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1 | Ref | Description | Area | Detail | WG canvas | |||||||||||||||||||||
2 | 1 | Responsibility for Volunteering Policy through government-wide performance indicators; a cross-government group on volunteering, hosted by the Third Sector Unit; and volunteering inclusive policy analysis. | Policy Impact | At national level: 1. Scottish Government directorates to reflect on their responsibilities for Volunteering For All with corresponding KPIs assigned and reported on, as appropriate; 2. Scottish Government to develop a cross-departmental group with ministerial support to raise the profile of volunteering within the context of the National Performance Framework; 3. Scottish Government identifies and commits to a more evident ‘volunteering inclusive’ approach to policy analysis and across the policy cycle. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | 2 | Local volunteering strategies will be developed by Community Planning Partnerships, supported by local Third Sector Interfaces, local authorities and COSLA. | Policy Impact | At a local level: 1. CoSLA / Improvement Service to progress local authority level engagement and guidance to support Community Planning Partnerships to develop collaborative volunteering strategies progressing the aims of Volunteering for All. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | 3 | Volunteering Values statement that reflects Stakeholders’ views (Volunteer Scotland, SCVO, COSLA, Scottish Government, Chambers, Trade Unions, NHS Scotland and Funders) on volunteering and supports national and global initiatives in this area. | Policy Impact | Create a statement that reflects Stakeholders views on volunteering. Stakeholders should include VS, SCVO, COSLA, Scottish Government, Chambers, Trade Unions, NHS Scotland and Funders. 2. Support national and global initiatives, see the Universal Declaration on Volunteering, the Volunteering Charter and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for inspiration. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | 4 | Organising for policy success through a Policy Champions Network developed and supported by the Scottish Government and Volunteer Scotland, with representation from across the volunteering sector. | Policy Impact | 1. Scottish Government (TSU) to develop and support a policy Champions Network across all public service bodies, augmented with supporting guidance (capacity building); 2. Volunteer Scotland will develop, host and support a new Cross Sector Volunteering Policy reference group with Scottish Volunteering Forum members and other stakeholders, feeding commentary directly into Scottish Government and COSLA. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | 5 | Planning and reviewing policy impact through a comprehensive policy review calendar to support timely inputs and implementation of a 'test of change' approach for reviewing a key policy area. | Policy Impact | 1. Scottish Government to develop a comprehensive policy review calendar and agreed feed-in process to ensure comprehensive, timely engagement can be assured, leading to better informed policy making; 2. A Policy Focused Group to implement a test of change style approach to reviewing a key policy area where volunteering capacity and impact should be better reflected eg. Community Justice or Careers Strategy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | 6 | Providing agency to volunteers through influencing how volunteering is represented in the practical application of policy, for example the recent work around Work Capability Assessments. This will ensure (potential) volunteers can fully participate and engage. | Policy Impact | 1. Promote the work of Volunteer Glasgow and the collaboration with other national centres to influence DWP around how volunteering is viewed in the context of Work Capability Assessments. 2. Identify opportunities in other related areas where the true values of volunteering are not being applied and (potential) volunteers lack agency. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | 7 | Volunteering Funding Consortium to fund ‘complex’ issues, such as inclusive volunteering, and fund ‘capacity building’; to agree objectives; to agree standards; reduce bureaucracy; and improve guidance. | Funding for Success | 1. A group to tackle system issues from a funding perspective. Funders recognise volunteering and inclusive volunteering with their funds. (Note: inclusion is a broad definition). Issues addressed by this group should include how VIOs can access available funding to meet the costs which prevent under-represented groups from accessing and sustaining volunteering opportunities (see also YouthVIP recommendation 11), agreeing standards and reducing bureaucracy, revising guidance for organisations (e.g. "volunteer expenses are always covered but you must build these in to bids"), introducing creative funding approaches, etc. SRAB: Opportunities for volunteering are better supported (especially for those facing barriers), accessed, utilised; Tailored support to tackle inequality at a community level. Funding for community development. Multi-year funding commitments; Participatory budgeting: wider and deeper. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | 8 | Proof of concept 'experimental' funds the opposite of large scale projects these are small scale 'tests of change' where learning is prioritised. Actions address more complex issues and where impact is less certain. | Funding for Success | See also how this fund could identify voluntrepreneurs (signpost to existing support). SRAB: Transform funding, make funding transparent; Long-term view on measurement; effective systems of accountability, holding public services to account, valuing and promoting cultures of learning and development (don’t penalise risk); New Funding ‘experiment’: Access to work for older and disabled people | ||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | 9 | Funding Standards that focus on societal impact, employ standardised templates, make explicit the funds for volunteering, create agreed outcomes for volunteering impact and make ‘impact measurement’ a condition of grant. | Funding for Success | Work with funders to fund the health and wellbeing benefits that volunteering brings to each individual, their communities and society as a whole. 1. Scottish Government develop an online evaluation template (for use by all departments who fund third sector organisations) that includes a standard set of questions on outcome monitoring, volunteer impact monitoring and equality and diversity indicators. 2. Funders make explicit funding for volunteering in all funding streams i.e. as an output / outcome. 3. Funders and VIOs agree a minimum set of outcomes for volunteering impact that can be shared across funders. 4. VIOs measure the impact of volunteering on beneficiaries and volunteers as a condition of funding. Funders better understand the impact of inclusive volunteering and are able to better support and reflect this in their metrics and outcomes. See Canvas WG5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | 10 | Support for Volunteering Leaders through identifying leadership development opportunities (e.g. young leaders), assessing current leadership development activity and providing leadership support. | Leadership | 1. Map existing ‘volunteering’ leadership programmes for operational leaders and trustees. Any new programme should be developed in the context of current leadership development opportunities. It is therefore important to review current development activity (the nature of the offer, access and inclusion and the potential for further development, integration or signposting etc). Analysis will be focused on existing networks (e.g. ACOSVO, AVM, IAVE and others), standards (Volunteer Friendly, IiV) and more general training. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | 11 | Create 'System Stewards' programme which is focused on taking participants through a process of making change within an area of volunteering through understanding underpinning systems and how to improve impact. | Leadership | 1. ‘System Stewards’ (Future Leaders) programme – which is focused on a process of making change within an area of volunteering through a Human Learning Systems approach. The programme will consider motivations to learn and change, how we learn differently; pace, barriers, and the importance of reflection etc. The programme will seek formal recognition for participants through CPD, accreditations / certifications etc and make appropriate linkages with other similar learning initiatives. Key stakeholders will be offered an opportunity to undertake the programme. As involvement is self-directed, groups can determine the pace at which they progress through the programme. The programme will be developed with the following components around Explore, Enquire, Understand and Change: - Individual members explore Human Learning Systems (HLS); and find their group, and choose their focus within Volunteering - Each group will inquire (introduce Evidence & Voice) in order to understand the system. This inquiry approach provides a topic to learn and deepen understanding as the work develops - Each group will attempt to understand, in order to create and then prioritise actions before detailing one or more which can be taken forward - Each group / other stakeholders will make change through ‘experiment(s)’; providing a test of change which can be adapted, scaled (on an experimental basis) or stopped. - Each group will join a learning community which will provide support and a place to share *Groups will consider evidence at different ‘scales’; organisation, place and country. Experimental insights or ‘tests of change’ are key inputs | ||||||||||||||||||||||
13 | 12 | Build Voice capacity through embedding Voice (especially volunteers' voice) into key decision-making structures and building ‘voice gathering’ capacity (developing skills, educating and providing guides for individuals and organisations). | Evidence & Voice | VAP decision-making should encompass representation from 'all' key stakeholders. 1. Voice (especially volunteers' voice) must be embedded into key decision-making structures around the Volunteering Action Plan going forward (see also, YouthVIP recommendation 4 and 12 in this regard). 2. We must build ‘voice gathering’ capacity - develop skills, educate around evidence and voice, provide guides / toolkits for individuals and organisations. This includes (a) exploring potential for ‘voice capture’ support. Help individuals record and interpret their experiences, embed appreciative inquiry approaches to capture other’s experiences (ethnography, continuous mass capture, considering sharing platform(s)) (b) Exploring potential for ‘pattern finder’ support. Methods for collating evidence, aggregating experiences, and generating insights. Enable users to discuss and share information at organisation and place level. Finally, we should consider (c) putting in place effective mechanisms for embedding voice (especially volunteers' voice at VIO level) which relates to a review of the prominence of voice within standards (see also approaches for introducing voice into service design alongside organisation and beneficiary voice). Next stage of plan but also mainstream into implementation phase. Supports representation and empowerment issues and aids systems understanding (see also Learning Community). | ||||||||||||||||||||||
14 | 13 | Build Evidence capacity which includes exploring the feasibility of a Volunteering Research Centre; engaging other sector research specialists; agreeing Volunteering Research protocols for wider research sharing; and supporting organisations to increase their volunteering research capability. | Evidence & Voice | 1. Explore feasibility of a Volunteering Research Centre – involving research specialists. Consider its unique purpose (to determine research gaps, inform commissioning, share workplans, capacity planning etc.). Also, outline terms of reference e.g. who is involved and how often it meets etc. 2. Engage other sector research specialists – identify existing centres of excellence in third sector and consider value, cost and nature of engaging these organisations. Many large charities have research expertise but a remit wider than volunteering. 3. Agree Volunteering Research protocols – for sharing volunteering research more widely e.g. open access to datasets, sharing plans as well as outputs, agree minimum standards and ethics etc. 4. Capacity building of organisations to support and develop their own research capability in relation to volunteering - maybe linkages to resources/support from TSRF, Social Research Association, and Evaluation Network Scotland. Also, courses on SHS data run by VS online. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
15 | 14 | The Volunteering For All: National Learning Community is a 'shared space' through which to (a) review voice and evidence inputs (b) understand / articulate the system at the highest level (c) generate or help prioritise proposed actions nationally, and (d) review and help support, refine or exit from existing actions. | Learning | A 'safe' space for ‘leaders’ to share evidence and discuss areas of change, what works (doesn’t work). System leadership is quite different to traditional leadership; system leaders can emerge from anywhere in the system. We anticipate the community to be mainly ‘operational’ in scope i.e. focused on understanding the ‘volunteering’ system and effective action. This community will at different times (a) review voice and evidence inputs (we expect some members of the ‘community’ to have ‘room’ to express a more detailed interest in evidence and be champions; advocate for evidence gathered locally and nationally) (b) understand / articulate the system at the highest level (c) generate and/or help prioritise proposed actions nationally (d) review and help support / refine existing actions. (e) Participants will communicate shared purpose to others and otherwise promote the work of the community. They will engage with other related learning communities. The National Learning Community will meet quarterly or less. Participants will be encouraged to develop their understanding of Human Learning Systems and to share knowledge, peer support others within this community. This may lead to individuals forming / being involved in working groups around specific action areas ‘notional priority gaps’ in order to advance thinking and develop activity generally. See ‘System Stewards’ programme. Other learning communities exist, founded on HLS principles (there is a burgeoning international network as well as other national communities around Health and Social Care). Participants will be invited to join the nascent community; once established prospects can also be invited through existing members, with the aim to cover a wide range of volunteering stakeholders with a strong, national level interest in volunteering. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
16 | 15 | Enhancing volunteering practice through developing standardised training, an accredited train-the-trainer model and developing career pathways for volunteer practitioners (managers and coordinators). | Capacity Building | 1. Infrastructure organisations, develop standardised training and an accredited associate training model that can be delivered locally and nationally. 2. Developing career pathways for the volunteer management workforce. Based upon an agreed understanding for collective standards for volunteering and how these standards can be achieved, and accredited through capacity building. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
17 | 16 | New capacity building initiatives through enabling the scoping and potential pilots for future developments such as a Volunteer Passport Scheme (see NCVO's exploratory work as an example https://blogs.ncvo.org.uk/2021/02/19/developing-a-national-volunteer-passporting-scheme/). | Capacity Building | 1. Enable scoping and potential pilots for future developments such as a Volunteer Passport; Scottish Government, commission research on the benefits and challenges of a volunteer passport model for Scotland. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
18 | 17 | Wider, more informed local resilience partnerships through appropriate third sector engagement with the Resilience Partnership Infrastructure; and greater access to learning & development on emergency resilience topics. | Resilience | 1. With a view to connecting partners across the work of resilience (see TSI Scotland Network - Supporting Scotland's Third Sector) the Scottish Government and Third Sector Interfaces will work together to ensure there is appropriate third sector access to, or participation within, the Resilience Partnership infrastructure, from local to national. 2. The Scottish Government will explore opportunities to strengthen voluntary and community sector access to learning and development on emergency resilience topics to underpin and enable the third sector’s ability to work as partners and to contribute effectively to established local, regional and national resilience networks. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
19 | 18 | Improve resilience processes and guidance to reflect the contribution made by communities; promoting good safeguarding practice in respect of vulnerable people; and updating guidance on informal volunteering. | Resilience | 1. Public and Third Sector leaders will work together to ensure emergency resilience and community development planning and reporting processes more accurately reflect the scale and contribution made by communities to local and national resilience. 2. The Scottish Government will continue to promote safeguarding good practice in respect of supporting people who are vulnerable in emergencies, and work with third sector experts to update and promote national guidance on informal volunteering that outlines safe practice for volunteers. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
20 | 19 | Supporting Digital practice and Digital access in volunteering by helping organisations to apply digital tools and share best practice; which includes signposting to existing support (from SCVO and others) that increases use of digital generally; and providing guidance to create accessible content around a volunteering programme. | Digital Volunteering | 1. Help organisations’ to apply digital tools within their existing volunteering practice 2. Signpost to existing sources of support to support greater use of digital within organisations (of all types) 3. Toolkit and guidance to help organisations create accessible content around their volunteering programme. | ||||||||||||||||||||||
21 | 20 | Co-ordinating national recognition and celebration initiatives and expanding the Volunteers' Week programme by including other national events relevant to volunteering. | Awareness / perception | Build on the Volunteers' Week group but apply to other national events relevant to volunteering; The Gathering, etc. Representation to include Youth VIP (see recommendation 5) and TSIs on this steering group. Reflect key themes within planning around group / family / inclusion / informal / importance for communities. Think about key asks / outputs from campaigns in addition to awareness e.g. organisations to consider charter, standards, practice guidance etc. Opportunity to scale Volunteers' Week in Scotland e.g. consider major sponsorship etc. Is this about more effective planning across the sector. Perhaps a planning group around volunteering campaigns more generally? SRAB: Highlight critical role of volunteering (esp. during C19); Celebrate formal and informal; value contributions (rebalance the emphasis given to paid work); Recognising the importance of volunteering for communities | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
22 | 21 | Delivery of local and regional community events which build on existing national celebrations and focus on locally driven community events. | Awareness / perception | Building on the success of national programmes with local delivery such as Volunteers' Week, the Big Lunch, etc. But also the need to foster locally driven community events, and the importance of the national - local relationship in many instances e.g. Scottish Interfaith Week, Scottish Refugee week, where success is dependent on local community /partner engagement. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
23 | 22 | Establish a common understanding of inclusive volunteering and inclusive volunteering practice through awareness raising campaigns. | Awareness / perception | Inclusive volunteer practice at a local, regional and national level. Action: Awareness raising campaign around inclusive Volunteering. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
24 | 23 | Tell your story' platform that allows volunteers to tell their story in their own words. | Awareness / perception | Website (or other) that allows volunteers to tell their story of volunteering in their own words. Especially seldom heard stories that inspire and show waht is possible. With a focus on inclusion, informal volunteering etc. See also link to Voice & Evidence actions around guidance for capturing stories at all levels of the system. An action to engage with volunteers around recognition especially with diverse groups and informal volunteering | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
25 | 24 | Evaluate volunteering awards and their importance for lifelong engagement including the potential for adult awards. | Engagement | Continue to develop and promote the Saltire Awards, ensure that they meet young peoples need. Explore an adult award scheme that is a natural progression from the Saltire Awards. Important to recognise the difference between initiatives like the Saltire Awards and nominated awards. Can we also look at other Award schemes such as Saltire and actions around WG3. Review or evaluation of youth-based award schemes, such as Saltire and DoE. Perhaps focused on 'lifestage' where adults lack agency? | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
26 | 25 | Encourage people to consider volunteering through tailored, comprehensive and accessible information and guidance that addresses key questions for non-volunteers. | Engagement | Getting 'into' volunteering strategy - an engagement strategy and guidance for disseminating general and more specific information around what is volunteering, what is inclusive volunteering, what are the benefits for me, what you'll need to think about before starting etc. (which might be different for some groups e.g. refugees, people in receipt of benefits etc.). This might require an assessment of existing infrastructure. How can we breakdown stereotypes, is this also through stories in which case merged to 4? (Note: any materials should be fully accessible i.e. easy read versions, available in different formats). See also, YouthVIP recommendations 7 and 10. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
27 | 26 | Leverage community 'assets' through engaging 'anchor' organisations and individuals and supporting volunteers' use of greenspace and bluespace. | Engagement | 1. Identify and engage community anchor organisations to support volunteering. 'Anchor' can be niche but high impact community groups as well as larger public sector and private sector organisations. Linked to this is the development of 'community hubs'. This could also be extended to 'voluntrepreneurs'. 2. Recognising, using and supporting Scotland’s greenspace/bluespace. Capitalise on volunteering linkages to health and wellbeing (green prescribing); sport and recreation; environmental protection and the climate change agenda. Tangible activities in the outdoors and development of outdoor structures (also, linkage to primary/secondary school education) Also, review from the perspective of lifestage and starting volunteering early - anchor organisations have that longterm vision. SRAB: An opportunity to transform the relationship with people, communities and places; Consideration around better and more collaborative use of public sector assets; Community wealth initiatives; Community health post COVID-19; Community activism and volunteering, democracy, holding others to account; Participation to transition to a net zero economy; involvement for fair climate change policies; Community involvement to tackle inequality, address gaps for disabled people, BAME communities, those facing poverty. Needs tailored and accessible support, involving those affected. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
28 | 27 | Scale models of community-volunteer engagement through understanding success factors and supporting wider application, thematically and geographically. | Engagement | Supporting scalable models of social engagement. Identifying and supporting community engagement models with the potential for more effective regional/national rollout: this is the 'bottom-up' approach, which is complementary to National Initiatives (Action No. 4). Examples include Paths for All, Park Run, Men's Sheds, Boogie in the Bar, and Camerados. What sort of actions make sense here? Is this about innovation and support required? Or licensing / introducing something that exists within an area? Is there an Evidence sharing aspect to this. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
29 | 28 | Stimulate volunteer pathways through initiatives aimed at participants and recipients within community services and interest groups. | Engagement | Engaging in community through personal interests and needs. This action is focused on the ‘participant to volunteer’ and ‘recipient to volunteer’ pathways. It’s about enabling community residents to develop and fulfil their personal interests and needs through engagement with clubs, societies, informal groups, health and wellbeing, activism, sport, arts, culture, etc. This could be about organisations being aware of the value of volunteering for recipients and participants, then being equipped with practice guidance to make this happen. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
30 | 29 | Help communities to help themselves through supporting a volunteering response to important issues, such as national emergencies, protecting assets under threat, rescuing land for a community garden - this includes sharing good examples. | Engagement | Responding to community needs (situational drivers). Helping communities to respond to factors which impact directly on their area and trigger the self-help response: this includes national emergencies; supporting vulnerable groups such as refugees; protecting assets under threat (e.g. art/heritage); rescuing land for a community garden. What sort of actions make sense here? Is this a less formal type of resilience? | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
31 | 30 | Support Voluntrepreneurs i.e. support entrepreneurial action that's focused on creating community-volunteer engagement models or approaches. | Engagement | Voluntrepreneurs – fostering a spirit of entrepreneurial action at the community level. Identifying and supporting people who demonstrate entrepreneurial flair in identifying local needs and taking the initiative in developing a ‘smart’ soluntion/model. Voluntrepreneurial activity lends itself to ‘scalability’ beyond the local – regional, national and international reach. This was viewed as difficult to implement in isolation. Is this about supporting these individuals? Mentoring networks, funding support, etc.? See also creating an Enabling Environment and Leadership for other links. Better to integrate this within Action No. 5 ‘Scalable models’. It’s also relevant to Action No. 1 ‘Developing community assets’. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
32 | 31 | Volunteering Opportunities + through a plan to increase current opportunity volumes and matches which involves identifying and removing barriers for both opportunity publishers and searchers. | Opportunities | Volunteering Opportunities For All - analysis of current MILO system with consideration given to creating many more opportunities (currently <3000 across Scotland e.g. through self service promotion for all VIOs etc.); user guidance and algorithm / system rules needed to generate 'good / great' opportunities; explore potential for search interface and reporting 'transparency' around key attributes (find opps based on inclusive / accessible criteria, potential health impact, age-focused, motivation / benefits focused) etc. Quality of opportunities that develop individuals at different lifestages; empower them, provide voice. Relationship to YP; learning, personal development and active citizenship. Relationship to Old People; social connectedness, wellness etc. (key policy drivers here). SRAB: Opportunities for learning, community learning and self-development; Opportunities for volunteering are more accessible. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
33 | 32 | Volunteering Opportunities by lifestage through collating, reviewing and recommending changes based on motivations and needs at each life stage, including employer supported volunteering and intergenerational activity. | Opportunities | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||
34 | 33 | Inclusive nature-based volunteering through collating case studies, via volunteers and practitioners, and providing guides to help others create roles. | Opportunities | Nature Volunteering For All - Find good examples of inclusive nature based volunteering and ask participants and volunteer role leaders what works well/what could be improved. Write up case studies and checklists to help others develop inclusive nature based volunteering roles This appears to be supported by government from response to the Scottish Assembly on Climate Change. Possible pilot? | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
35 | 34 | Bridge expertise through building relationships between volunteering and community engagement partners. | Relationship building | Bridging volunteering and community engagement expertise. The lack of organisations and individuals with community engagement expertise is seen as a limitation of the work of WG4. There is an important action to form bridges between the volunteering world and the community world. Organisations such as SCDC, Scottish Community Alliance, Scottish Communities for Health and Wellbeing, CHEX, Communities Channel Scotland and Foundation Scotland were all cited as having a rich contribution to make towards WG4 delivery going forward. This is about who we need to hear from and also need to be involved in decisions associated with actions around this volunteering outcome. SRAB: Community participation (vision and implement alongside public sector) and empowerment; (more control, participatory budgeting, digital support, build lived experiences into the process) | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
36 | 35 | Engage national partners around successful community-volunteer engagement initiatives in order to understand and support. | Relationship building | Engaging communities via national partnerships / initiatives. Development and rollout of community engagement models – the ‘top down’ coordination approach – but community level delivery. Themed on a policy area e.g. health and wellbeing, sport, education. For example: 'Active Schools with 20,000 volunteers. What sort of actions make sense here? Large scale volunteering programmes. Would need to discuss at Local Authority and levels and higher. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
37 | 36 | Tackle transitions for volunteers: into adulthood by engaging education-focused stakeholders and employers; and into retirement by engaging employers and others. | Relationship building | Tackling ‘young person’ transitions; part 1: volunteering and education life - through work with education stakeholders (umbrella bodies e.g. SDS, College Development Network, Education Scotland etc, primary, secondary, further, higher) explore opportunities to inform the 'volunteering' educational offer to students / curriculum (subjects related to citizenship, wealth & health, economy, inclusion), to explore individual awards from schools perspective, to explore institution awards (youth volunteering champion schools learning from eco-schools 'green flag' initiative etc). Many points of access, influence - can we decide on multiple possible actions for development? How can we increase at different lifestages. Starting early/earlier would seem important! Focused initiatives around Family-based experiences to start young (uniform services etc. aimed at young people, more family volunteering opps) etc. Primary schools (link to Flag for a volunteering school); Employer support, encouragement by Lifestage (new in, pre-retirees). Is there a digital version of influence? See YouthVIP recommendation 8 SRAB: Opportunities for learning, community learning and self-development; Opportunities to participate are made easier for those facing barriers to volunteer | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
38 | 37 | Understand older potential volunteers through research that examines their needs and motivations to volunteer. | Research | (A related idea - pt.2 'Tackling transitions: volunteering and late work life'). SRAB: Opportunities for learning, community learning and self-development; Opportunities to participate are made easier for those facing barriers to volunteer | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
39 | 38 | Understand community engagement and volunteering through research, monitoring and evaluation data. | Research | Research and evaluation on community engagement and volunteering. (No.9) The role of research, monitoring and evaluation as an on-going action to support performance assessment of WG4 actions, the identification of gaps and the evolution of new actions. This would be an ongoing action for WG4, possibly over the 10 year life of the Action Plan, but with ready-across to the wider VAP. See Monitoring and Evaluation aspects of the plan. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
40 | 39 | Volunteering and Wellbeing. Gain a better understanding of the contribution of volunteering to the Wellbeing Economy by aligning existing research with the National Outcome indicators related to health and social capital. | Value / education | Volunteering and the Happiness Index - Assess the wider use and impact of the Happiness Index at policy level. Assess how / where volunteering could influence this index. Explore related issues around the Wellbeing Economy. Any actions we could suggest around a volunteering's contribution to a Happiness or Wellbeing index? Note. System is dynamic and new evidence emerges. There is evidence from WVCA November and NCVO which also make convicing links between volunteering and health & wellbeing. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
41 | 40 | Create a positive culture for volunteers through the wider promotion of the impact of volunteering in policy and the media. | Value / education | Strengthen culture for volunteering: recognised, celebrated, and valued. Promotion of what volunteering is (and isn’t) to promote understanding of what it means to volunteer (informal and formal). Promotion of the impact of volunteering (formal and informal) on society including economic and wellbeing. Important to regularly evidence this. Relates to helping policymakers value volunteering, understand its impacts. Also, what about other stakeholders like funders? What kind of actions might we suggest here - through factsheets or being part of a decision-making panel? Is this also about Education and how we spread messaging from within our key stakeholders e.g. Stakeholder x should have a champion and be able to advocate for volunteering amongst colleagues. | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
42 | 41 | Fair Volunteering. Reinforce the distinction between volunteering and paid employment by reviewing and relaunching the Volunteer Charter, introducing fair volunteering principles, and reinforcing the importance of paying expenses amongst others. | Value / education | Fair volunteering principles. See recent Formal Volunteering Framework for young people and assess more general applicability. Check out fairwork materials also. https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/advice-and-guidance/2022/02/formal-volunteering-framework/documents/formal-volunteering-framework/formal-volunteering-framework/govscot:document/formal-volunteering-framework.pdf See also YouthVIP recommendation 9. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
43 | 42 | National approach to Employer Supported Volunteering which includes an agreed value statement, guidance and accreditation routes and signposting to existing services. | Volunteer experience / training | Agreement on a shared approach to Employer Supported Volunteering which includes a value statement, useful guidance and accreditation routes for businesses, signposting to existing services in this area e.g. Social Good Connect. Shared principles - with business community. Relationship building. Can this be more of a wider play around Employee Supported Volunteering. Discuss how we develop this seriously in Scotland. There is a standard IiVe to build from. SG Connect. YouthVIP recommendation 13 around youth engagement with business and private sector. To develop working practices which support volunteering. SRAB: Employers; volunteering leave, build on benefits of volunteering, values based leadership commitment, asylum seekers and refugees in the workforce | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
44 | 43 | Build knowledge, skills and capacity in inclusive volunteering through practical resources, training and peer support | Volunteer experience / training | Y | ||||||||||||||||||||||
45 | 44 | Knowledge hub to recognise and celebrate volunteering and ensure that minimum standards are in place for recognising volunteers. | Volunteer experience / training | Creation of a knowledge hub to recognise and celebrate volunteering. It draws on existing resources ensuring consistency and good practice and ensures that good practice is recognised and shared throughout the sector. Volunteer Charter should be included and a way of recognising organisations that have signed up should be implemented. While these cross many parts of volunteering we are keen to ensure that minimum standards for recognising volunteers is included. Review existing standards for recognition and celebration guides, materials, considerations around accessibility, language, tone. See also point 14 (potential merge). (Note: any materials should be fully accessible i.e. easy read versions, available in different formats). | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
46 | 45 | The right level of bureaucracy through understanding where bureaucracy can be streamlined (with relevance to VIOs, infrastructure bodies, funders, and others) and the application and impact for different types of volunteers / volunteering. | Volunteer experience / training | The right level of bureaucracy - analysis which incorporates Volunteer Voice (especially those facing most barriers to volunteer), organisation and funders to understand where bureaucracy can be streamlined and what the impact might be for different types of volunteers / volunteering. What are the first steps here? Do we know what all of the barriers are? (Note: any materials should be fully accessible i.e. easy read versions, available in different formats) SRAB: Opportunities to participate are made easier for those facing barriers to volunteer; Radical Kindness shows where systems and structures get in the way). | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
47 | 46 | Create a wellbeing training resource which supports volunteers to maintain positive physical and emotional wellbeing and sets a national baseline to support volunteer practice. | Volunteer experience / training | Define Baseline National Support Needs and Training. Ensure volunteers are supported to uphold positive physical and emotional wellbeing, and that every stakeholder group values their contribution from SG to grassroots community level, creating a national training resource wholly focussed on wellbeing. Wellbeing focused opportunities and support, focused on different lifestages. What could we test out? | Y | |||||||||||||||||||||
48 | 47 | Improve and widen the uptake of standards of practice through through the increased promotion of 'a quality pipeline' which includes the Volunteer Charter, Volunteer Friendly (Vf) and Investing in Volunteers (IiV). Assess potential for 'QA marked' opportunities. | Volunteer experience / training | Volunteer experience: widen standards of practice through encouraging greater support and adoption of 'the quality pipeline' which encompasses the Volunteer Charter, Volunteer Friendly (Vf) and Investing in Volunteers (IiV). Organisations can sign up for these marks (Vf or IiV may be most appropriate). There is a potential to link 'QA marks' to promoted volunteering opportunities, which could be discussed within this action. This needs to be more specific, supporting volunteers with particular barriers to volunteering? (See action on 'Volunteering Opportunities For All' and also Youth VIP recommendation 6). (Note: any materials should be fully accessible i.e. easy read versions, available in different formats). SRAB: inclusive and accessible capacity building; digital divide. | N | |||||||||||||||||||||
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