Newsletter: Summer 2001

Childcare for Social Inclusion

Community Planning

Volunteers Week

Involving Excluded Young People as Volunteers

Active Communities Funding

Customer Survey

Team Volunteering

Training for Volunteers

Childcare for Social Inclusion

Budgeting for volunteers' childcare expenses can be challenging. We hope to start some debate on the issue with some suggestions of our own.

Volunteer organisers can't predict at the beginning of the year whether they will recruit volunteers who have a disability that means they require taxis to get to and from the place of voluntary work; or whether a volunteer has young children that will require childcare.

Budgeting for these expenses is problematic at best: we often choose not to include them in the budget because a) we're afraid they'll never get spent or b) because they make our budgets unattractively high for funders.

The deeper issue at work here is to do with the funding process itself. It is a system that requires us to return what we have not spent - with the implicit message that our funding requirements should be correspondingly lower in the ensuing years. The result is that organisations juggle their budgets so that an underspend in one cost-centre compensates for an overspend in another. At worst this can mean that public money gets spent rashly toward the end of the funded period.

So how do we get round this problem in the context of childcare when we can't accurately predict the uptake of expenses?

The OneCity report comments that "...childcare may still not be flexible enough or affordable for the needs of parents..." That the cost and availability of childcare makes participation for people with pre-school children on low incomes very difficult; and that therefore childcare can represent a barrier to social inclusion.

Viewing people on low incomes with pre-school children as a socially excluded group enables us to engage some of the same systems that are currently in use in the field of equal opportunities as a means of measuring, and securing their involvement.

A common performance indicator for the involvement of Black / Minority Ethnic people is representation. I.e.: where 10% of the population is Black / Minority Ethnic, 10% of your staff and volunteers should, ideally, be too. Recent discussions at Volunteer Centre Edinburgh favour a similar performance indicator for volunteer involving organisations seeking to remove the barriers represented by the high cost of childcare.

Using representation as a tool in this way, volunteer organisers could calculate their budget on the basis that x percent of their volunteer workforce may have additional childcare costs. The figure would represent the cost of social inclusion of a certain group; rather than being a guess at how many volunteers with kids are going to turn up in the next year. The method would, I hope, meet with the approval of funders, persuading them that whether or not you can spend your funds in one year, you should still be given the same amount in the next. It should mean that the cost of social inclusion is steady (or, rather, related to wider demographics), regardless of how successful the organisation is in terms of attracting the elusive x percent onto its volunteer workforce.
Mark Steven

Volunteer Centre Edinburgh is organising a focus group to discuss this issue. If you would like to take part or pass on your views, call Mark Steven on +44 (0) 131 225 0630, or e-mail mark@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk .

Feedback from the group will be available in the next issue of Volunteering.

Community Planning: are we engaged  

Volunteer Centre Edinburgh was invited to attend the conference on Community Planning hosted by the Edinburgh Partnership Group; to represent the interests of volunteers and volunteer organisers.. Harriet Eadie gives us the feedback.

Margaret Thatcher is quoted as saying `There is no such thing as Community'. This government seems to have the opposite view: everything is community. As volunteer involvers working with people in local communities, it is easy to assume that the word `community' relates immediately to our own concerns. But as many local representatives at the conference found, the Community Planning `community' is something rather different, and difficult, to engage with.

Community Planning operates at a senior strategic level with the Edinburgh Partnership Group. It embraces 83 separate partnerships, including the Social Inclusion Partnerships, most of which are about strategy and co-ordination of services but which have a huge range of different structures and levels of formality and accountability. Most of us in volunteering may well engage with one or several of these partnerships for different purposes.

Tom Aicheson, Chief Executive of the Council, described Community Planning as Civic Leadership, a process by which the Council and other key partners including Lothian Health, EVOC, Lothian and Borders Police and private sector representatives, come together to plan and provide for the well being of communities. The formal structure for this is the Edinburgh Partnership Group. If we accept this concept of Civic Leadership, rather than being seduced by the word `community' we may find the community planning process easier to engage with.

The review of CityPlan `A Vision for Edinburgh' (June 2001) places a greater emphasis on the contribution of the voluntary sector to the city and acknowledges the value of `voluntary and community activism'. We must continue to ensure that the contribution of volunteers is central to the thinking of planners and policymakers.

To contribute your views, or to access the CityPlan and its review, contact City Plan, 12 St Giles Street, EH1 1PT, or www.edinburgh.gov.uk.

Volunteers Week

Two sisters, aged 87, and 90 were among the hundred volunteers who received certificates as part of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh's Volunteers Week celebrations. They have been involved with Portobello Community Centre for many years. This was their first visit to the city chambers (the older sister thought it might be her last!!) and they were delighted to be recognised for their contribution to volunteering.

Tuesday, 5th June saw the Volunteer Recruitment Fair held at the Assembly Rooms and despite weeks of meticulous planning, on the day there was the usual frenetic activity to ensure that everything was in place for the participating organisations and members of the public.

The Fair was well supported by a wide variety of organisations ranging from large internationals to small local projects. There were 70 stalls and circa 600 members of the public visited the event. Next year this event is booked for a Saturday and will be run in partnership with VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas), which will give the event a higher profile and attract greater numbers.

Special praise was reserved for the café, staffed by Volunteer Centre Edinburgh volunteers and staff, whose good humour and banter, not to mention some keen pricing, put Starbucks et al to shame. However, we rather overestimated the Scottish public's propensity for cholesterol-laden confectionery and so Crisis FareShare fell heir to a large surplus of jammy doughnuts!

On Friday, 8th June, Volunteer Centre Edinburgh hosted the Volunteers' Certificate Ceremony at the City Chambers. This year Robin Harper, MSP, presented the awards and in recognition of the United Nations International Year of Volunteering the recipients included volunteers from Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Croatia, India and the U.S.A.

This was a very enjoyable event with the City Chambers providing a fitting setting in which to acknowledge the great contribution made by the volunteers. Irene Whittaker

Good Practice Guidelines for Involving Socially Excluded Young People as Volunteers  

Fast Forward lend us their expertise in this extract from their report FREE TO DO WHAT I WANT: Involving socially excluded young people as volunteers.

Involving socially excluded young people as volunteers requires all the recognised dimensions of good volunteering practice — recruitment, training, support, and progression. The key to involving young people whose lives may be fragile and chaotic, is not to do things differently, but to do what you would normally do in terms of volunteers management, except with greater flexibility and sensitivity. Below is a summary of some of the lessons Fast Forward has learnt over the past three years.

1 The volunteer team should contain a broad social and educational mix of young people
• Develop referral relationships with specialist agencies who work with socially excluded young people, as well as more open methods of recruitment (eg volunteer bureaux)
• Maintain an open door' policy where possible - young people with troubled pasts (eg drugs, convictions, disrupted families) often have the most to offer
• Monitor the balance (gender, age, social and educational background) of the team
• Ensure equality of opportunity is available to all. Do not select individuals for certain tasks, let them self select
• Do not focus on individual problems. Young people often prefer to leave problems `outside' their volunteering

2 Strong and trusting relationships should be built between staff and volunteers
• Have a named person in a contact and support role
• Provide a non-judgemental atmosphere, respecting the individual, regardless of background
• Avoid stigmatising or labelling
• Provide confidentiality. Have a policy and be seen to put it into practice throughout the organisation (see point 9)
• Take an interest in the person's life outside the organisation (eg chat informally, go for coffees)
• Know your boundaries (see point 7)

3 Try and ensure that the young people feel comfortable trying something new
• Build relationships with them informally at the recruitment stage
• Be prepared to meet somewhere that is familiar to them
• Accompany them as they take on new roles
• Provide appropriate regular training - including induction
• Communicate information regularly (eg event diary, training calendar, newsletter)
• Ensure the named contact is in touch with them on a regular basis
• Be prepared to deal with other support needs, perhaps by referring on to the appropriate agency

4 Chaotic lives and erratic volunteering can be accommodated
• Be flexible about levels of commitment and involvement
• Offer volunteering opportunities that allow young people to `pick and choose', to take `time out', or to come back later
• Expect reliability, but be aware you may be let down. Make a point of not making a fuss if you are, but know your limits (see point 7)
• Maintain regular contact so you know what is going on in their lives (eg phone if you haven t seen someone for a while)

5 Young people respond well to a sense of ownership
• Consult regularly on how the work should be carried out, what their involvement should be, and what training they require
• Use `awaydays' and residentials to look at volunteer business
• Listen to, and act on, their comments
• Involve them in developing and implementing policies

6 Encourage young people to reflect on their learning
• Help the young person identify achievable goals
• Use personal development plans and regular review sessions to reinforce progress and to give feedback
• Use written `evidence' of progress through certifcates, CVs, and job references
• Encourage them to move on to new cnallenges — both in and outside the organisation

7 Bear in mind that expectations of the young people are high (but realistic)
• Be aware of the organisation's needs and opportunities for volunteers before beginning work with them
• Ensure there is a `fit' between what the oganisation needs and what the volunteer can offer
• Provide volunteers with training so they can carry out their work effectively
• Provide training for staff so they can support young people oy giving `on the job' training and feedback

8 Clear organisational and personal boundaries are established
• Develop, implement, and monitor policies which outline rights and responsibilities for both staff and volunteers
• Provide training for staff so they are clear about what is expected in personal and professional relationships
• Provide training for volunteers so they understand exactly what can be offered by the organisation and individual staff

9 The work is incorporated into the philosophy of the organisation
• Ensure that the whole organisation (staff, volunteers, management) understand and support the work
• Develop whole-organisation policies where necessary
• Provide training for staff so they are aware of the benefits of working with socially excluded young people
• Don't make assumptions — consult staff and volunteers regularly about issues that arise
• Monitor and evaluate work regularly. Make changes, where necessary, for improvement

10 There are adequate resources (staff, time, funding) to support the work
• Ensure someone has a clear responsibility to support young volunteers
• A dedicated staff post is an advantage
• Funding may be available through Social Inclusion Partnerships and other funding bodies

The resulting benefits for the young volunteer include the following:
• Sense of being valued, trusted, and listened to
• Increased self respect, self esteem and self confidence
• Realisation that they can positively contribute to society
• Freedom from being judged by others
• New and improved skills
• Increased employability
• Security to tackle new challenges
• Access to new networks and friends
• Sense of achievement
• Ability to develop longer term goals

Case Study

"The Bridges project showed me the Fast Forward volunteering video and I contacted the Volunteer Support Worker straight away. I wanted something I could do, and I wanted to help young people make less mistakes than I did. I've been out on sessions and went to Larbet on residential. The sessions were with young people and adults. I've learnt a lot about drugs. I've seen drugs from a different angle. It's shown me the bad points and made me aware of drugs I never knew about. I can be myself on sessions and use my sense of humour. It's great because they don't rush you and they don't force anybody to do anything. If we were, we probably wouldn't come back. I'm also on the Board of Directors and I get to see the other side of Fast Forward - see how it works. I get to feed back information to the rest of the volunteers. I've got help with my CV and job applications. I wouldn't have got that anywhere else. If Fast Forward didn't exist, I would miss the support and the things I get to do. If it didn't exist, I would be a lazy git, I'd probably just lie around in bed all day." - Young man, volunteer for 10 months

Good Practice Guidelines: Involving Socially Excluded Young People as Volunteers

FREE TO DO WHAT I WANT: Involving socially excluded young people as volunteers is available from Fast Forward Positive Lifestyles Ltd. Tel: 0131 554 4300 www.fastforward.org.uk.

LVDAs to deliver on Active Communities  

Jackie Baillie, Minister for Social Justice has announced a huge funding boost to the network of Local Volunteer Centres. The Minister promised an additional £1 million per year for the next three years to the network to be the key local delivery agents of the Active Communities Strategy. LVDAs will focus on Objectives 3 and 4 of the Active Communities Strategy, broadening the range of people involved in volunteering and increasing the number of volunteers.

In Edinburgh this means that Volunteer Centre Edinburgh will develop and strengthen its work in promoting volunteering and increase its work with smaller community-based volunteering / activist groups.

Survey Positive About Volunteer Centre Edinburgh Services  

Thanks to those that contributed to Volunteer Centre Edinburgh's recent user satisfaction survey. We had a total of 140 responses from volunteer involving agencies that have given us some very useful information on areas for improvement and forward planning. In general respondents were extremely positive about Volunteer Centre Edinburgh services. We are particularly pleased that the newsletter and our information sheets are highly appreciated.

Several clear trends emerge:

Paul Wilson gets cosmic as he reflects on 7 years of Employee Volunteering

No one would have believed, in the last years of the 20th Century, that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space.sorry, now that that has got your attention.. In 1994 Employer Supported Volunteering was a new idea for Edinburgh employers and indeed for Volunteer Centre Edinburgh.

The 100th team event is now being organised: since '94, 100 different teams from 21 different companies have helped 57 different non-profit organisations. Employers love it, not just because it helps with their community profile, but because it is one of the best ways of building a team. Putting people together in a strange environment is a real leveller: their natural talents soon start to shine through. The employees that take part love it - because it is simply enjoyable. People have a good time and walk away at the end of the day having achieved something positive and constructive. It is a more worthwhile team building tool than an outward bound event or building the CN tower out of paper clips. The non-profits agencies that teams volunteer with only ever give good feedback. Whether it is staff from Baillie Gifford sorting a garden out at Children First or staff from the Sheraton renovating the entrance hall at the Post Natal Depression Project - what I can guarantee is that teams benefit, agencies benefit and Edinburgh benefits.

Successful projects are short term: 1-2 days is a sensible time and they should not require specialist skills - just good old-fashioned labour and enthusiasm.

I hope I am able one day to write about Volunteer Centre Edinburgh organising the 200th team volunteering event - so if you are reading this and thinking that perhaps you could do with some help and you just wonder if that project is viable.why not give me a call and I'll be happy to come see you. paul.wilson@volunteeredinburgh.org.uk

A constant theme in Volunteer Centre Edinburgh's work with smaller agencies is the difficulty of finding time, money and expertise to deliver quality training to volunteers. To address this gap Volunteer Centre Edinburgh is considering developing low or no cost training modules for volunteers on areas common to many agencies.

Specific modules would be developed in further consultation with potential users but may include areas such as listening skills, boundaries, confidentiality, equal opportunities etc.

Volunteer involving organisations in Edinburgh show strong support for the idea of Volunteer Centre Edinburgh developing a training service for volunteers. 51% of respondents to our customer survey indicated that they would either probably or definitely use this service if it were developed. Respondents were equally divided as to whether this training should be linked to formal national accreditation. We will be carrying out further research with stakeholders and training agencies in the next few months with a view to securing funding for this work next year.