Investing in Volunteers Case Study
Name of Organisation
Trinity Hospice
Why did you decide to go for Investing in Volunteers?
We wanted a clear way to demonstrate to our volunteers how committed we are to good practice and to making volunteering as worthwhile and rewarding as we possibly can.
What benefits have you found from working towards Investing in Volunteers?
It has raised the profile of volunteering throughout the hospice – and especially with staff not working directly with volunteers. It has given us the impetus to review every aspect of how we involve volunteers in our work and highlighted a couple of areas where our support structures were lacking. It has given volunteers greater ownership of the volunteering programme and increased dialogue, understanding and respect between staff and volunteers.
How did the assessment work in your organisation?
We set up a steering group of staff and volunteers who worked through the checklist together. Sub groups were set up to work on particular areas where development work had been identified. The steering group represented different departments within the organisation and so they were also responsible for disseminating information and getting feedback from their areas of work.
5 Practical tips you would give another organisation working towards Investing in Volunteers
- The make up of the Steering Group is key and needs to include staff that have the authority to implement changes.
- Delegate and share responsibility so that the whole organisation feels ownership of the process.
- Try and get IIV as an agenda item on every staff, volunteers, management, trustee meeting so that everyone is kept up to date and understands why certain changes may be being made.
