Volunteer Pack WELCOME TO VOLUNTEERING WITH DURHAM WILDLIFE TRUST
For 50 years Durham Wildlife Trust has been the leading conservation organisation dedicated to our local area. By working together with our members and volunteers, we are committed to protecting and conserving wildlife from Tees to Tyne. Welcome to the Team
Who we are Durham Wildlife Trust is an independent charity and limited company that was established in 1971, originally as the Durham County Conservation Trust, becoming Durham Wildlife Trust is 1988. Durham Wildlife Trust is part of the federation of 47 organisations that together form the Wildlife Trusts. Each organisation is an independent charity but with shared aims and badger logo branding. The Trusts are membership organisations. When DWT was established the county of Durham extended from the rivers Tees to Tyne across an area administered by Durham County Council. Subsequent local government reorganisation reduced the area of County Durham and created Tyne and Wear and Cleveland. As a result, DWT today covers County Durham, the southern boroughs of Tyne and Wear – Gateshead, South Tyneside and Sunderland – and Darlington. In 2015, to clarify the geographical area of operations of the Trust, the phrase From Tees to Tyne was added to the DWT logo.
What does Durham Wildlife Trust do? Durham Wildlife Trust conserves wildlife from the Tees to the Tyne. We engage our members, supporters, partners and wider society in the conservation effort, providing opportunities for participation, education and enjoyment.
Why do we conserve wildlife? DWT conserves wildlife because – · Wildlife is under threat and in serious decline. · Wildlife is intrinsically important and a vital part of the human experience. · A healthy and thriving natural environment plays an important role in improving human health and well-being. · A healthy and thriving natural environment underpins the economic success and sustainability of human society.
How do we conserve wildlife? DWT conserves wildlife – · By engaging our members, supporters, partners and wider society in the conservation effort, providing opportunities for participation, education and enjoyment. · By managing our nature reserves primarily for the benefit of wildlife and to the highest possible standards. · By educating people and organisations about the importance and value of wildlife, encouraging them to take action to conserve species and habitats and support the work of DWT by becoming members and supporters. · By delivering species and habitat conservation projects across land and sea that seek to maximise their effectiveness by operating at the largest possible scale. Collectively across the Wildlife Trusts this approach is known as Living Landscapes and Living Seas. · By operating high quality visitor facilities that provide opportunities to engage people in wildlife conservation and encourage their active support and participation. · By acting as an advocate for wildlife and nature conservation with local and national government and wider society.
Equal Opportunities for Volunteers Everyone has a part to play in achieving equality of opportunity. We expect all our staff and volunteers to behave in a non-discriminatory manner towards fellow staff, volunteers, customers and partners. It is Durham Wildlife Trust’s policy that all eligible people will have an equal opportunity for placement as a volunteer on the basis of their ability, aptitude and competence. This policy will be adopted for all volunteers, irrespective of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, race, colour, religion, belief, nationality, ethnic or national origins. Durham Wildlife Trust will treat its volunteers fairly, and understands that combining home and work life with a voluntary role is sometimes difficult. We will always respect the right of the volunteer to decline a task at any time. Durham Wildlife Trust believes that our volunteers should reflect our constituency of support in the local community. Building the diversity of our volunteers is an important part of involving local people in our work.
Safeguarding Adults at Risk Durham Wildlife Trust (DWT) is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all vulnerable adults engaged in the breadth of its activities. DWT acknowledges its duty to act appropriately to any allegations, reports or suspicions of abuse or neglect. Definition (from The Care Act 2014): an Adult at risk (also referred to as vulnerable adults) is defined as any individual aged 18 and over who: · Has needs for care and support (whether or not the local authority is meeting any of those needs) and; · is experiencing, or at risk of, abuse or neglect; and · as a result of those care and support needs is unable to protect themselves from either the risk of, or the experience of abuse or neglect. If a vulnerable adult is at immediate risk of harm –call the Police on 999. If you are worried about a vulnerable adult but it is not an immediate risk –please contact the DWT Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for Adults for guidance. You can call the Durham and Sunderland Safeguarding Adults Boards on the numbers below if the DSO is unavailable. Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) for Adults Head of Conservation – Mark Dinning 0191 584 3112 or email mdinning@durhamwt.co.uk Based at Low Barns - Durham Safeguarding Adults Board –Call SocialCareDirect24 hours a day on 03000 267 979 or email: safeguardingadults@durham.gov.uk | Based at Rainton Meadows Sunderland Safeguarding Adults Board Contact by telephone 0191 5618934or 0191 5618936 (8.30am to 5:15pm Monday -Thursday, 8.30am to 4.45pm Friday). Out of these hours you can contact Health and wellbeing on 0191520 5552. If your concerns relate in some way to the DSO you should contact the Trust Director or Trustee lead for safeguarding. Trust Director - Jim Cokill 0191 584 3112 or email jcokill@durhamwt.co.uk, Trustee lead at safeguarding.trustee@durhamwt.co.uk View the full policy online at – https://www.durhamwt.com/governance/policies-and-procedures
Basic Safety Durham Wildlife Trust aims to ensure that all volunteering work is carried out to high Health and Safety Standards. All activities the Trust undertakes are risk assessed and such assessments are available to volunteers. If volunteers are aware of basic safety points, then this reduces the risk of accidents or illnesses. For outdoor and practical volunteering, find the basic safety information here. For office and shop volunteering, find the basic safety information here. For community based, education and event volunteering, find the basic safety information here. If in doubt, please contact your volunteer manager.
Code of conduct Volunteers provide an essential service to Durham Wildlife Trust. The purpose of the Code of Conduct for Volunteers is to set out standards of behaviour expected from volunteers. All volunteers should ensure that they have read and comply with this Code of Conduct. Volunteers should maintain the highest standards of behaviour in the performance of their duties by: · Fulfilling their role as outlined in their written volunteer role description to a satisfactory standard. · Performing their volunteer role to the best of their ability in a safe, efficient and competent way. · Following the charity’s policies and procedures as well as any instructions or directions reasonably given to them. · Acting honestly, responsibly and with integrity. · Treating others with fairness, equality, dignity and respect. · Raising concerns about possible wrongdoing witnessed by the volunteer in the course of the volunteer’s role with Durham Wildlife Trust with their supervisor. · Meeting time and task commitments and providing sufficient notice when they will not be available so that alternative arrangements can be made. · Acting in a way that is in line with the purpose and values of the charity and that enhances the work of the charity. · Communicating respectfully and honestly at all times. · Observing safety procedures, including any obligations concerning the safety, health and welfare of other people in line with training provided to volunteers. · Reporting any health and safety concerns. · Directing any questions regarding Durham Wildlife Trust’s policies, procedures, support or supervision to the volunteer’s supervisor. · Addressing any issues or difficulties about any aspect of their role or how they are managed in line with Durham Wildlife Trust’s grievance procedures. · Declaring any interests that may conflict with their role or the work of the charity (e.g. business interests or employment). If any doubt arises as to what constitutes a conflict of interest, volunteers may seek guidance from their supervisor. · Keeping confidential matters confidential. · Exercising caution and care with any documents, material or devices, containing confidential information and at the end of their involvement with Durham Wildlife Trust returning any such documents, material in their possession. · Seeking authorisation before communicating externally on behalf of Durham Wildlife Trust. · Maintaining an appropriate standard of dress and personal hygiene. · Disclosing the fact that they have been charged with, or convicted of a criminal offence by prosecuting authorities (or given the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act 1907 as amended) to Dorinda Kealoha (Durham Wildlife Trust safeguarding lead) For the avoidance of doubt, volunteers are not required to disclose the fact or details of ‘spent convictions’ under the Criminal Justice (Spent Convictions and Certain Disclosures) Act 2016 (as amended) to Durham Wildlife Trust.
Vehicles Driving Vehicles Durham Wildlife Trust promotes the use of public transport wherever possible. However, where the use of public transport is impractical, volunteers may prefer to use their own vehicles.
Private vehicles If you use your car during your voluntary role – for example to travel to and from a site – you must inform your motor insurance company. Most national insurance companies recognise that as drivers do not make a profit from voluntary work, it is not a ‘business use’ of a vehicle and therefore recommend that existing insurance premiums should not be affected.
Maintenance responsibilities Volunteers are responsible for the maintenance of their cars. Durham Wildlife Trust accepts no responsibility for costs incurred for MOTs, insurance, servicing, repair, breakdown cover, depreciation, oil or fuel.
Accidents & near miss Accidents No matter how safe we try to make things and how carefully you carry out your role, accidents can and do happen. If you are involved in an accident whilst volunteering, no matter how small, you must inform your manager. Your manager will tell you how to do this during your induction. Details of all accidents and near misses are recorded in an accident book. The main purpose of this is to enable us to take steps to try to prevent similar occurrences that could injure you, staff members, other volunteers or members of the public.
Near miss A ‘near miss’ is an unplanned event which has the potential to cause injury but, for whatever reason, actual injury does not occur. Any near miss should be reported to the site manager so that precautions may be put in place to reduce the risk of a similar incident occurring again.
Your personal data As with many voluntary and community organisations, Durham Wildlife Trust volunteers provide personal information such as their address and telephone number when they register as a volunteer. This information is collected for administrative and insurance purposes, for reporting and statistical analysis and to allow us to contact you with matters directly related to your role. The information will not be used for any other purpose without your expressed consent nor will it be shared with any third party. Information about your health is used to ensure that the voluntary role you undertake is suitable for your circumstances, and that you are not placed in a position where your health and safety is at risk. Returned registration forms are kept confidentially on a secure computer system. If you have any queries about the confidentiality of information you might provide, please speak to the Supporter Development Manager.
Handling confidential information Whilst volunteering with Durham Wildlife Trust, you may have access to confidential information, such as names and addresses of private individuals or locations of threatened species. We ask all our volunteers to respect the confidentiality of such information, both during and after the completion of their placement.
Helpful links & contact numbers Website: www.durhamwt.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/DurhamWildlifeTrust/ Twitter: twitter.com/durhamwildlife Instagram: instagram.com/durhamwildlife Email: volunteer@durhamwt.co.uk Rainton Meadows: 0191 584 3112 Low Barns: 01388 488729