Volunteer Involvement: Practice Guide and Procedure

1.         This document sets out the procedures that Rights and Equality West Midlands will adopt when dealing with Rights and Equality West Midlands volunteers of different kinds, each with its own functions and needs.  It is intended to be used as a reference, by Rights and Equality West Midlands staff with responsibility for co-ordinating the effort of volunteers, to ensure that Rights and Equality West Midlands consistent and fair in its approach and maintains high standards in its treatment of volunteers.

2.         Rights and Equality West Midlands will designate one or more members of staff as volunteer co-ordinator with the duty of planning for, recruiting, deploying, supervising and providing for the needs of volunteers.

3.         The volunteer co-ordinator will ensure that volunteers are not used to displace paid employees from their positions.

4.         The volunteer co-ordinator will ensure that a volunteer does not receive less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or is disadvantaged by conditions or requirements which cannot be shown to be justifiable. 

5.         Rights and Equality West Midlands will provide volunteers with safe and healthy working conditions and the necessary equipment and systems to undertake their work, and provide the information, training and supervision necessary for them to maximise their contribution.

6.         If volunteers have complaints relating to volunteering at Rights and Equality West Midlands they should, in the first instance, raise them with the volunteer co-ordinator, after which they should make use of Rights and Equality West Midlands complaints procedure.

7.         Volunteers will be expected to abide by Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers.  If they do not observe the rules or their contribution is considered unsatisfactory, the volunteer co-ordinator will discuss the matter with them, with a view to improving performance.

8.         Except for executive committee members, whose situation is different, the volunteer co-ordinator will, for good reason, have the right to terminate the volunteer agreement if the performance of a volunteer is unsatisfactory, disruptive, or damaging to Rights and Equality West Midlands.  Volunteers will be informed in writing of the decision and referred to the complaints procedure if they wish to pursue the matter.

9.         Rights and Equality West Midlands must ensure that executive members and volunteers are covered by their insurance policy and be clear as to which policies apply (eg. liability, personal accident, contents, error and omissions).  Volunteers will need to inform their insurance company in writing if they are using their car for voluntary work.

10.       Rights and Equality West Midlands’ volunteers will normally fall into one of the following categories, each with its special requirements and administrative arrangements.

(i)         Executive committee member.

(ii)        Professional advisers (non-executive committee panel members, consultants, local authority officers, interpreters, etc. – often with professional expertise).

(iii)       Students on work placement.

(iv)       Students on work experience.

(v)        Trainees (and others on work placement, from training agency or other schemes).

(vi)       Voluntary service workers (those wishing to undertake voluntary service for its own sake, or to improve employment opportunities).

(vii)      Other (various other kinds of helper).

(i)        Executive Committee Members

11.       Executive committee members are subject to Rights and Equality West Midlands’ constitution and clauses relating to election, nomination, and co-optation.  In accordance with the requirements of the constitution, executive committee members must make a formal written declaration of their commitment to Rights and Equality West Midlands’ objects and their desire to work strategically towards the achievement of those objects.

12.       Where the executive committee, in discussion with the project leader, believes it appropriate, executive committee members may be asked to complete a volunteer registration form in order to provide information in greater detail on their knowledge, skills, experience and interests, so that this may be taken into account in planning, marketing, applying for funding, and maximising their voluntary contribution to the Rights and Equality West Midlands’ work.

13.       Matters relating to the induction and training of executive committee members are dealt with in Rights and Equality West Midlands’ training policy, procedures and plan.

(ii)        Professional advisers (non-executive committee panel members, consultants, local authority officers, interpreters, etc., often with professional expertise).

14.       Wherever possible, professional advisers, such as non-executive committee panel members and other regular Rights and Equality West Midlands supporters with professional expertise, should complete a formal written declaration of their commitment to Rights and Equality West Midlands objects and their desire to work strategically towards the achievements of those objects.

15.       At the same time, professional advisers should be encouraged to complete a volunteer registration form in order to provide further information on the knowledge, skills, experience and interests that they might be able to contribute to the work of Rights and Equality West Midlands, including their willingness to provide training for others in their area of expertise, or to undertake consultancy or research on behalf of Rights and Equality West Midlands.

16.       The induction and training of professional advisers, such as non-executive committee panel members and other regular Rights and Equality West Midlands supporters with professional expertise, is best undertaken by extending to them the provision made for executive members, or by making available to them the staff training and development programme, and allowing them access to it, should they so wish.

17.       The volunteer co-ordinator should assume responsibility for encouraging a fuller involvement of expert professionals in the work of Rights and Equality West Midlands, as participants in training programmes, and in delivering training and other services.

(iii)       Students on work placement.

18.       Unless actively sought and recruited, students are likely to approach Rights and Equality West Midlands to request a placement to fulfil some aspect of a university or college course requirement.  Alternatively, a member of staff from a university or college department may contact Rights and Equality West Midlands to request placement for one or more students.  It is also possible that students may request a placement independently of an educational institution in order to gain insight into Rights and Equality West Midlands’ work.

19.       Rights and Equality West Midlands’ will arrive at an overall policy as to whether or not to accept students for placement.

20.       Rights and Equality West Midlands will have to give prior thought to the precise nature of the student project and plan ahead, if it wishes to gain specific benefit (eg. in the form of a research report helpful to the ongoing work of Rights and Equality West Midlands) from the student’s involvement with Rights and Equality West Midlands.  Alternatively, it may see the placement merely as a valuable means of raising students’ awareness about Rights and Equality West Midlands’ work.

21.       Rights and Equality West Midlands may expect the student to complete:

• a volunteer registration form.

• a formal written declaration of commitment to Rights and Equality West Midlands’ objects.

• a declaration of confidentiality.

• an agreement to abide by Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers.

• an outline proposal of the student’s objectives.

22.       If the student is attached to a university or college, Rights and Equality West Midlands may require:

• a letter from the institution stating that the student is enrolled on one of its courses.

• the nature of the course requirement.

• the kind of relationship with Rights and Equality West Midlands that the institution wishes to enter into.

23.       Following an initial meeting with the student and/or the college tutor, at which the student’s proposal will be explored, Rights and Equality West Midlands’ designated volunteer co-ordinator, in the light of knowledge of Rights and Equality West Midlands’ capacity and available resources, will come to a decision on whether to grant an individual student request.

24.       Any agreement arrived at is likely to reflect the needs of the student in relation to the course being undertaken and the means of assessment, as well as of the placement experience, and the level of support and supervision available.  These matters will need to be negotiated prior to commencement between the student and/or the college tutor on the one hand, and Rights and Equality West Midlands’ volunteer co-ordinator on the other.

25.       Following an initial orientation interview at which the students proposal will be either accepted or rejected, a written agreement should be drawn up between the student/university and volunteer co-ordinator/Rights and Equality West Midlands containing the following information:

• the names of the parties to the agreement

• the duration of the placement.

• attendance dates and times.

• outline of the proposed project.

• the expected outcomes from the project.

• expenses: who pays what and to whom?

• names of academic supervisor and Rights and Equality West Midlands supervisor/volunteer co-ordinator.

• conditions in relations to information gathered, research undertaken, reports written, permission to publish, professional behaviour, confidentiality, premature termination (as in Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers).

26.       Rights and Equality West Midlands volunteer co-ordinator will undertake the induction of the student and provide any minimal training, either prior to, or after commencement of placement.

27.       Rights and Equality West Midlands volunteer co-ordinator will arrange to meet the student during the course of the placement and at its conclusion, to discuss progress and outcomes.

28.       The student will be expected to provide Rights and Equality West Midlands with a copy of any report produced as a consequence of the placement.

29.       Should Rights and Equality West Midlands wish, for good reason, to terminate an institutionally-sponsored student’s placement with Rights and Equality West Midlands (in accordance with agreed conditions), it will, in the first instance, discuss the situation with a representative of the sending educational institution, most probably the student’s course tutor.

(iv)       Students on work experience

30.       Students’ work experience is often of short duration and the students that seek it are usually young and of school age.

31.       Rights and Equality West Midlands’ volunteer co-ordinator should plan and arrange the work experience programme in close collaboration with the staff of the student’s school.

32.       Students seeking work experience, nevertheless, will be expected:

• to write a letter requesting work experience and explaining why they want to obtain the experience at Rights and Equality West Midlands.

• to complete the volunteer registration form.

• to keep a log/diary of their activities while at Rights and Equality West Midlands.

33.       The volunteer co-ordinator will keep a record of their attendance, discuss their experience with them, and write a brief report/letter confirming that they have undertaken work experience with Rights and Equality West Midlands.

(v)       Trainees (and others on work placement, from training agency or other schemes)

34.       Placement  for trainees will normally be sought by a training organisation wishing to provide work experience of a particular kind so that the trainee can acquire and demonstrate various skills and the additional aim of achieving accreditation.

35.       Trainees may receive payment from their training organisation, and are only volunteers in the sense that they undertake tasks for Rights and Equality West Midlands without receiving payment from Rights and Equality West Midlands.  The training organisation will normally meet all expenses incurred by the trainees.

36.       Trainees should only be accepted following full discussion and agreement with work placement supervisors of the training organisation, with which a written agreement setting out terms should be reached.

37.       Trainees will be expected to complete:

• a volunteer registration form.

• an agreement to abide by Rights and Equality West Midlands rules for volunteers.

• a declaration of confidentiality.

38.       Rights and Equality West Midlands volunteer co-ordinator will undertake the induction of the trainee and provide any minimal training, either prior to, or after commencement of the trainee placement.

39.       Arrangements for supervision and assessment will be made with the training organisation.

40.       Should Rights and Equality West Midlands wish, for good reason, to terminate a trainee’s placement, it will, in the first instance, discuss the situation with a representative of the training organisation.  It reserves the right, nevertheless, to terminate the placement unilaterally.

(vi)      Voluntary service workers

41.       People wishing to volunteer to work without payment for Rights and Equality West Midlands may be actively recruited by Rights and Equality West Midlands as a result of its mounting a proactive advertising and recruitment campaign (hereinafter referred to as volunteer active recruitment).

42.       Alternatively, people seeking to volunteer their services may themselves approach Rights and Equality West Midlands to request a placement (hereinafter referred to as volunteer passive recruitment).

43.       Volunteer active recruitment will take place following the executive committee’s formal adoption of a plan to develop and expand a specific service, or to mount a new project in a given area, which is dependant partly, or wholly, on the work of volunteers.

44.       For volunteer active recruitment, Rights and Equality West Midlands will ensure that the following are in place before any recruitment:

• strategic development plan indicating how volunteers are to be used.

• budget provision for payment volunteer expenses.

• the voluntary work schedule (a statement of how and when volunteers will contribute to Rights and Equality West Midlands’ services/projects and how many people are required).

• voluntary work supervisory framework.

• Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers.

• plan for induction and initial training.

• volunteer registration/application form.

• volunteer work outline.

• volunteer selection criteria.

• draft advertisement inviting application from volunteers.

45.       Following the appearance of an advertisement for voluntary service workers, and requests from interested persons for further information, Rights and Equality West Midlands will send them:

• a volunteer registration/application form.

• the volunteer work outline.

• volunteer selection criteria.

• the voluntary work schedule.

• Rights and Equality West Midlands’ policy on volunteering.

• any other relevant information.

46.       The project leader and/or the designated volunteer co-ordinator will check all applications to see whether they meet the volunteer selection criteria.

47.       If applicants meeting the selection criteria match the number of volunteers required by Rights and Equality West Midlands, they will be invited to attend for an interview to discuss with the project leader and/or the designated volunteer co-ordinator:

• the needs of Rights and Equality West Midlands.

• their skills, availability, special requirements, training needs, etc.

• the way Rights and Equality West Midlands and the individual’s needs might best be matched.

48.       If there are more suitable applicants for volunteering than the number of volunteers required by Rights and Equality West Midlands, or than can be reasonably accommodated to the schedule, Rights and Equality West Midlands will arrange a selection interview.

49.       For volunteer active recruitment, and in situations where there are more suitable applicants than opportunities for volunteering or voluntary placements, Rights and Equality West Midlands  will follow the same selection procedure as for paid employees.  Additionally, however, the designated volunteer co-ordinator will attend the meeting of the selection panel either as adviser or as a panel member in her/his own right, the decision to be made by the panel chair.

50.       The selection panel will pay particular attention particular attention to Rights and Equality West Midlands’ equal opportunity policy and for Rights and Equality West Midlands to ensure the adequate representation of ethnic groups amongst its volunteers.

51.       Rights and Equality West Midlands will arrive at a decision as to whether or not, in the light of the resources at its disposal, and taking into account its general policy on volunteering, it wishes to adopt a policy of seeking to accept on placement individuals who spontaneously approach Rights and Equality West Midlands with an offer to volunteer their services.

52.       If they so decide, then, for volunteer passive recruitment, where volunteers spontaneously approach Rights and Equality West Midlands for a volunteering opportunity, the person volunteering will be sent:

• a volunteer registration form.

• Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers.

• Rights and Equality West Midlands’ policy on volunteering.

• any other relevant information.

53.       On completion of the registration form, the volunteer will be invited to meet the volunteer co-ordinator to discuss the possibility of arranging a mutually beneficial placement that matches the knowledge, skills, experience, interests and availability of the volunteer with the ongoing work and objectives of Rights and Equality West Midlands, and to assess induction, supervisory and training requirements.

54.       If, on the basis of the meeting, Rights and Equality West Midlands’ volunteer co-ordinator concludes that the volunteer can be placed, the volunteer will be expected to complete:

• a formal written declaration of commitment to Rights and Equality West Midlands objects.

• a declaration of confidentiality.

• an agreement to abide by Rights and Equality West Midlands’ rules for volunteers.

55.       The new volunteer will receive:

• a voluntary work schedule and/or

• volunteer work outline.

• information on induction, supervisory and training requirements.

  56.      If the volunteer co-ordinator concludes that volunteers cannot be placed, they will be sent a letter thanking them for their interest, but informing them that a placement cannot be arranged on this occasion. 

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