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Presentation to the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference

Mapping supply of and demand for volunteers in Scotland: what next for volunteering policy, practice and research?. Presentation to the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference . Helen Harper & Kathleen Doyle. 11 September 2013. Policy Context. Localism

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Presentation to the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference

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  1. Mapping supply of and demand for volunteers in Scotland: what next for volunteering policy, practice and research? Presentation to the Voluntary Sector and Volunteering Research Conference Helen Harper & Kathleen Doyle 11 September 2013

  2. Policy Context • Localism • Community empowerment, ‘community-led’ • Public Service Reform

  3. Policy Context Public service reform “resources from the public, private and third sectors, individuals, groups and communities” delivering services “in partnership, involving local communities, their democratic representatives, and the third sector”.... “active participation of service users and communities, will contribute significantly to making the best possible use of money and other assets. They will help to eradicate duplication and waste and, critically, take demand out of the system over the longer term.”

  4. Formal volunteering infrastructure National Level: Volunteer Development Scotland www.volunteerscotland.org.uk ‘linking services’ Local level: Volunteer Centres or ‘Third Sector Interfaces’

  5. Description of Research • Volunteering in Scottish Charities 2012 • ‘local’ charities (up to 2 local authority areas) • ‘delivering activities or services’ • Stratified random sample 1000, 59% response rate • Volunteering in Scotland 2011 • Omnibus survey • Representative sample 1000

  6. Volunteering in Scottish Charities 2012 • Levels of volunteer involvement • Future demand for volunteers • Activities volunteers undertake • Challenges in relation to involving volunteers • Awareness, use and effectiveness of linking services

  7. Volunteering in Scotland 2011 • Identified current, former and non-volunteers • Included questions around: • Likelihood of increasing involvement, or getting involved • Activities potential volunteers would like to undertake • Awareness and use of linking services

  8. Charities: demand for volunteers • Majority involved volunteers other than board members • 55% were ‘volunteer-led’ (no paid staff) • Most commonly cited challenges: • Keeping suitable volunteers (51%) • Finding suitable volunteers (48%) • Providing adequate support to volunteers (20%) • Lack of time affecting support for volunteers (20%)

  9. Charities: demand for volunteers • 61% wanted to increase numbers of volunteers • Just over half of those thought this was unlikely • Larger charities, urban charities more likely to report decline in volunteers

  10. Supply of volunteers • 7% of current volunteers intended to increase frequency or breadth of involvement • 19% of former and non-volunteers intended to start volunteering

  11. Activities 22% of charities reported ‘recruiting board members’ as a top three challenge

  12. Linking together Most used, and most effective Directly asking/ being asked for help Word of mouth

  13. Linking together • Linking services: Charities • 19% of charities use Volunteer Centres • Rural charities, small charities, those with no paid staff less likely to use Volunteer Centres • Fraction using websites, tiny fraction using social media • Neither Volunteer Centres or online methods reported as being effective

  14. Linking together • Linking services: individuals • Awareness generally low, • higher amongst current volunteers (58%) • Younger respondents more likely to use online methods

  15. Policy implications • Assumptions regards level of engagement in formal volunteering • Motivations aligning with public service changes • Recognising different types of participation • Place-based issue

  16. Practice implications • Identifying barriers: time commitment, flexibility, location? • Rapid feedback to Charities and VCs • Widening the pool, effectively (e.g. Linking local charities together) • Re-evaluate approach of larger charities away from traditional, formal approach?

  17. Research Implications • Mapping: voluntary activities, changes in service delivery and relationship between the two • Relationship between ‘needs’ in a community, voluntary activity and service provision • Understanding nature of participation (developing new indicators) • Alignment of individual motivations and ‘need’ • Looking specifically at urban areas

  18. Questions / comments helen.harper@volunteerscotland.org.uk kathleen.doyle@volunteerscotland.org.uk 11 September 2013

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