If you are a Manager of Volunteers working for a non-profit organisation, this part of our website will help you in your day to day involvement with your volunteers.
To be listed with Volunteers of Banyule you will need to:
• be an incorporated non-profit organisation
• have Public Liability insurance and,
• have Personal Accident Cover for Volunteers.
We work closely with over 160 non-profit organisations which provide their services and programs in the area.
Here you will find information on:
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recruitment and retention of volunteers
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insurance cover for volunteers
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how to encourage young volunteers to your organisation
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police checks
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working with children checks
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managers of volunteers network
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training programs, forums and workshops for managers of volunteers and volunteers
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events to promote volunteer involvement
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access to helpful policies and procedures
Recruitment and Management of Volunteers
In the recruitment and management of volunteers, the same principles apply as in recruiting paid staff.
• Do everything you possibly can to choose the right person for the volunteering role in the first place.
• Have a review period, say 4-8 weeks depending on the hours volunteering and part ways if they are not the right person for the role.
Advertising:
1. Be clear about the skills required in the position and document these in any advertisement and information you provide to prospective volunteers.
2. Have the role description to hand when people ring so you can do a preliminary tick off of their skills and availability.
3. Always be honest and respectful to each caller, take their name and contact details and keep them in the loop.
4. Be honest and supportive. If the caller is not right for the role, say so and why not. You can refer them to a Volunteer Resource Centre where there is a wider range of volunteering positions.
5. Avoid cloning, stay true to the skills the position needs while staying open to the possibilities that a different personality background can add to the role.
Steps to a successful interview:
1. Before the interview, decide what you need to find out about the person. This may be specific skills and experience; perhaps there are personal qualities that will help them to fit in.
2. During the interview engage the volunteer about what they hope to get from the role. Knowing their needs is important to see if the match with your needs is a good one.
3. During the interview, it is important that you learn about the person and ‘actively listen’. As a guide, the potential volunteer should do 75% of the talking.
4. Keep the person focused on the question you have asked. Make sure your questions are answered fully before you move on.
5. Summarise each interview so you can review your impressions objectively. Keep notes and refer to them when making a decision.
6. Think carefully before making an offer ‘on the spot’. You should both take the time to reflect on the interview.
7. Always contact the person to let them know your decision.
There are three questions to ask:
1) Can they do the job?
2) Will they do the job?
3) Will they fit in?
The answer to all three questions needs to be yes.
Management
1. Ensure your Board is committed to volunteers helping out with your group and that they provide the tools and resources they need to do the job properly.
2. Develop a volunteer handbook outlining the rights, roles and responsibilities of volunteers so that everyone is aware of the relationship from the outset.
3. Ensure volunteers understand those guidelines, and agree to abide by them before signing on. Also ensure they know who in the organisation they can speak to if they have any issues or questions.
4. Establish a volunteer induction process so that volunteers can learn more about your organisation and so you can evaluate their training needs.
5. Always involve your volunteers in your groups planning and seek their perspective.
6. Constantly speak to your volunteers, set up regular informal meetings where they can express views, suggest ideas and provide feedback on the job.
7. Make sure you know your volunteers. If someone puts hundreds of hours into your group, the very least people can do is learn their names.
8. Recognise and reward effort. Let people know when they have done a good job - in fact let the group know when they have done a good job.
9. Nominate your volunteers for awards/scholarships or other external programs.
10. Dont just tell them. Tell the world how good they are and why they perform such a valuable service to your community and your group.
11. Most importantly, say Thank you. Whether its verbally, a phone call, an email, a letter or a certificate. Let people know their work is valued.
12. Feature your volunteers. Make sure your newsletters mention your volunteers and profile them.
When it is time to leave
1. Often volunteers stay on out of loyalty way past the date where they really want to leave. Give your volunteer’s permission to leave by encouraging openness.
2. Always conduct an Exit Interview. This is the time to find out what their experiences were in your organisation and perhaps what they would do differently.
3. Listen to what they say and if appropriate implement ideas from this feedback.
4. Acknowledge their leaving with a social function that includes their volunteer colleagues and management.
We acknowledge information provided by
Dixon Appointment Recruitment Consultants and
www.ourcommunity.com in the writing of this section.
Insurance Cover for Volunteers
To be registered with Volunteers of Banyule your organisation will need to have both Public Liability insurance and Personal Accident Cover for Volunteers.
Personal Accident Cover for Volunteers works similarly to workcover although the reimbursements for injury and loss of income are not generous.
Volunteers of Banyule have recently chosen to become an Associate Member of CIVic
www.civ.org.au, the peak body for the Community Information Services. This very affordable membership provides, amongst other benefits, access to a exceptionally competitive insurance rates. We are not promoting this membership, rather sharing information for you to compare costs and make your own decisions.
Youth in Volunteering
Having young people involved in your organisation makes good sense. They are wanting to volunteer and bring a great range of skills and enthusiasm It comes as no surprise that they may wish to have volunteering opportunities that are designed a little differently than our current programs require.
However what may be a surprise is designing our programs differently to suit younger volunteers is remarkably easy to put in place for many organisations.
Volunteering of Banyule have compiled an easy to read report to assist non-profit organisations with the recruitment of young volunteers. The
Youth in Volunteering report is available for download as an Adobe Acrobat (pdf) document.
Police Checks
The Victoria Police provide a service to individuals and organisations wishing to obtain National Police Certificates for voluntary work. In these cases Victoria Police does not release information about an individuals criminal history to an organisation without written consent from the individual volunteer.
If a Police check is obtained by an organisation for an applicant for a volunteer position, then that organisation needs to be aware that it has certain responsibilities.
• The person or organisation nominated on the application form is the ONLY person/organisation entitled to view the certificate. It must not be forwarded to ANY other organisation or individual. This includes the applicant.
• The results must not be included in any data base or filing system and once the recruitment process is complete it must be securely destroyed.
• If a person is denied volunteer work due to their record check and this is informed to that person, the certificate may be shown to them on request. This is the only circumstance when this can be done.
An individual may apply for a Police Check of their own, which can be presented to an organisation. However, depending on the currency of the information, the organisation concerned may wish to obtain a more up-to-date copy for themselves.
A Police check will include any findings of guilt (including guilty verdicts with no conviction), any criminal matters currently under investigation or awaiting a court hearing and traffic related offences where the court outcome was a sentence of imprisonment.
To begin the process of conducting a police records check on an individual, the individual must complete the Consent to Check and Release National Police Record application form.
Approved organisations can apply for a subsidised rate for National Police Checks. For all information about police checks (for organisations as well as individuals), and to download the necessary forms, please go to the Victoria Police website at
www.police.vic.gov.au.
Working with Children Check
In Victoria the Working with Children Check (WWCC) requires all those who work or volunteer with children (under 18 years of age) in certain capacities in identified occupations and activities to undergo screening for criminal offences.
How does it work?
People are checked for relevant criminal convictions or findings of guilt, pending charges and relevant professional disciplinary findings. The check will also identify whether a person is on the Sex Offenders Register or subject to an extended supervision order under the Serious Sex Offender Monitoring Act 2005. A re-assessment will be automatically triggered if a person with an assessment notice is charged with a relevant crime or is professionally disciplined by a professional body.
How is the Working with Children Check different to a police check?
The WWCC is a mandatory minimum screening standard for Victoria. It has a significant advantage to a one-off check in that it will be continually updated. People found suitable to work and volunteer with children will be continually screened for new criminal charges. If a person who has already qualified for an assessment notice is subsequently charged with a relevant offence, their assessment notice will be reconsidered.
How much will it cost to apply for a Working with Children Check?
The check will be valid for five years and will be free for volunteers and $70 for paid staff. Applications are available from local post offices.
For all information about the Working with Children Checks (for organisations as well as individuals), and to download the necessary forms, please go to the Department of Justice website at
www.justice.vic.gov.au/workingwithchildren.
Managers of Volunteers Network
Volunteers of Banyule are part of an active Managers of Volunteers Network that meets bi-monthly, alternating between the Council offices of Banyule, Nillumbik and Whittlesea.
These meetings provide an opportunity for managers of volunteers to meet and discuss topics of mutual interest. If you are interested in finding out more about the Network please contact the Manager Marianne Mahony at Volunteers of Banyule.
Training
There is a great deal of training available to managers of volunteers and their paid and volunteer staff. Much of this training is free or low cost. To access information about the training calendars of local organisations
click here.
Promotional Events
Volunteers of Banyule promote volunteering throughout the year. We promote volunteering on your behalf as well as promoting our service directly.
There are often opportunities for your to promote your services directly or to provide Volunteers of Banyule with you information so we can represent you. To access information about the events calendars in the local area
click here.
Policies and Procedures
If you are thinking of writing or updating your policies and procedures P2 perhaps we can help you. Volunteers of Banyule have copies of policies and procedures covering a wide range of topics.
Please feel free to contact us if there is a particular P2 that we can help you with. We will be happy to send you a copy of ours so you can use it as a template.