writing● Right to appeal

Having clear procedures to deal with issues will help greatly but only if allconcerned are aware that they exist so this should be a key part of your volunteerinduction process. All complaints and disciplinary action should be confidential.

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6. Dealing with Problems

There are several aspects of your legal responsibilities to yourvolunteers which we will briefly explore in this section. There can bea certain amount of misunderstanding, confusion and incorrectassumptions when it comes to the legal issues so tread carefully andtake advice.

The legal position of volunteers is not straightforward. Volunteers are not coveredby most legislation around the workplace, so they are not, for example, protectedby anti-discrimination legislation nor do they have access to employment rights.They do however share the rights we all have as citizens and legislation such asthe Data Protection Act and the Health and Safety At Work Act are relevant.

In terms of Health and Safety you have a duty of care to all your staff, clients andvolunteers and must take all reasonable steps to prevent harm coming to themduring their volunteering. Community Action: MK requires that you undertake a riskassessment of each volunteering role that you register, this is good practice and isvery easy to complete.

Community Action: MK also requires you to have a Health and Safety Policy. Thisshould explicitly include reference to volunteers and all staff and volunteers shouldbe made aware of it. You may also need to look at your policy for lone workers,drivers and volunteers who operate away from your premises.

Benefits. As a general rule volunteering will not have an impact on a person’sentitlement to state benefits as long as it is genuine voluntary work. See www.gov.uk/volunteering for up to date guidance.

Volunteers claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance must still be available for and activelyseeking work and must be available for interview at 48 hours notice and availablefor work at one week’s notice.

The Incapacity Benefit rules regard volunteering as an exempt category of work soit should not impact on the claim. It is important to avoid volunteers carrying outactivities that seem to contradict their reason for receiving benefits.

Those in receipt of Income support, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefitetc. should not be affected by volunteering.

There has been a shift in the attitude toward volunteering from the DWP, it is nowbeing seen as a positive and constructive way of improving employability, raisingskills, engendering confidence and self esteem and improving motivation. We areseeing and receiving number of referrals from Jobcentre Plus.

In terms of paying out of pocket expenses this too will have no impact on thevolunteer’s state benefits. However it is important to stress this applies only to outof pocket expenses, and not to regular flat rate payments or honoraria.

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7. Legal Issues

Community Action: MKprovides a legal clinic. Formore details check out ourwebsite:www.communityactionmk.org

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Young VolunteersThere is no legal reason why anyone under 18 cannot volunteer however, childrenare classed as a ‘vulnerable group’, so any organisation who takes on youngvolunteers must be careful to protect them. Legally a child is defined as someone who is under 18 years old.

This means that organisations with volunteer roles which cannot be supervised allthe time or where the role involves something risky would not be able to accept ayoung volunteer. But there are plenty of roles that are safe and suitable and manypeople under 18 do volunteer.

You will need to carry out a risk assessment to decide whether placing a youngperson in a volunteer role would put them, or the people they’re working with, atrisk. However, by following some basic principles most organisations can involveyoung people in their work:

● Young volunteers should not be left unattended ● Young volunteers should be supervised by two or more adults ● Any potentially dangerous activity should have constant adult supervision

Organisations should also be aware that insurance cover (public or employerliability) does not automatically cover people under 16, so it is important to checkthat there is no lower age limit in your policy. It is normally easy to extend the policyto cover young people, but occasionally the insurance company may decide thatbecause of the type of work involved, the risk of involving young people would betoo high.

It is a good idea to obtain parental/guardian consent for volunteers under 16. Whengiving a consent form to a volunteer, also consider providing a volunteer roledescription and publicity leaflets about your organisation. This will help thevolunteer’s parent/guardian understand what your organisation does, what theyoung person will be doing, and when and where they will be volunteering.

Refugees, asylum seekers and migrants as volunteers. This can be a difficultarea and there is comprehensive advice from Volunteering England on acceptingvolunteers from outside the UK.

Ex-offenders. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, it is only acceptable toask someone to declare spent convictions if they will be working with “vulnerablepeople”. The establishment of the Disclosure and Barring Service has meant thatmore organisations have access to Disclosures, but you are only entitled to applyfor a Disclosure if a volunteer will have regular contact with vulnerable individuals.

Very few people are banned from working or volunteering with children andvulnerable adults. Individuals who are banned will usually know that they arebanned and are unlikely to apply for work with these groups. In the unlikely eventthat they do, this information would show up on a Disclosure.

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Organisations who deal with vulnerable groups will need to check thesuitability of potential staff and volunteers in a quick and accessibleway. You will need to complete a DBS check.

Only by effectively assessing the risk of each volunteering role will you be able todetermine the level of screening that you require. Some organisation as a matter ofpolicy will DBS check every volunteer, even if there is no chance that they will haveunsupervised access to vulnerable groups, their data or money. Your screeningpolicy is a matter for your management committee/trustee board but we wouldrecommend that it is:

● Thought through, thorough and above all consistent● Subject to the legal requirements of the DBS● Tailored to the volunteering role● Based on a 'better safe than sorry' approach● Two references are a minimum requirement

Although asking for references and undertaking a DBS check are not a foolproofway of protecting your clients, staff and volunteers, they are an important way ofmanaging and showing how you manage risk. It is also worth considering thevolunteer’s role; will they ever be unsupervised and have access to vulnerablepeople, their data or finances?

Find out more at https://www.gov.uk/disclosure-barring-service-check/overview

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8. Screening and DBS

We think it will be helpful to give you an idea of what we do atCommunity Action: MK and how we work, this way you willunderstand our processes and be able to get the best from us. So,what happens when you register a role and what happens when apotential new volunteer comes to us?

MembershipAs you know, when you take up Community Action: MK Membership we ask thatyou have a number of policies and procedures in place, this assures us that youare a safe place for us to refer volunteers, that you will treat your potentialvolunteers fairly and that you take volunteering seriously.

Our services to you are free but we do ask the following in return:● That you contact the potential volunteers we refer to you within 14 days● That you treat all volunteers and staff fairly and professionally● That you let us know of any changes to your organisation and roles● That you respond to our requests for information

If you are unable to undertake these requirements we are here to support you, butin the worst case scenario we will de-activate your organisation's membership ofCommunity Action: MK until the issues can be resolved.

Registering/unregistering RolesWhen writing a role description it should be concise but it needs to contain all theinformation we need to find the right people for the role. We can only go on whatyou tell us.

Your role then goes into our directory and also on www.do-it.org.uk the nationalvolunteering database. Your role can also be publicised in the local paper and onMK Web.

When you recruit a volunteer to the role you must tell us so that we can de-activateit, or we will keep referring people to you. This is a very simple process, just give usa call and we’ll do all the work. It is also just as easy for us to reactivate the role if itbecomes vacant again in the future.

Dealing With ReferralsWhen we refer a potential volunteer to you, we require that you contact them within14 days. If you no longer require a volunteer for that role or your circumstanceshave changed it is your responsibility to inform the potential volunteer.

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There are over 300 currentroles in our directory so youshould think about how youcan ‘sell’ your organisation.Make it snappy so that itstands out from the crowd andsay what you could offer avolunteer.

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9. Community Action: MK

Our Process With Potential VolunteersWe have a number of avenues for people wanting to find out more aboutvolunteering, these provide a tailored service to people depending on their needs.

For the personal touch we offer one to one appointments with one of our qualifiedadvisors. These are open to everyone but are particularly useful for people withissues around confidence, language, health etc.

We also run a drop-in session each week at Acorn House, Midsummer Boulevard,Central Milton Keynes. This is a more informal way that people can get information,again they see a qualified advisor and can talk over the options available to them.

Many potential volunteers apply via www.do-it.org.uk . This is a self selectingprocess, the potential volunteer will see your role on the web and apply if they thinkit is the one that suits them best. Their online application comes to us and we callthem to explain the procedure.

We get around one third of our enquiries from the roles we advertise via the localmedia. Again, these volunteers are self referring, they see the advert, think it’s rightfor them and call us. We then explain the role and complete the referral.

We explain our referral service to all potential volunteers and let them know thatthey can expect to hear from the organisation they’ve been referred to within 14days. We ask them to call us if they don’t hear in that time and we chase up thereferral.

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The quicker you get in touchwith the volunteer the better -grab that enthusiasm whileyou can.

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