Promoting Volunteering is about creating a Leeds where partners work together to ensure that
formal and informal volunteering is encouraged, promoted, valued and
recognised.
Context: The term volunteering includes formal activity undertaken
through public, private and voluntary organisations as well as informal
community activity. Volunteer must be a choice freely made by each individual
and should be a choice that is open to all.
The value of the contribution of volunteers should be
recognised and both the organisation involving volunteers and the volunteers
themselves should benefit from the relationship. Organisations who use
volunteers should operate in a way that ensures the volunteering experience is
positive and adds value to an organisation.
The following commitments focus on formal volunteering
activities.
Partner Commitments: Promoting volunteering
Volunteering is open to everyone
Partners understand that:
- Everyone has the right to choose to become a volunteer.
Organisations who use volunteers aim to deliver a good
quality volunteering experience
Partners will:
- Monitor and evaluate the volunteer and the organisations experiences
and identify where improvements can be made.
- Make sure that they are aware of and work towards
implementing good practice.
- Have an awareness of the wider volunteering opportunities
and networks within the city.
- Recognise that delivering a good quality volunteering
experience requires commitment and resources.
Recruitment of volunteers is fair and accessible
Partners will:
- Have in place a variety of methods for recruiting volunteers
from all areas and communities.
- Have a standard recruitment and interview process.
- Make sure that all volunteers receive a role description and
appropriate training and induction so they understand what is expected of them.
- Make sure that volunteers are not out of pocket after giving
their time freely.
Organisations have appropriate policies for managing
volunteers
Partners will:
- Have a distinct Volunteering Policy in place or where there
are only a small number of volunteers, other policies should make specific reference
and distinctions about volunteers. Policies should follow legal requirements in
distinguishing volunteers from paid workers.
- Ensure policies are written in plain English and are
available to all.
Volunteers are supported and supervised within their role
Partners will:
- Ensure all volunteers have a named member of staff as their
point of contact and for support and supervision.
- Recognise the support needs of individual volunteers will
differ and the support offered should be appropriate to the role and the
individual.
Volunteering programmes provide the training and information
volunteers need to carry out their role
Partners will:
- Provide appropriate training and induction.
- Promote training as a way to help volunteers develop new
skills and learning and give them an opportunity to gain new experiences.
- Understand that training helps motivate volunteers and makes
them feel valued.
Insurance, health and safety, safeguarding and other legal
requirements are met
Partners will:
- Ensure that all appropriate arrangements are in place to
protect volunteers and others.
- Ensure that volunteers are covered by the organisation’s
employers’ liability and public liability insurance and additional insurance is
put in place where appropriate.
- Ensure Health and safety procedures are followed.
- Ensure all relevant legislative requirements, checks and
appropriate practices are in place.