Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Parent Partnership Service

Name of Organisation

Why did you decide to go for Investing in Volunteers?

We have heavy investment in volunteers to help us deliver our service and wanted to ensure that we were offering the best support programme to them that we could.We felt it would help us to identify and cover any gaps in our provision.We felt it would enhance the experience of volunteers with us and perhaps improve our recruitment of new volunteers.It would demonstrate our total commitment to volunteers.

What benefits have you found from working towards Investing in Volunteers?

It was a systematic look at all the areas of the service in which volunteers are involved.We had the opportunity to focus on exactly how our systems around volunteers work and to plan how to improve them where it was necessary.We ended up with a much clearer idea of what our volunteers want, need and deserve.

Tell us about your experience of the assessment process in your organisation.

Initially a bit daunting, but got much easier when we recognised exactly what was required for each standard.It seemed quite adaptable to our organisation and it proved to be easier to find suitable evidence than we at first anticipated.

We found some of the statements made by volunteers during their interviews very touching; it was wonderful to hear of the benefits they felt they had gained personally from having given so much to the parents we support.

5 Practical tips you would give another organisation working towards Investing in Volunteers

·Start with one or two small areas

·Look at what you already have rather than worrying about what you think you should have

·Talk to other organisations who have gone through the same process

·Get together a team to work through the process

·Involve your volunteers – they can probably point immediately to weak spots in your policies, and can give much needed encouragement by recognising good practice