Quality Standards

Investing in Volunteers kitemark and quality standardInvesting in Volunteers  and The Volunteering Charter

1. Investing in Volunteers is a national standard that shows to your stakeholders, funders and the general public that you treat volunteers with respect and have high standards in enabling and promoting their development and participation in your organisation.

Our certificated IiV Advisor, one of only 14 in the UK, will support you through the first 3 steps of the process. The fee you pay to NCVO for the kitemark assessment includes this support if you want it.

Benefits of the kitemark:

  • Ensures good quality and consistent practice in volunteer management throughout your organisation
  • Proves to funders and commissioners that your organisation adds social value, values volunteers and their contribution to your work
  • Increases volunteers’ motivation and enhances their experience
  • Minimises potential risks through the involvement of volunteers

What to do?

Read about IiV on their website
Register your organisation on the website
When you register, please fill in the box to say you found out about Investing in Volunteers through Volunteer Centre Worcesterhire to ensure you are referred to your local advisor.

A 6-Step Process over 12 months

  • Introductory Workshop with your stakeholders (staff, volunteers, trustees)
  • Self Assessment
  • Development Plan
  • Assessment Visit
  • England & National Quality Assurance panel
  • Achievement of Award

2. Volunteering England and the TUC have agreed a Charter that aims to strengthen relationships between paid staff and volunteers.  Pershore Volunteer Centre is a partner in the Worcestershire Volunteering Hub which promotes this positive relationship in Worcestershire.

Charter principles

  • All volunteering is undertaken by choice, and all individuals should have the right to volunteer, or indeed not to volunteer.
  • While volunteers should not normally receive or expect financial rewards for their activities, they should receive reasonable out of pocket expenses.
  • The involvement of volunteers should complement and supplement the work of paid staff, and should not be used to displace paid staff or undercut their pay and conditions of service.
  • The added value of volunteers should be highlighted as part of commissioning or grant-making processes but their involvement should not be used to reduce contract costs.
  • Effective structures should be put in place to support and develop volunteers and the activities they undertake, and these should be fully considered and costed when services are planned and developed.
  • Volunteers and paid staff should be provided with opportunities to contribute to the development of volunteering policies and procedures.
  • Volunteers, like paid staff, should be able to carry out their duties in safe, secure and healthy environments that are free from harassment, intimidation, bullying, violence and discrimination.
  • All paid workers and volunteers should have access to appropriate training and development.
  • There should be recognised procedures for the resolution of any problems between organisations and volunteers or between paid staff and volunteers.

Download the original Charter.

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