Sometimes it feels that we surround ourselves with policies and they bear little impact on the day-to-day management of our volunteers. This one-day course will explore exactly what policies you need. You’ll be able to explain the rationale for the various policies and explain their function. We’ll explore other policies currently in use and review their impact in terms of the quality of their volunteer programmes.

The early relationship a volunteer has with an organisation has tremendous impact on the future success of the partnership between both. When volunteers are not genuinely welcomed and / or given the information they need to successfully serve the organisation, they can’t carry out their tasks to the best of their ability and in some cases, may leave the organisation. On this course we will provide you with the tools and resources you need to ensure your prospective volunteers are trained in a manner that best supports your organisational aims and objectives.

Suggesting that an organisation initiates performance reviews of volunteers is often met with resistance. A growing number of Volunteer Managers are countering these perceptions, choosing instead to see performance review as a reflection of the importance of volunteers in an organisation. It is a mutual way to express appreciation, identify problems and needs, and determine the volunteer’s future involvement in the organisation.

Interviewing candidates for volunteer roles is imperative to ensure you are selecting the most qualified person. A key outcome of conducting an interview is the mutual acquaintance of the volunteer applicant and the prospective volunteer supervisor. Without this significant screening step, many misplaced or inappropriate volunteers begin to volunteer with the organisation. In this session we’ll look at how to manage the interview process and give you the skills required for effective interviewing.

Effective relations between paid staff and volunteers can lead to an enjoyable and productive workplace for both groups. Organisations wishing to involve volunteers need to firstly consult with those individuals with whom the volunteers will be working. Volunteer roles, management and support, needs to be clearly defined with paid staff to reduce the risk of mistrust.

Staff need to see that volunteers complement and strengthen their capacity and enhance the capability of the organisation to achieve its goals rather than fear their involvement. This training will provide strategies and ideas for successful staff and volunteer relations

Trainer: Stuart Garland

One of the recurrent nightmares of any volunteer manager is encountering a situation in which they may have to consider ‘firing’ a volunteer. For many this prospect creates severe stress, both over the appropriateness of the action and over fear of possible legal and political consequences. In this sessions we will provide a series of toll and resources to help you with this situation when it arises.

Trainer: Stuart Garland