Item 7d - Appendix 1
West Dunbartonshire Council · 17 August 2023
Back to Community Planning West Dunbartonshire Management Board — 17 August 2023 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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1 Volunteering Strategy 2023Ļ202ġ APPENDIX 1
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3 Introduction From the commitment of volunteering effort in support of the completion of Dalmuir Park in the early 1900’s, though the creation of Mutual Service Associations in the 1930s, and latterly the introduction of the Scotland-wide Volunteer Centre network in the mid 1990’s, West Dunbartonshire has a long-standing reputation as a giving authority. Volunteering is a continuum of social activity, all of which embeds reciprocity. Formal volunteering supports service delivery, activism and advocacy, mutual aid and personal development. Informal volunteering builds strong social support networks, engages group membership, nurtures inclusive communities and enables everyone to contribute. It is an activity that involves the commitment of time and energy for the benefit of others, society, community or the environment and can take many forms. Volunteering is unpaid and undertaken freely and by choice, without concern for financial gain. It is distinct from mandated, required or contractual unpaid activity. This definition includes those who give their time as voluntary members of committees and boards of trustees in the Third Sector and lay members of partnerships and other agency boards. Volunteering is, by its nature, an evolving and developing series of activities, proactively supporting services, organisations and communities and reactively, strengthening responses in times of emergency and crisis. Research by Volunteer Scotland suggests that over the course of the pandemic, 74% of people in Scotland either informally or formally supported fellow citizens through volunteering.1 This Volunteering Strategy, informed by and complementary to the Scottish Government Volunteering Action2 Plan, intends to demonstrate the Community Planning wide commitment to the importance of volunteering in West Dunbartonshire. It expands beyond the conventional notion of volunteering as a third sector activity and looks to embrace the wider volunteering sector across the authority area, providing a framework for individual volunteers, volunteer involving organisations and agencies, alike. By doing so, it places volunteering as a crucial component in all service delivery, community involvement and empowerment practice. As Community Planning partners, we are committed to the ongoing development of a vibrant volunteering sector, recognising the contribution volunteering makes to the life of West Dunbartonshire, and the added value it brings to public services. National and Local Context National Context The Scottish Government’s Volunteering for All national framework3 (published in April 2019) set out a coherent and compelling narrative for volunteering, defining the key outcomes desired for volunteering in 1 https://www.volunteerscotland.net/for-organisations/research-and-evaluation/publications/covid-19-research/impact-of-covid- 19-on-volunteering-participation-in-scotland/ 2 https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-volunteering-action-plan/documents/ 3 https://www.gov.scot/publications/volunteering-national-framework/
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4 Scotland over the next ten years to enable informed debate and decision about the optimal combination of programmes, investments and interventions. Development of the framework took account of a wide evidence base and suggested that: • Disadvantaged groups are under-represented in volunteering due to their exclusion from formal volunteering opportunities • There is a heavy reliance on a ‘civic core’ of highly engaged individuals who provide the majority of volunteering hours in Scotland • There is evidence emerging from the pre-retiral age group (45 – 59 years) of a decline in formal volunteering participation rates over the period 2007 – 2017. Consequently, the national framework supporting volunteering development and the resulting action plan builds on six key good-practice principles, ensuring volunteering is: • Flexible and responsive • Supported and enabled • Sociable and connected • Valued • Meaningful and purposeful • Diversity positive. Local Context Volunteering in West Dunbartonshire is a daily accumulation of thousands of individual decisions – personal, social, planned, opportunistic and influenced by a range of social and economic factors – supported by a diverse network of neighbourhood and faith groups, third sector organisations, social enterprises and public service agencies supporting a continuum of activity. Research undertaken with local organisations4 and individual volunteer5 in 2021 suggest around 30% of the local population volunteer each year. Reasons for involvement vary. Volunteering may be seen as a civic responsibility, as a personal commitment to give back, to use or develop skills, to improve health and 4 WDCVS Third Sector Census report, 2021 5 WDCVS ‘Volunteering and Me’ survey, 2021
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5 wellbeing or as a means to support employability. With the exception of the pandemic response, this value has remained stable for a number of years and suggests that volunteering opportunities are predominately chosen on the basis of geographic proximity and influenced heavily by local social issues. Support for informal6 volunteering is significant and additional trends identified include an increasing demand for volunteering options in support of pre-employment experience, professional skill-sharing, additional support needs, episodic and response, group, Employer Supported and micro volunteering opportunities. In line with communities across Scotland, the traditional and current West Dunbartonshire volunteer base reflects a majority middle and older-aged volunteering population. In looking to expand opportunities for engagement, it is important to recognise some of the key influencing factors at play, including: • Cost of living challenges requiring potential volunteers to return to the labour market or seek second employment • Negative health impacts arising from one or more of the identified Covid harms • Retirement trends and changes in retirement ages • Increased caring responsibilities as life expectancy increases. Although volunteering is distinct from paid work, it is increasingly impacted by labour market issues. Notably, this include the increasing work-search requirements of Universal Credit and the shift of social care students and career-changers from volunteering as a means of gaining experience to paid-shift employment, in response to social care staffing challenges. Addressing the Challenges Mitigating against these challenges and maximising the potential impact of the strategy requires a focus on a number of key determinants of success. Ensuring the supply of meaningful volunteering opportunities The nature of volunteering is value driven. As distinct from paid work, it builds on the interests and motivations of those taking part and to be successful requires the framing of opportunities from a volunteer perspective and not organisational need, alone. Where volunteers work alongside paid-staff, roles must be distinct, complementing and adding value to this work. Role and Engagement Flexibility Volunteering is a life-long activity and to ensure the ambition of ‘volunteering for all’ can be achieved, opportunities to participate must reflect this. Where ‘testing the waters’ may lead to increased participation, equally definitive commitments can be impacted by the needs of work and family life, often at short-notice. Resourcing Volunteering Effectively Volunteering is a free will activity, but it does not come without cost. While it is widely recognised, if not universally actioned, that volunteers should not be ‘out of pocket’ as a result of their participation, the entitlement to appropriately resourced volunteering support has less prominence. 6 Formal opportunities are those conducted through a constituted organisation or agency. Informal activities are independently undertaken on an individual level to help others or as part of a collaborative activity in response to a particular need or issue
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6 Increasing diversity in the volunteer base Enabling a culture of ‘volunteering for all’ requires consideration of the possible barriers to engagement. In the West Dunbartonshire context, these include: • Proportionately lower rates of participation amongst citizens experiencing ill-health and disability • Mis-interpretations around the engagement of citizens in receipt of state benefits • Deprivation and low income • Age – particularly the lack of opportunities for those under the age of 16 • Perceived barriers e.g. around previous offending behaviour, and • Cultural influences. Strategic Vision West Dunbartonshire is a great place to volunteer, offering everyone who wishes to, an opportunity to participate regardless of how much time they have to give. A place where volunteering is well-resourced, best practice drives activity, and volunteers feel valued and recognised for their contribution to the social and economic wellbeing of our communities. Strategic Objectives Participation Continue to promote and raise the profile of volunteering for all our citizens, where appropriate by taking a shared and collective approach, and maximizing the volunteer voice Inclusion To support volunteer involving organisations to define their needs and develop a range of high quality and diverse volunteering opportunities accessible to people across the local authority area – including more opportunities for younger volunteers Policy We will actively challenge and address barriers to participation in volunteering, acknowledging the valuable contribution volunteering makes to reducing social isolation, improving mental health and wider wellbeing, improving skills and ameliorating the effects of worklessness Recognition There will be an improved standard of volunteering experience for people who volunteer, offering appropriate recognition suitable to their differing motivations Place Make it easier for the volunteering sector to support our public services and help address the priorities comprising the Community Planning Partnership Local Outcome Improvement Plan (LOIP) Our Values Choice – Volunteering must be a choice freely made by each individual. Freedom to volunteer implies freedom not to become involved.
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7 Diversity - Volunteering should be open to all, no matter what their background, race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, ethnic or national origins, age, gender, marital status, sexual orientation or disability. Mutual Benefit - Volunteers offer their contribution and skills unwaged but should benefit in other ways in return for their contribution. Giving time to volunteering must be recognised as establishing a reciprocal relationship in which the volunteer also benefits and feels that his or her contribution is personally fulfilling. Recognition - There must be explicit recognition that valuing the contribution of volunteers is fundamental to a fair relationship between volunteers, voluntary and community organisations and government. This includes recognising the contribution to the organisation, the community, the social economy and wider social objectives. Governance, Oversight and Alignment The Empowered DIG will oversee the delivery of the Volunteering Strategy and its associated actions, reporting to the Community Planning Management Board annually, or as requested. The strategy acknowledges and aligns with the key community planning themes of Sustainability, Wellbeing and Empowerment, which will see the impact of volunteering contribute across the DIG family. Sustainability • Volunteering Trends: Meeting the life-course challenge • Free will, not free: Meeting the resourcing challenge • Every contribution matters: Meeting the need for formal and informal volunteering development • Organisational resilience: Meeting the resourcing challenge and promoting reciprocity Wellbeing • Financial wellbeing: Meeting the cost of engagement challenge • Emotional wellbeing: Meeting the volunteering experience challenge • Physical and mental wellbeing: Maximising the role of volunteering in supporting positive health Empowerment • Community engagement: Maximising strong social networks through regular and meaningful contribution of time, promoting confidence and trust • Inclusion: Traditionally under-represented groups feel more included and supported to overcome barriers to participation • Community asset building: Recognising our citizens and how their motivations, skills and experience are valued • Civic participation: Citizens feel better informed and supported to participate in civic life.
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9 West Dunbartonshire Volunteering Strategy Implementation Plan Theme Activity Participation Inclusion Policy Recognition Place System Leadership Timescale Measure of Success Sustainability Community Planning Partners recognise the positive impact of volunteering and implemented appropriate corporate volunteering policies and processes ü ü Empowered DIG March 2024 • 100% community planning partners have a volunteering policy Increase number of Volunteer Involving Organisation (including CPP partners) signatories to the local Volunteering Charter ü ü WDCVS/ InVOLve Forum March 2024 March 2025 March 2026 • 90% organisation sign-up • 95% organisation sign-up • 100% sign-up VIOs across all sectors are supported to increase the number of high quality, inclusive opportunities they offer ü ü ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum Ongoing • 10% increase in activity per annum Increase the numbers of people volunteering & expand access to volunteering for groups at risk of exclusion ü ü ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum Ongoing • 2 Annual campaigns • 10% increase in activity per annum Focus attention on maintaining a strong balance of opportunity demand/supply ü ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum Ongoing Analysis of volunteering resourcing arising from the annual sector census ü ü WDCVS Ongoing • Annual report and action plan developed Better promote external funding options supporting increased volunteer engagement and best practice ü ü ü ü ü WDCVS Ongoing • 15% increase in secured funding per annum Coordinate appeals for volunteers - thematically and geographically – making use of neighbourhood outreach opportunities (Supporting 20 minute communities) ü ü ü WDCVS/ InVOLve Forum March 2024 • Outreach calendar developed Develop and launch Trustee recruitment campaign ü ü ü WDCVS Nov 2023 • Campaign Statistics
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10 Wider use of LinkUp West Dunbartonshire community portal to share informal opportunities ü ü ü Empowered DIG Ongoing • 15% increase in activity per annum Increase number of volunteering roles available for young people under 16 years of age ü ü ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum Ongoing • 10% increase per annum Stronger links forged between employers and communities through increased recognition of Employer Supported Volunteering ü ü ü Empowered DIG Ongoing • Increased level of ESV activity Refresh engagement with DWP to address barriers to engagement ü ü WDCVS Ongoing Increase citizen awareness of and engagement with opportunities to volunteer in the civic life of West Dunbartonshire ü ü ü Empowered DIG Ongoing • Membership - Community Councils • Membership - RSL boards • Participation rates - Children’s Panel • Participation rates - PB Explore opportunities for shared volunteer induction and training ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum March 2024 Theme Activity Participation Inclusion Policy Recognition Place System Leadership Timescale Measure of Success Wellbeing Promote and support sector engagement in the establishment of a local volunteering sector quality pipeline – Charter, Volunteer Friendly and Investing in Volunteers ü ü ü WDCVS/ Volunteer Scotland March 2024 • Pipeline established
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11 Review and suggest options to incorporate volunteering costs specifically in local funds ü ü Empowered DIG Ongoing Progress 100% of opportunities supporting payment of travel expenses ü ü ü ü WDCVS/Involve Forum March 2024 March 2025 March 2026 • 80% opportunities • 85% opportunities • 90% opportunities Refresh disclosure training and compliance support opportunities in line with legislative changes ü ü ü WDCVS/ Volunteer Scotland March 2024 Conduct an annual Volunteer Managers Survey including a focus on wellbeing, peer support and career development ü ü WDCVS/InVOLve Forum Annual Refresh engagement with support agencies to increase opportunities for supportive therapeutic volunteering ü ü ü WDCVS Ongoing Increase neighbourhood level programme of Introduction to Volunteering sessions ü ü ü WDCVS Ongoing Increase number of online and home-based opportunities, addressing barriers to engagement ü ü WDCVS Ongoing Theme Activity Participation Inclusion Policy Recognition Place System Leadership Timescale Measure of Success Empowerment Develop the consultative and practice development role of the InVOLve Volunteer Engagers Forum ü ü WDCVS March 2024
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12 Refresh the local Volunteering Charter ü ü ü ü WDCVS/ InVOLve Forum • 100% Community Planning Partner and VIO Sign-up achieved Increase availability of volunteer best practice resources via the WDCVS website ü ü WDCVS October 2023 Refresh the Volunteer 100 initiative and annual volunteering survey to better promote the volunteer voice ü ü ü ü WDCVS March 2024 Develop and Roll-out inclusive volunteering campaign and training support pack ü ü WDCVS/ SLWG Dec 2023 Wider promotion of volunteering accreditation options ü ü ü WDCVS/ InVOLve Forum March 2024 • Saltire Awards Achievers • CoVA certificates issued • VISA certificates issued Coordinate arrangements for a ‘Big Thank You’ Volunteers Week programme of activity ü WDCVS/ InVOLve Forum March 2024 Increase visibility and role of volunteering in community asset building conversations ü ü Empowered DIG March 2024