1. CONSIDER THESE ACTUAL EXAMPLES
Volunteers are transferring wheelchair patients in and out of vehicles without training
Volunteer counselors staff a crisis line with little training, including how to deal with potential suicides, and they have no professional backup
A pharmacist volunteers as a befriender for a mental health organization and is giving advice to clients about which of their prescription medications they should and should not bother to take
Female volunteers are sent out to do home visits with male ex-offenders - some of whom have been convicted of violent crimes. The volunteers go alone, with no briefing on the nature of the offence
High school students volunteer at a home for the aged, helping to feed residents, but they are not told what to do if the resident begins to choke
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2. CONSIDER THESE ACTUAL EXAMPLES
Volunteers driving ... long distances ... at night ... and/or in bad weather …they do not have accident insurance cover
Volunteers handling large sums of cash ... at an outdoor fundraising event ... with no security personnel on-site
Volunteers visiting clients in the clients’ homes volunteers go out alone ... into homes where illegal drugs are used or where family violence is a regular occurrence
Volunteers participating in outdoor adventurous team building activities…which are dangerous…and have no safety equipment…or first aid skills and equipment
The political climate worsens around the volunteers working in relief efforts and advocacy work
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3. VOLUNTEER POLICIES KEY TO SUCCESSFUL VOLUNTEER INVOLVEMENT
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4. A Member of the Voluntary Service Overseas Federation
VOLUNTEERS & RISK
Every time an organization recruits volunteers and other community service workers, it introduces some measure of risk and liability to itself, and to its clients, staff, and other volunteers, and possibly to others as well.
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5. WHAT IS RISK MANAGEMENT?
About dealing with uncertainties
About the potential for, and the forecasting of risks, and doing everything reasonable to control them
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6. WHAT IS A VOLUNTEER POLICY??
This is the foundation on which your organization’s involvement of volunteers should be based.
It forms the basis of your entire volunteer programme, giving cohesion and consistency to all the elements in your organization that affect volunteers (recruitment, expenses, health and safety and so on).
It is the key to involving a diversity of volunteers, because it helps to define the role of volunteers within the organization, and how they can expect to be treated.
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7. WHAT SHOULD BE IN A VOLUNTEER POLICY?
Recruitment- e.g. how will you advertise for your volunteers? Will application forms be used? How will you interview your volunteers? What will the diversity policy read like?
Induction and training- e.g. how will the volunteers be inducted and trained into your organization?
Expenses- Will you pay volunteers? What about reimbursements?
Supervision and support- In most cases, volunteers should have a named supervisor and regular supervision meetings
Insurance- should clearly state how volunteers will be insured
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8. WHAT SHOULD BE IN A VOLUNTEER POLICY?
Equal opportunities and diversity
Health and safety- organizations have a duty of care to avoid exposing volunteers to risks to their health and safety
Grievance and disciplinary procedures- what will you do if your volunteer has a grievance with your organization? Or if a volunteer has acted in an inappropriate manner?
Confidentiality- volunteers should be bound to the same requirements for confidentiality as paid staff
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9. A Member of the Voluntary Service Overseas Federation
QUESTIONS?
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