Agenda item

That the implementation of a Volunteering Policy, as detailed in the circulated report, be approved.

Officers presented a report which sought to seek approval for a new Volunteering Policy to be implemented across the Council.

It was explained that the development of the Volunteering Policy was detailed as one of the commitments made in the Councils Strategic Workforce Plan and the Delivery Action Plan, for year two of the Workforce Strategy.

Members were informed that the Council already used volunteers across many services, however there wasn’t a standard framework for recruiting and managing those volunteers; developing a policy, would help to ensure a consistent approach and make sure that arrangements, such as pre-employments checks, were adhered to. Officers also highlighted the benefits to wellbeing, as volunteers gained a lot from volunteering experiences.

Officers stated that the Volunteering Policy will create opportunities across the Council and can be taken up by those external to the Council, as well as Council employees; it would be another measure in the range of benefits that the Council provides. 

A discussion took place in regard to monitoring and mapping impacts of this policy across the Council. It was noted that Officers did not currently capture data in relation to volunteers; however, arrangements will be made to monitor the consistency of the approach, and the relevant data will be captured moving forward. It was mentioned that Officers had engaged with services that currently used volunteers and had, for example, made sure that services such as schools were aware of the pre-employment checks.

Members asked for a better understanding of some of the finer details of the policy and what could be achieved. It was explained that the services themselves would create a list of volunteering opportunities and advertise them, inviting people to present themselves to undertake a particular role; before a member of staff decided to volunteer, they should discuss the role with their Line Manager to ensure there weren’t any conflicts of interest. Officers stated that volunteering roles would not take away paid employment and would be supplementary to the Councils core services; a volunteer would not be undertaking the work of a paid employee.

In addition to the above, it was highlighted that the Council already used a lot of volunteers across services such as schools, parks and theatres; however, the policy would hopefully increase the opportunities and provide a framework in order to be able to publicise those opportunities. Officers confirmed that it was a helpful way for people to gain experience and go on to gain employment, or for those who just want to help.

Members queried the practical arrangements in terms of monitoring and training the volunteers, and referenced the use of this policy for those who were at risk of losing employment. It was stated that volunteers would not be left unsupervised within any of the workplaces, especially those regarding children or adult services; there would always be a paid officer working alongside them. Officers highlighted that in circumstances where someone was at risk of losing their employment, they would primarily use other ways to support them in identifying alternative employment; however, it could be something to utilise alongside other routes, for example in order to help someone gain new and useful skills.

Further clarity was provided in regard to Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and the payment of these checks. Officers confirmed that DBS checks for volunteers were free; although there was a small admin fee to process the DBS, which was around £5 per volunteer.

A discussion took place in regard to the volunteering organisations that were already in existence across the County Borough; Members queried the alignment between these organisations and the Volunteering Policy. Officers explained that the Volunteering Policy was specifically for people who would volunteer directly with the Council and not via the existing volunteering organisations. It was noted that organisations, such as Friends of Margam Park, were likely to have their own arrangements in place for membership. It was mentioned that the establishment of a Volunteering Policy would put more emphasis on the role of the managers of volunteers; ensuring compliance with safe recruitment checks for example.

Members highlighted that some of the external volunteering organisations currently supported Council services. It was asked if these organisations would be exempt from registering with the scheme if it was only relevant to those volunteering directly with the Council. Officers explained that the Volunteering Policy wasn’t a scheme in which people and/or groups had to register, instead it was a standardised practice. It was noted that volunteering organisations were likely to already have arrangements in place that were similar to that of the Volunteering Policy; Officers suggested that they could recommend the detail of the policy to the relevant volunteering organisations.

The Committee requested that established organisations be informed of this policy in order to increase scope and opportunity; and enable members of the organisations to volunteer if they wished to do so.

RESOLVED:

The implementation of a Volunteering Policy, as detailed in the circulated report, was approved.