Improving volunteering through Investing in Volunteers

1. Improving volunteering through Investing in Volunteers Becky Nixon, IiV Assessor

2. What is IiV? Investing in Volunteers (IiV) is the UK quality standard for good practice in volunteer management. It is owned by the UK Volunteering Forum, and in the UK is coordinated by the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO)

3. Who can get IiV? Over 700 organisations in total: • Volunteer lead groups • Local VCS organisations • National VCS organisations • Umbrella organisations • Schools • Local authorities • Universities / Student Unions • NHS, hospitals and hospices • Police • Anyone involving volunteers!

4. Benefits • Publicly demonstrate commitment to volunteering • Increasing volunteers’ motivation and enhancing their experience • Encouraging more people to volunteer • Enhancing your reputation in the local community and with funders • Minimising potential risks arising from the involvement of volunteers.

5. Benefits within the organisation IiV Impact Report: • Raised the profile of volunteering • Cemented the place of the volunteering programme in meeting outcomes • Increased pride in volunteering • Developed a more consistent approach to volunteers • Volunteer managers gained sense of achievement

6. IiV process – six steps • Getting started: introductory workshop • Self assessment • Development plan • Assessment visit(s) • Local and national quality assurance • Achievement of the Award

7. Nine indicators – main themes • Commitment and policy • Resources • Equality and diversity • Roles • Protection from harm • Recruitment • Induction • Support and supervision • Appreciation Each indicator contains practices to demonstrate how you meet the standard

8. Self assessment

9. Common areas for development • Commitment throughout the whole organisation for volunteering • Ensuring HR processes appropriate • Involving volunteers in decision making • Ensuring volunteer managers have relevant knowledge and experience • Annual plan has volunteering objectives

10. Common areas for development • Analysing diversity of volunteers and taking appropriate action • Undertaking risk assessments for volunteer roles • Offering support and supervision • Getting feedback from volunteers about their role and the organisation

11. Ways to use IiV Apply for Investing in Volunteers standard! But you don’t have to apply for IiV to use it: • Use the whole standard as a healthcheck, or use VAL’s version in Online Resource Centre • Pick bits of the standard you would like to work on and use it to improve your practice

12. Support and Resources • Investing in Volunteers website www.investinginvolunteers.org.uk • Volunteering England Good Practice Bank http://www.volunteering.org.uk/goodpractice • Voluntary Action LeicesterShire www.valonline.org.uk • Becky Nixon www.ideastoimpact.co.uk