Volunteer News

Spotlight

Volunteer Centre re-accredited by Investing in Volunteers
Volunteer Co-ordinators Forum
Sector leaders oppose charging volunteers for portable criminal records checks
Give your view on the proposed changes to CRB checks

QuickLinks

The Vetting and Barring Scheme review has finished.
European Year of Volunteering 2011
Accredited Management of Volunteers Training – beginning January 2012
Survey into how local groups provide additional support for people into mainstream volunteering
Volunteer Drivers

Volunteer Centre re-accredited by Investing in Volunteers

Community Links Bromley has been re-accredited with the Investing in Volunteers Award. The Award provides evidence of the positive way CLB manages a team of volunteers and the impact the tasks undertaken by volunteers have on the quality of services delivered to local organisations.

CLB is dependent on 10-15 volunteers undertaking a wide variety of office based tasks, which range from processing applications for volunteering across the borough to helping maintain an up to date database and reporting systems. Our volunteers are essential to the work that we carry out and our retention rates are high due to the way we recruit and manage the team.

Diane Diamond, Volunteer Centre Manager says, “I am delighted with this Award. Although we know that we all do our very best to ensure CLB’s volunteers enjoy a positive experience, this award is proof of that.”

The Investing in Volunteers accreditation demonstrates a commitment to high quality volunteer management to potential volunteers, funders and service users. It is a chance to assess the quality of your volunteer management and involvement, prove and improve the effectiveness of your work with volunteers and enhance your organisation's reputation. http://iiv.investinginvolunteers.org.uk/

An example of the support we offer to our volunteers is the great news that Robert Jansz has achieved a Business Administration Level 2 Apprenticeship qualification whilst volunteering at Community Links Bromley. He joined Community Links Bromley, on a full-time basis, as part of the Future Jobs Fund initiative. Once he had undertaken six months of work, he stayed with us as a volunteer to complete his apprenticeship and achieve his qualification.

Robert’s tasks included work on Health and Safety, team working and customer facing tasks like dealing with phone enquiries and greeting visitors to the Centre. He was also substantially involved with the early days of checking data for the BiG Community Directory.

We are delighted with his success and very pleased that he continues regular volunteering with us.

Volunteer Co-ordinators Forum

Date: Tuesday 21 February 2012
Venue: Details on registration
Time: 10:00 till 1:00 including lunch.

The main forum topic will be:
“How can I recruit more volunteers?”
This is a free event which will be an opportunity to share ideas and experiences in order to inspire each other. We will discuss the use of media and the importance of developing good partnerships.

For further details, please contact Hilary Bell, Volunteering Good Practice Advisor, tel: 020 8315 1905.

If you would like to contribute to the Volunteer Co-ordinator’s forums and training plan for 2012 please take the time to complete this survey
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GBS5M9K

Sector leaders oppose charging volunteers for portable criminal records checks

Justin Davis Smith, Chief Executive, Volunteering England writes

“We are calling on the Government to affirm its commitment to volunteering by making portable Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks free to volunteers.

“Whilst the Government has confirmed that CRB checks themselves will remain free for volunteers, a decision has yet to be made about the cost of the online system that will ensure volunteers will not have to be checked every time they begin a new role.
In the current system CRB checks are free but not portable, but Government risks solving one problem only to create another if in the proposed new system they are portable but not free.

“If the cost of the online system is passed on to volunteers, it would provide a perverse incentive to apply for a new check for each role. This would represent additional costs and unnecessary bureaucracy for the organisations involved.

“Some of us have already conveyed our concerns to Government that any costs could have a negative effect on volunteering. Therefore while volunteers across the country tirelessly continue to give their time for the benefit of our communities, we ask Government to ensure they are not burdened with unnecessary paperwork and costs.”

Give your view on the proposed changes to CRB checks

The Volunteer Centre Bromley has set up a survey to collect your views. If CRB checks are changed from free but not portable to portable but not free, what problems do you foresee? Click here to give your feedback.

The Vetting and Barring Scheme review has finished.

Hilary Bell, Volunteering Good Practice Advisor writes.

“The new recommendations have been made and legislation is now needed. How these changes will be implemented is not yet established, but any new laws and/or procedures should be in place in early 2012.

In the meantime the three key principles of the safeguarding regulations introduced in October 2009, still apply.

a person who is barred from working with children or vulnerable adults will be breaking the law if they work or volunteer, or try to work or volunteer with those groups
an organisation which knowingly employs someone who is barred to work with those groups will also be breaking the law. (Remember a CRB will confirm if someone is barred).
If you dismiss a member of staff or a volunteer because they have harmed a child or vulnerable adult, or you would have done so had they had not left, you must tell the Independent Safeguarding Authority. You can do this by contacting our local designated officer - Virginia Read virginia.read@bromley.gov.uk on 020 8313 4635.

Some of next year’s recommended changes will include

increased portability of CRBs
redefinition of the requirements of 'regulated activities'
abolition of 'controlled’ activities

Remember it is important that all organisations have safeguarding policies in place and a named person to take responsibility for dealing with issues or concerns, even if working with children or vulnerable adults is not your organisations focus. Whoever you designate for this role can participate in free local training, including e-learning.

Bromley Safeguarding Adults Board www.bromley.gov.uk/info/731/safeguarding_adults
Bromley Safeguarding Children Board http://bromleysafeguarding.org/

Hilary Bell will keep you informed as news comes through. In the meantime if you are worried about your compliance as to whether a role requires CRB or you are are legally entitled to request a CRB, follow this link to the Home Office website

European Year of Volunteering 2011

As part of work on the strand of 'practice' Health and Social Care, Age UK are compiling a guide to volunteer roles for older people. If you can offer examples of roles that reflect the wide diversity of volunteering that supports older people, please spend a view minutes helping their research - a great opportunity to showcase your organisation and volunteer programme.

You can keep up-to-date with other EYV2011 activities by joining the iVolunteer EYV2011 Health and Social Care Group or email Age UK.
You can find other local events on Volunteering England's EYV 11 Events Calendar and check the official European Year of Volunteering website for more information, resources and stories.

Accredited Management of Volunteers Training – beginning January 2012

VRQ Level 3 with Institute of Leadership and Management, delivered in partnership with the Volunteer Centre Bromley and Volunteer Centre Croydon. Up to six training days plus three tutorial and study group sessions.
Come and find out more at a free information session:
Date: Wednesday16November 2011, 3-4.30pm
Venue: CVA Resource Centre, 82 London Rd, Croydon, CR0 2TB
training@cvalive.org.uk 020 8253 1266 www.cvalive.org.uk

Survey into how local groups provide additional support for people into mainstream volunteering

The Volunteer Centre Bromley carried out a survey of organisations that support people with additional needs to get involved in mainstream volunteering. The aim is for the Volunteer Centre to be able to help reduce the barriers faced by facilitating networking, training, resource sharing etc. For a report of the findings click here.
Some of the conclusions drawn from the survey:

Organisations ‘having a commitment to be inclusive’ was highlighted as the most important thing that needs to be in place in order for successful placements to be made. It’s also very important for a good working relationship to be established and well managed volunteer support systems to be in place.
The most commonly faced barrier is the inability of organisations to provide additional support due to lack of resources.

The Volunteer Centre Bromley hopes to be able to respond by helping organisations make contact with one another and offer support to organisations to developed funded volunteer programmes that will allow resources to be dedicated to making volunteering more inclusive.

For more information, please contact Hilary Bell, Volunteering Good Practice Advisor hilaryb@communitylinksbromley.org.uk

Volunteer Drivers

After long negotiations between Volunteering England, the Association of British Insurers and the Community Transport Association, you can now find clear guidelines for volunteer drivers on the VE website and a list of 50 providers that do not charge additional premiums to volunteer drivers on the Association of British Insurers website.
(Source: GLV e-news)