Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W
VOLUNTEER INFORMATION
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY
DOCUMENT REFERENCE: DATE:
F23 06.07.2009
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY POLICY:
Depaul Ireland believes that it cannot achieve its mission without the active involvement of the wider community and is striving to increase its use of volunteer-involvement in its work. Depaul Ireland seeks to involve volunteers in order to a) b) c) d)
Ensure that our services meet the needs of our clients, Provide new skills and perspectives to clients and volunteers alike, Enable volunteers to develop and contribute to all areas of our work, Increase our contact with the host communities within which we work and which we serve, and e) Maintain an independent public presence within our organisation to help ensure our accountability to the wider community.
Depaul Ireland recognises that volunteers make a valuable contribution to its work and that the role volunteers occupy within Depaul Ireland is important and unique. Depaul Ireland also acknowledges that, as it diversifies into new areas of volunteering, it will need to formulate additional policies and procedures that will take account of this. 1.
SCOPE
1.1
This policy provides a framework of guidelines that deals broadly with the practical aspects of involving volunteers. The guidelines are intended to inform more specific local and generic volunteering policies geared to meet particular circumstances. More detailed information on volunteering in particular projects can be found in local and generic volunteering policies and procedures.
1.2
Each Depaul Ireland project/team/department will keep, readily accessible on site, a copy of its own local Volunteering policies and procedures.
2.
PURPOSE
2.1
To provide and develop a policy on volunteering so that good and consistent practice is used with regard to involving volunteers.
2.2
To respect and accommodate the diversity of volunteers’ backgrounds and to be sensitive to the diversity of arrangements and relationships that this creates.
3.
PRINCIPLES
3.1
Depaul Ireland will ensure that those volunteers offering a regular, rather than a short-term, commitment are properly integrated into the organisational structure and that mechanisms are in place for them to contribute to the Depaul Ireland's work.
3.2
Depaul Ireland does not aim to introduce volunteers to replace paid staff.
3.3
Depaul Ireland expects that staff at all levels will work positively with volunteers and, where appropriate, will actively seek to involve them in their work.
3.4
Depaul Ireland recognises that volunteers require satisfying volunteering experiences and also personal development and will seek to help volunteers meet these needs, as well as providing the necessary training for them to undertake their voluntary activity effectively.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY 4.
PROCEDURES
4.1
Recruitment
4.1.1
All volunteer-involving projects, teams and departments within Depaul Ireland will develop local volunteer recruitment strategies, practices and policies with the advice and guidance of the Volunteer Programme Manager
4.1.2
Where appropriate, prospective volunteers will be interviewed to find out what they would like to do, their skills, their suitability for the specific volunteer roles being offered and how best their potential might be realised.
4.1.3
Normally, everyone registering an interest in volunteering with the Depaul Ireland will receive an application form and equal opportunities monitoring form although some group or externally organised volunteering schemes may require different procedures.
4.1.4
Local procedures for volunteer recruitment must include reference and screening procedures for all volunteers involved in working with vulnerable clients. The Volunteer Programme Manager will ensure that satisfactory systems are in place to achieve this.
4.2
References and Screening
4.2.1
All volunteers undertaking face-to-face work with clients as part of their voluntary activity with the Depaul Ireland will be required to provide at least two satisfactory references before taking up their role.
4.2.2
Depaul Ireland may undertake other checks (such as Garda Screening) to ensure your suitability to work with particular client groups.
4.3
Probation Periods for Volunteers
4.3
All volunteers will be subject to a three month probation period where either side may choose to withdraw from the volunteer agreement.
4.4
Voluntary Role Descriptions
4.4.1
Where appropriate to a specific volunteer role, the volunteer will agree, with the Depaul Ireland, a written role description of the specific voluntary activity they will be undertaking. A volunteer role description is not a contract; Depaul Ireland has no intention of creating a contract with any volunteers, except in the special circumstances of some full-time, residential contractual volunteering arrangements.
4.4.2
Although volunteer role descriptions may be varied according to particular circumstances, they will need to be agreed and retained on file jointly by the Volunteering and the HR Department.
4.4
Expenses
4.4.1
All volunteers will be offered reimbursement of their travel expenses, to and from the site of their voluntary activity, to be reimbursed within the maximum limits currently in force within Depaul Ireland. Travel expenses incurred as a necessary part of the volunteer's activities, whilst engaged upon Depaul Ireland business, will be reimbursed in full.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY 4.4.2
All other genuine out-of-pocket expenses necessarily incurred as part of their voluntary activity with the Depaul Ireland will be reimbursed in full.
4.4.3
Volunteers, whilst on shift during mealtimes are entitled to a meal at the project.
4.4.4
Designated full-time, residential volunteers will also receive the expenses and subsistence allowance currently in force within the Depaul Ireland.
4.5
Induction and training
4.5.1
All volunteers undertaking regular face-to-face work with clients as part of their voluntary activity with Depaul Ireland will be required to undergo an induction before taking up their role.
4.5.2
Induction arrangements will vary according to locality and the nature of the voluntary activity undertaken.
4.5.3
Where possible, volunteers will be entitled to receive additional training to help enable them fulfil their voluntary role more effectively.
4.6
Support & Supervision
4.6.1
All volunteers offering a regular commitment will have a named person as their main contact. They will be provided with support in order to feed back on progress, discuss future development and air any problems.
4.6.2
Full time volunteers will be appointed a supervisor in their main project and will undergo monthly supervision as per F08 Supervision Policy.
4.7
The Volunteer’s Voice
4.7.1
Volunteers are encouraged to express their views about matters concerning Depaul Ireland and its work. These may be through a variety of routes such as supervision and volunteer forums.
4.8
Insurance
4.8.1
All volunteers are covered by Depaul Ireland’s employer liability insurance policy whilst they are on the premises or engaged in any voluntary activity on Depaul Ireland’s behalf.
4.9
Personal Safety
4.9.1
Volunteers should conduct themselves in accordance with Depaul Ireland’s Health and Safety Policy.
4.9.2
All volunteers are covered by Depaul Ireland’s Risk Assessment procedures on the same basis as salaried staff.
4.9.3
All volunteer-involving projects/teams/departments will identify possible areas of additional risk specific in the involvement of volunteers and produce written strategies for eliminating or minimising such risk.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY 4.9.4
Where a volunteer, as a direct consequence of his or her voluntary activity with Depaul Ireland, suffers emotional harm to the extent of requiring counselling or therapy, the Trust will, within reason and by arrangement, reimburse the costs that such treatment entails.
4.10
Conduct
4.10.1 All volunteers will be given a copy of Depaul Ireland's Code of Practice and must adhere to it. 4.10.2 Depaul Ireland operates an equal opportunities policy. Volunteers will be expected to have an understanding of, and a commitment to, our equal opportunities policy. 4.10.3 Volunteers will be bound by the requirements of Depaul Ireland’s confidentiality policy. 4.11
Problem solving
4.11.1
We aim to identify and solve problems at the earliest possible stage.
4.11.2 Where the Depaul Ireland needs to sever a relationship with a volunteer against his or her wishes, the sole grounds for this should be that: a) The volunteer in question has irretrievably compromised his or her position within Depaul Ireland in some way. b) The Volunteer is not carrying out his/her duties as agreed with their line manager. Utmost care should be exercised to ensure that the volunteer understands this. 5.
THE ROLE OF THE VOLUNTEERING DEPARTMENT
5.1
To support, guide and advise individual projects, teams and departments in their involvement of volunteers, and to provide staff training in volunteer management.
5.2
To maintain an overview of the Depaul Ireland's strategies in recruiting, acknowledging and retaining volunteers.
5.3
To monitor, evaluate and collate statistics on Depaul Ireland's volunteer programmes.
5.4
To offer training and support to individual volunteers and to volunteer teams.
5.5
To ensure the dissemination of volunteering 'good practice' principles throughout Depaul Ireland.
5.6
To promote volunteering within the wider community.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W
DEPAUL IRELAND VOLUNTEER POLICY
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Volunteer Programme / Sundial House, 140 James’s Street, Dublin 8. + 353 1 607 4476 / T volunteer.coordinator@depaulireland.org / E www.depaulireland.org / W