Presentation By L. M. Baird And Scottish Health Council Research & Public Involvement Knowledge Exchange Event 12 th March 2015

Evaluation Aims  Understand NHS Boards’ progress towards national volunteering outcomes  Assess contribution of the national programme manager role  Help determine future direction and level of support

Methodology  Scottish Health Council  Questionnaire design  Data collection – local staff  Fieldwork between July and mid-September 2014  LMB  Data analysis  Reporting

Participation  86% Boards (19/22)  32 responses  68 people

Respondent Categories Patient facing Board/ServiceNo. Responses Non-patient facing Board/ServiceNo. Responses Volunteer Service Manager 6 n/a - Volunteer management part of role 5 2 Nominated Strategic Lead 11 Nominated Strategic Lead 3 Joint response (e.g. from Nominated Strategic Lead & Volunteer Service Manager) 5 n/a - Total 27 5

Question headings 1. Awareness and acceptance of volunteering by front line staff 2. Effectiveness of volunteers’ contributions 3. Improvements in volunteering 4. Volunteering opportunities in future 5. Key challenges 6. Improving patient and volunteer health 7. Investing in Volunteers Quality Standard 8. Additional information

Boards increased awareness & acceptance of volunteering 100% agreement “We receive a lot less questions from staff and more approaches around volunteering coming into their ward / unit, there is more awareness of volunteers by staff and of what the volunteering role is. (Patient Facing Volunteer Service Manager, 19) More to do: “No acceptance in my area of work.” And “Yes, acceptance has definitely grown in the sector I work in – the passion is overwhelming.” ( Patient Facing Volunteer Service Manager, 12)

Boards increased effectiveness of volunteers’ contributions Factors:  Development of volunteer management practices  Volunteer Service Manager role  National Programme for Volunteering Role of evaluation in measuring volunteer input

Improvements in volunteering “More volunteers are doing more things.” (Patient Facing Nominated Strategic Lead, 33) Factors  Increased commitment, higher profile and awareness of volunteering across Boards at all levels.  Improved volunteer practices  Improved volunteer experiences  Improved patient experience Improvements supported by National Programme (for most Boards)

Volunteering opportunities in future  Developing new volunteer roles and new models of volunteering that build on existing practice  Introduce innovative ways of involving volunteers – link hospital volunteering and community based volunteering  Increased partnership and collaboration with key agencies  A need to consolidate, build on and sustain quality of volunteer practice

Key challenges  Capacity  Volunteer Service Managers and staff with responsibility for volunteering  Availability, skills, and needs of volunteers  Recruitment processes - bureaucratic  Efficiency measures  Resistance to volunteers  Job substitution concerns  Assessment landscape – ‘cluttered’  Competition  Integration of Health and Social care

Support  Overwhelming desire for current model and type of support to continue.  On-going demand for:  Sharing best practice  Networking opportunities  Staff training and resources  Tailored support  Consistency of approach  Appetite for more learning and development of monitoring and evaluation skills.  Need for base line data on volunteering.

Improving patient and volunteer health 90% agreed patient health improved by volunteer contribution: Direct and indirect Vital (first responders/ambulance)s Remote / rural areas 87% agreed volunteer health and well-being improved by volunteering Personal development and employability Mental and physical health benefits Recovery Access to health and wellbeing services

Investing in Volunteers – quality standard Impact on staff & volunteers of retaining the standard Positive impact Framework for review Raises awareness & recognises volunteering Neutral impact Process Impact of retaining the standard on quality of volunteering Positive impact Benchmark Improves quality Neutral impact Quality improvements due to national programme & work of staff Value of continuing to hold the standard Positive Value of nationally recognised standard Demonstrates commitment to volunteering Less favourable Proliferation of standards Doesn’t capture development

Additional information Majority of comments related very positively to the National Programme Manager and the National Programme.  Significant value in having one national role providing leadership to volunteering and the subsequent influence that this has in  raising awareness,  providing consistent guidance,  information and support.  There was also significant praise for the manager’s approach.  Findings suggest that Boards view the continuation of this role as being necessary to future progress.

Progress achieved Boards have:  Increased acceptance and awareness of volunteering.  Improved volunteering practice  Increased effectiveness of volunteers’ contributions.  Improved volunteer experience  Improved patient experience

National Outcomes and Evidence Key: *** Achieving outcome ** Progress with outcome * No progress National OutcomesProgressComment 1.Volunteering contributes to Scotland’s health by a.Enhancing the patient experience b.Providing opportunities to improve the health and wellbeing of volunteers themselves. *** Evidence that volunteering is enhancing the patient experience and helping to improve the health and wellbeing of volunteers. 2.The infrastructure that supports volunteering is developed, sustainable, and inclusive *** ** Progress with development of infrastructure. Sustainability dependent on further investment. Some evidence of inclusiveness, equalities data required. 3. Volunteering and the positive contribution it makes is widely recognised with a culture which demonstrates its value across the partners involved. ** Progress made, more acceptance of volunteers required.

Recommendations  Continue the National Programme and post of Programme Manager.  Continue to offer the same type of support and training yet tailor it to meet the needs of individual NHS Boards which are at different stages in their development of volunteering.  Consider offering more training and support to NHS Boards to help develop evaluation skills.  Continue to develop the Volunteering Information System and use it to establish a baseline against which progress with volunteering can be tracked and measured.  Consider involving all stakeholders in any future evaluation of volunteering in NHSScotland.  Consider the role for the Programme Manager to help champion volunteering in the integration of health and social care.  Consider building links with the Third Sector to share practice, learning and access generic training.  Consider the use of Investing in Volunteers and how the development of volunteering can be measured once attained.

Where the programme is going  A more strategic focus  Greater engagement with the Nominated Strategic Leads for Volunteering  A refresh of the National Group for Volunteering  A refresh of the Communications Strategy  Health and Social Care Partnerships  Further development of the Volunteering Information System  Pilot projects to tackle national challenges  Scope for more robust research